A study by Independent Sector looked at Americans’ trust of the charitable sector – and learned that nonprofit organizations are held in higher esteem by individuals than the federal government. In fact, 4 in 5 voters – and an even higher percentage between the ages of 18 and 34 – believe the government ought to collaborate more with the charitable sector to solve problems and improve our society. And 3 in 4 of those voters would rather give $1,000 to a charity than to our elected officials in Washington, D.C.

This presents a great opportunity for nonprofit organizations; our would-be and current donors already have a trust relationship with us based on the fact we are a charitable organization. But it also gives us a great challenge; we must be sure we don’t squander that opportunity by our actions and words – or our lack of them.

The burden of proof rests on nonprofits to show impact. What are we actually doing with the dollars our donors entrust to us? Many of us have been focused solely on the overhead issue for so long — maybe the real issue is taking the trust the American public has for us and multiplying it through our thoughtful explanation of why our charitable services make a difference, and how it improves lives. Donors know their $25 won’t cure a disease or end homelessness, but combined with gifts from others, they know it makes a dent in the problem.

Americans want to hear from the charitable sector when it comes to national problem-solving. In fact, 85 percent of them say that the voice of the charitable sector should be given equal weight as that of other sectors.

So let’s use our voice to tell our donors and prospects – as well as members of the public who clearly believe that charity is an important part of the solution to America’s challenges – why progress is being made on a societal problem because they support charity. We’ve got their trust; let’s use that to benefit the mission we are committed to accomplish.

You can download a full copy of the study here.