Harnessing trust to expand your nonprofit’s impact

This blog was written in collaboration with Anne Erhard, EVP of Social Impact and Sustainability at Edelman, who brings over 20 years of expertise in corporate responsibility, environmental and social governance, diversity and inclusion, and nonprofit marketing strategy.

Trust in nonprofits has remained steady in the U.S., with 56% of Americans reporting high trust in nonprofit organizations in 2025. As trust in government, media, and corporations continues to decline, nonprofits have an opportunity to stand out by showing people who they are, what they value, and how they create progress.

That’s where a strong nonprofit brand matters. Your brand shapes how supporters understand your mission, recognize your work, and decide whether to get involved. In a sector where trust is essential, a clear and consistent identity can help your organization build credibility across every touchpoint.

Learn how your nonprofit can build a clear, trusted identity that helps people understand your impact and feel ready to take action.

Trust grows through personal connections

Nonprofits thrive when people trust their work. As the sector maintains a strong reputation for addressing real challenges, organizations have a stronger foundation for building public support and deepening engagement.

Still, trust alone isn’t enough. Personal recommendations are among the most trusted forms of influence, giving nonprofits a meaningful way to reach new supporters. In 2025, trust in family, friends, and coworkers increased 11%, whereas trust in national government leaders and major news organizations dropped 16% and 11%, respectively.

GoFundMe’s The Social State of Giving report points to a similar trend in digital spaces. In fact, over half of Gen Z (69%) and Millennials (51%) follow impact creators online, showing how social media can influence the causes people discover, trust, and choose to support.

That influence is especially clear among younger donors. According to the report, 57% of Gen Z say family or peers shape their giving decisions, which is 14 percentage points higher than other adults.

For nonprofits, this shift makes supporter advocacy even more important. When people hear about your mission from someone they know, the message can feel more personal, credible, and relevant. A strong community fundraising strategy can help your organization turn trusted relationships into broader awareness, deeper engagement, and more ways for supporters to participate.

Advocacy as a driver of growth, loyalty, and community

People often give because a cause reflects their values and identity. When nonprofits build genuine engagement, they create more than loyal supporters. They build communities of advocates who see the mission as part of who they are and want to help others understand why it matters.

Research from Worldmetrics highlights how personal connection can influence trust and loyalty in consumer brand relationships:

• 83% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand if it provides personalized experiences
• 85% of brand advocates feel emotionally connected to the brand
• 78% of consumers trust brand advocates more than branded content

While these statistics focus on consumer brands, the takeaway is relevant for nonprofits. Supporters who feel connected to your mission are more likely to share your message, encourage others to get involved, and stay engaged when challenges arise.

Volunteer experiences can also strengthen how people view nonprofit organizations. In one study, 79% of respondents said a past volunteering experience positively influenced their view of nonprofits, and 88% said they would volunteer again.

Equipping supporters to build trust and drive change

Giving supporters the tools to champion causes they care about transforms their involvement from passive support into meaningful action. Platforms like GoFundMe empower individuals to make a tangible difference while fostering a sense of ownership in the impact they help create.

With a single click, supporters on GoFundMe can share any fundraiser, generating a unique link that tracks their impact in real time. Their personal impact dashboard provides detailed insights, including the number of people they’ve inspired to give, total funds raised, and more.

A GoFundMe Profile also makes it easy for supporters to curate and share causes they’re passionate about, inspire others to give, and celebrate their collective impact, all in one place.

Simultaneously, GoFundMe Pro’s peer-to-peer campaigns and nonprofit social sharing capabilities make spreading the word effortless, and real-time tracking tools keep supporters engaged by providing updates on campaign progress. This transparency motivates ongoing involvement and underscores the difference every supporter makes.

Building on peer-to-peer: The rise of community fundraising

Peer-to-peer campaigns have long helped nonprofits mobilize supporters to fundraise on their behalf. Now, supporters want more flexibility and ownership in how they participate. They also want fundraising to fit naturally into their lives, interests, and communities.

That shift is expanding peer-to-peer into a broader community fundraising model. Supporters can now champion a cause through birthday fundraisers, personal challenges, everyday moments, traditional campaigns, and events. Each approach gives people a way to connect their personal story to your mission and invite others to take part.

In 2025 alone, 155,000 people started fundraisers for nonprofits on GoFundMe, including 85,000 first-time organizers fundraising for the causes that matter most to them.

Harness the power of collective action

When supporters share your mission, they bring trusted relationships with them. Every shared story, fundraiser, and gift can help your message reach someone new.

Since 2010, the GoFundMe community of over 200 million has facilitated over $40 billion in giving, powered by individual acts of trust and generosity passed from person to person.

That’s the power of collective action. When you give supporters the tools and encouragement to advocate for your mission, you can build a chain of trust that extends your reach and strengthens your community.

See how GoFundMe Pro can help.

Copy editor: Ayanna Julien