Philanthropy's New Voice: Building Trust With Deeper Stories and Clear Language
United States foundations are an essential element of America’s social sector, supporting causes from public libraries to groundbreaking research, to new approaches to building a more equitable world. But despite their reach, foundations have an identity problem. From small towns to Washington, D.C., Americans have a limited picture of what foundations do. This leaves the door open for others to define foundations through critiques and harmful narratives about foundations and the nonprofits they support.
This report, “Philanthropy’s New Voice: Building Trust With Deeper Stories and Clear Language,” offers science-backed strategies for foundations to build understanding and trust, starting with the words they use and the stories they tell. It is the result of a yearlong research collaboration between the Council on Foundations and the Center for Public Interest Communications, drawing on:
- A national survey of 3,557 people to assess attitudes about philanthropy and test language;
- Interviews with policymakers and their staffs to assess their sentiment about the sector;
- An analysis of Congressmembers’ social media statements about foundations;
- A content analysis of Congressional Research Service reports; and
- Interviews with communications practitioners, Congressional staffers, and a philanthropy researcher.
