Does the nonprofit community have an image problem?

If you want the nonprofit community to be known as being “compassionate and caring” – then our image is fine.  However, if you want to be known as effective, results-oriented and making an impact – then we all may have some work to do.  As Richard Dawson used to say, Survey says! 

o Only 18% of Americans said charitable organizations do a very good job running their programs and services, according to a 2006 survey by NYU’s Paul Light. 

o 32% of Americans think that nonprofits in America have “pretty seriously gotten off in the wrong direction,” according to 2006 poll by Harris Interactive.

If this is what the average American thinks, you have to wonder government and business leaders think.  

Recently, I joined Independent Sector’s “Communications Initiative” and learned more about that Harris Interactive survey and their focus groups with “influentials”.  They analyzed the “nonprofit brand” and looked at the attributes of that brand.  What they found was that influentials rank nonprofits high on being compassionate and caring, but perceive that nonprofits need to more strongly exhibit elements of effectiveness and achieving results.  In a word, the missing link is “Impact.”  

In case you missed it, in an earlier blog, I begged us all not to use the “S-Word” - let’s call ourselves the nonprofit community.  

I’ll share some thoughts on communicating impact at our June 12 Annual Meeting for CEOs.  If you haven’t RSVPd yet, contact Taneem Husain.