Every Generation Trusts Charities More Than Gen Z Does

Download our Most Trusted Nonprofits 2026 report here for the definitive ranking of the nonprofit organizations that have earned Americans' confidence, across 12 demographic cuts.

Gen Z trusts nonprofits — just far less than everyone else does. According to Morning Consult's Most Trusted Nonprofits 2026 report, nonprofit trust rises with every age cohort, and the generational spread is enormous: boomers' least-trusted top-15 organization (the VFW, at 58.9 net trust) still outscores Gen Z's single most trusted nonprofit (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, at 43.9). The pattern mirrors what Morning Consult finds for consumer brands, where 94% of tracked brands score lower with Gen Z than with all U.S. adults — but for nonprofits, whose models depend on converting the next generation of donors, the stakes are more existential.

Here's what the data shows and what nonprofit leaders can do about it.

Which nonprofits does Gen Z trust most?

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital leads with Gen Z, as it does with every demographic Morning Consult tracks. The most trusted nonprofits among Gen Z in 2026, by net trust score, are:

Note the drop-off: after St. Jude and Make-A-Wish, no organization clears a net trust of 34 with Gen Z. Among all U.S. adults, every organization in the overall top 15 sits above 43.

How big is the generational nonprofit trust gap?

Larger than any single ranking suggests. Trust in nonprofits climbs steadily with age, and the cumulative spread is striking:

• St. Jude alone climbs 32 points across the age curve — from 43.9 with Gen Z to 76.2 with boomers.
• Boomers' 15th-ranked organization (Veterans of Foreign Wars, 58.9) would rank first with Gen Z by a 15-point margin.
• The pattern is near-universal: the same organizations that anchor boomers' and Gen X's rankings appear in Gen Z's list, just with dramatically lower scores.

In other words, Gen Z isn't trusting different nonprofits — it's extending less trust to the same ones.

Why does Gen Z trust nonprofits less?

The nonprofit gap tracks closely with what Morning Consult has documented across consumer brands: Gen Z enters its relationship with institutions from a more skeptical starting point, shaped by broader institutional distrust and a media environment that amplifies negative stories.

But the simpler explanation is time. Trust is built through years of repeated, positive exposure, and Gen Z hasn't had those years yet. A boomer may have decades of Red Cross blood drives, Salvation Army kettles, and Girl Scout cookie seasons behind their score. The oldest Gen Z adults are still in their 20s — many are forming their first direct impressions of these organizations, and their first donation relationships, right now.

Which nonprofits punch above their weight with Gen Z?

Rank position reveals where Gen Z's affinities diverge from the general population's:

• Goodwill ranks 3rd with Gen Z versus 12th overall — a resale-economy brand that fits how this generation already shops.
• National Geographic Society, Planned Parenthood, and Feeding America all crack Gen Z's top 15 despite missing the overall top 15 entirely.
• Girl Scouts of the USA, this year's biggest riser overall, climbed into Gen Z's top 15 — one of many demographics where it didn't rank a year ago.

What can nonprofits learn from the Gen Z trust gap?

A low Gen Z score is usually an exposure problem, not a reputation problem. The organizations at the top of every generation's list built that position through decades of repeated positive contact — and the data suggests Gen Z rewards organizations it encounters on its own terms, whether that's thrifting at Goodwill or following mission-driven content. The generational curve also means today's investment compounds: Morning Consult's tracking shows trust accumulates slowly and rewards organizations willing to build it consistently, well before a cohort reaches its peak giving years.

Frequently asked questions

How does Morning Consult measure nonprofit trust?

Morning Consult asks survey respondents "How much do you trust this brand to do what is right?" Rankings are determined by net trust — the share who answered "a lot" or "some" minus the share who said "not much" or "not at all." This year's analysis tracked 68 nonprofit organizations, with per-organization sample sizes ranging from roughly 500 to more than 50,000 respondents.

Which nonprofit does Gen Z trust most?

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the most trusted nonprofit among Gen Z in 2026, with a net trust score of 43.9, followed by Make-A-Wish Foundation at 42.8.

How much lower is Gen Z's nonprofit trust than other generations'?

The spread is large enough that boomers' least-trusted top-15 organization (the VFW, 58.9) outscores Gen Z's most trusted nonprofit (St. Jude, 43.9). St. Jude's own score climbs 32 points from Gen Z to boomers.

Which nonprofits over-perform with Gen Z?

Goodwill ranks 3rd with Gen Z versus 12th among all adults, and National Geographic Society, Planned Parenthood, and Feeding America all appear in Gen Z's top 15 despite missing the overall top 15.

When was this study conducted?

Interviews were conducted online among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults between October 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, with responses weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population.

Request a briefing for your organization

Morning Consult Intelligence tracks trust, favorability, and donor audiences for nonprofit brands daily — so you can see exactly where your organization stands with the next generation of supporters.