Nonprofits Get Bush-Level Public Approval Ratings

In the era of corporate misconduct, the Stanford Social Innovation Review tackles the issue of "Ethics and Nonprofits."

A small slice of the report demonstrates how the public perception of nonprofit organizations may be no better than those of our for-profit counterparts:

A 2008 Brookings Institution survey found that about one third of Americans reported having “not too much” or no confidence in charitable organizations, and 70 percent felt that charitable organizations waste “a great deal” or a “fair amount” of money. Only 10 percent thought charitable organizations did a “very good job” spending money wisely ... Similarly, a 2006 Harris Poll found that only one in 10 Americans strongly believed that charities are honest and ethical in their use of donated funds. Nearly one in three believed that nonprofits have “pretty seriously gotten off in the wrong direction.” These public perceptions are particularly troubling for nonprofit organizations that depend on continuing financial contributions.

Gulp.