The Public's Trust in Non-Profit Organizations: The Role of Relationship Marketing and Management

Abstract

"Nonprofit scholars and managers generally recognize that nonprofits need the public's trust for legitimacy, for effectiveness, and for non-financial as well as financial support. Yet, a complete literature search uncovers no operational or managerial definition of the public's trust in these organizations. This article offers an operational guide in tabular form and a conceptualization of the 'public trust' that is applicable to nonprofit organizations, identifies the managerial actions that might impair that trust and indicates what relationship marketing theory says about restoring that trust once corrective action has been taken."