BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Local government officials (LGOs) trust local nonprofits and charities “to do the right thing” more than almost all other types of institutions examined, according to the new report Indiana Local Government Officials and Trust in Nonprofits released today by the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI.
Local nonprofits and charities (as well as public libraries) hold more trust than local businesses, school districts, different units of local government, such as townships, towns, cities, counties, or state and federal government.
The new report is based on data from the 2020 survey by the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR) of Indiana LGOs on issues affecting Indiana local governments and residents.
Prior surveys (2012, 2014) show similar patterns: LGOs have consistently trusted nonprofits more than local businesses, state government, and federal government (the only institutions for which comparative data are available). Trust levels have fluctuated some over time but were significantly higher for all institutions in 2020 than in 2012 and/or 2014.
The report finds that LGO trust in the 10 institutions included in the 2020 survey align into two broad underlying groupings of trust: trust in general purpose government (townships, towns, cities, counties, state and federal government) and trust in other local institutions (nonprofits, local businesses, school districts, and libraries).
The most recent survey was conducted between late February and August of 2020, allowing the authors to explore whether Covid-19 might have played a role in the increased trust. To do so, the authors compared the level of trust held by LGOs who responded before April 3 to those who responded after that date, when the entire state was declared a major disaster area because of Covid-19.
The report found only one significant difference. LGOs who completed the survey after April 3, 2020, were significantly more likely to trust general purpose governments “to do the right thing,” but only for trust in those institutions (not for trust in other local institutions or trust in nonprofits) and only when controlling for a stand-in measure of whether LGOs tend to be more trusting individuals.
“Possibly, the massive efforts to respond to the severity of the pandemic increased the confidence of LGOs that general purpose governments could be trusted ‘to do the right thing’ for Indiana communities,” said Kirsten Grønbjerg, a Distinguished Professor at the O’Neill School and the Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy (2001-2020) at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “However, that appears only to be the case in our expanded model, when we control also for whether LGOs tend to be more trusting individuals. LGOs that already, or previously, trusted other institutions may have been able to jump to action faster. The pandemic certainly allowed LGOs to get to know and potentially build trust with a wider range of institutions than may have been the case previously.”
The report also examines what may explain high levels of trust more generally and focuses on trust in nonprofits (when examined by itself) as well as in general purpose government and other local institutions (when including nonprofits). Findings suggest that, when controlling for a range of other factors, LGOs who view their personal involvement with nonprofits as important to their job as an LGO, who identify few problematic community conditions, and who say their community is headed in a positive direction are significantly more likely to trust nonprofits as well as general purpose governments and other institutions (including nonprofits).
In addition, those who view nonprofits as important to local governments are significantly more likely to trust nonprofits, controlling for other factors. The type of position LGOs hold, and the type of community they represent, are also significant factors, but only for trust in general purpose government.
“These are important findings,” said Jamie Palmer, senior policy analyst at IU’s Public Policy Institute. “LGOs play key roles in identifying and responding to a wide range of community issues. But they also have limited jurisdictions and must be able to work with a wide range of institutions at the community, state and federal level if they are to address those issues effectively for their own constituencies. Trust is an important factor in developing strong collaborative working relationships.”
About the report
This is the 12th report in the series on nonprofit-government relations in Indiana from the Indiana Nonprofits Project: Scope and Community Dimensions. The report uses data from periodic surveys by the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR) on issues affecting Indiana local governments and residents. Other reports in this series have examined major disaster preparedness, working relations, contracting, and payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs).
These analyses are a joint effort of the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington, the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR), and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI. The co-authors of this report include project director Kirsten Grønbjerg and research assistants and Indiana University undergraduate students Zoe Bardon and Elizabeth McAvoy.
For more information, contact Ken Bikoff at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, 812-856-5490 or kbikoff@indiana.edu, or Adriene Davis Kalugyer at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 317-278-8972 or adrldavi@iupui.edu.
About the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR)
The mission of the IACIR to create effective communication, cooperation, and partnerships between the federal, state, and local units of government to improve the delivery of services to the citizens of Indiana. The Center for Urban Policy and Environment, now known as the IU Public Policy Institute, was named by the General Assembly to staff the IACIR.
About the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University Bloomington
The O’Neill School is a world leader in public and environmental affairs and is the largest school of public affairs and public policy in the United States. In the 2023 “Best Graduate Public Affairs Programs” by U.S. News & World Report, O’Neill ranks first in the country. Additionally, five of its specialty programs are ranked either first or second, including the number one nonprofit management program; three more specialties are in the top 10.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.
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