Trust me, I’m a NGO worker
NGO representatives are among the most trustworthy sources of information, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2005. Edelman is a public relations firm that conducts this annual research by interviewing 1,500 opinion leaders in eight global markets. A few highlights:
- Experts who are seen as having no vested interest in the welfare of a company — doctors or health care specialists (>56%), academics (>49%), a person like yourself (>49%), and representatives of NGOs (>47%) are the most trusted spokespersons.
- The trust void in institutions business, government, media is being filled by NGOs, whose trust ratings have trended up in the U.S., from 36% in 2001 to 55% in 2005. NGOs are now the most trusted institutions in every market except China.
- Corporate philanthropy, which ranked #1 in the U.S. and Brazil as the corporate behaviour that earned opinion leaders trust, was ranked last in Europe and second to last in China. In Europe and Canada, listening to stakeholders ranks #1; in China, highly visible senior management heads the list; and in Japan, positive coverage in the local media ranks first.
I contacted Edelman to find out how corporate philanthropy ranked in Canada — and they wouldn’t provide any further detail. Oh well. What does this mean for NGOs? Your trustworthiness is a valuable asset that you shouldn’t undervalue. Keep this in mind when approaching companies for sponsorships or marketing partnerships.
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