Building Trust in a Skeptical World: A Conversation with Ken Phillips

About Our Guest Ken Phillips has decades of nonprofit leadership and fundraising experience. He runs NGO Futures LLC, which provides training and consulting services to non-governmental organizations in 35 countries. In 2024, the Association of Fundraising Professionals honored him with their award for Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year. He previously served as President & CEO, Plan International USA, and as head of fundraising for Save the Children US. His latest book, "Trust, Impact, and Fundraising for Nonprofits" (2023), addresses the critical trust crisis facing the charitable sector. The Global Trust Crisis This episode tackles one of the most pressing challenges facing charities worldwide: declining public trust. Ken discusses how this issue has become a global concern and is not confined to just the United States. Key Insights and Quotes On the root of the trust problem: "Trust in everything is falling. It's not just nonprofits. It's in corporations... There are three ways people spend money. They spend it on their taxes... They spend money on clothing, on services, vacations... In donations, which is the third way people can spend money, they only get feedback if they get it from who they give the money to." On the importance of communication with donors beyond fundraising: "If you don't communicate... if you don't give good, clear, persuasive information on what [the charity] did and …how [it is] efficient and effective. People don't know that... it's the follow-up that gets the renewal. And if it's just give us more [money], there's going to be dropout." On fundraising as relationship-building: "I often compare fundraising to... the act of wooing, the act of seeking someone to love you back. And if you make that comparison, you're going to realize asking for more again and again and again is not going to work. You've got to talk about what you are, why you're respected, why you could be trusted." Innovative Solutions Discussed Ken introduces several groundbreaking concepts: Chief Trust Officers for major nonprofits - similar to CFOs but focused on ethics and accountability Multi-layered evaluation systems combining self-assessment, peer review, and external monitoring Educational and advocacy programs that transform donors into committed advocates The critical importance of sanctions - "without sanctions, ethics are meaningless" Looking Ahead: The Human Element in an AI World In a fascinating discussion about the future, Ken emphasizes that artificial intelligence will never replace the human connection essential to successful fundraising: "Artificial connections and artificial fundraising ...will increase the importance of that personal connection by the fundraiser with the donor." Why This Episode Matters Ken's insights from decades of experience provide a valuable perspective on creating accountability systems that actually work. This conversation offers practical wisdom for nonprofit leaders, donors, and anyone concerned about strengthening public trust in charitable organizations. Listen Now Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion about the future of nonprofit accountability and the urgent need to rebuild public trust in charitable organizations.