Rebuilding The Trust Economy

Previewing the 2026 Nonprofit Trends Report

The disconnect lies in execution. Current tactics, like publishing impact reports, maintaining active communication, and issuing real-time receipts, are falling short of modern donor expectations. To bridge this gap, organizations must look closer at the nuance, because every sector faces a distinct challenge regarding why that trust is fraying in the first place.

Donor demands for accountability have never been higher, and to earn donor trust it takes a massive ecosystem built on compliance, ethical leadership, and donor alignment. It demands that leadership, ethical governance, and internal operations work in lockstep, making sure that an organization's public narrative is always anchored by its daily operational reality.

of respondents report that donor trust is harder to earn now than it was three years ago.

Yet, despite this headwind, building trust ranks as the number one priority for organizations over the next 12 months.

So how can nonprofits rebuild the trust economy and create sustainable, reliable revenue to fund operations? Finding the answer requires balancing everyday operational demands and laying a foundation of transparency in initiatives that fuel long-term strategic growth.

Wakefield Research, commissioned by Momentive Software, surveyed 500 executives at U.S. nonprofits in May 2026 to explore questions about nonprofit professionals' mindsets, industry shifts, and the transformational power of technology.

To rebuild the trust economy, the path forward requires nonprofits take a deep dive into the realities of nonprofit operations. Here is a closer look at the specific benchmarks, technology shifts, and trust-building efforts defining the industry right now.