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Under the magnifying glass. A solution to all problems. An idealized image of NGOs
The latest research on the image of NGOs confirms the thesis of a positive yet simplified image of organizations in Polish society. In the 11th installment of the series Under the magnifying glass by ngo.pl entitled "A solution to all the problems. The image of NGOs" the objective will be to consider what are the reasons, but also the consequences of the persistence of a simplified, or perhaps stereotypical, perception of NGOs by Polish citizens.
A survey of the image of organizations we conducted in early 2023 shows that the level of trust in NGOs is the highest in more than a decade - 63% of Polish women and men trust the organizations. The belief in the high quality of their activities and the support they provide has also increased.
At the same time, a lot of data indicates that knowledge of organizations and how they operate is very superficial. There is still a lingering belief that the main activity of organizations is to raise money to bring help to those in need. One of the primary associations with the word "NGO" is "aid," which is very often combined with collecting donations for a specific charitable purpose. The entities that respondents are able to mention by name are primarily The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (commonly known as WOŚP), Caritas, the Polish Red Cross, and large foundations that help children, associated with a specific media outlet. The list often ends there.
A distorted image of NGOs’ budget
Perceptions of the sources of income of organizations are also highly simplified. Poles imagine that the funds available to organizations come primarily from collections and donations. If they get information that organizations receive grants from public money, it raises suspicion and associations with nepotism.
The belief that NGO budgets are fueled primarily by collections and donations from private individuals goes hand in hand with the expectation that all the money should go directly to the causes for which organizations work.
On the one hand, respondents realize that organizations have to bear some cost of their activities, but on the other hand, a situation in which part of the funds would be spent for a purpose other than directly helping those in need seems suspicious.
Therefore, Poles are rather inclined to perceive NGO activists as people who sacrifice themselves for others and put their needs above their own, without a reflection on how realistic their perceptions might be.
Idealized image of NGOs
In times of numerous crises causing increased social unrest, organizations are a source of hope for a "better world." This hope is not unfounded - organizations are actually changing the world for the better. However, the social image of "non-governmental angels" does not arise solely from the knowledge of the positive effects of organizations' activities.
One of the sources of such an idealistic image of organizations may be the contrast between NGOs and public institutions. Independence from the government is the most frequently spontaneously mentioned association that Poles have with organizations (probably stemming from the very name "non-governmental").
For years, organizations have been perceived as those more effective in providing assistance to those in need than public institutions. When trust in government remains low, it is the NGOs that are seen as a pillar of support and a source of hope.
A simple message reaches the heart and wallet
The circumstances in which Poles most often come into contact with organizations are also not without significance. The interviews show that both direct and indirect contact often takes place "on the occasion" of raising funds for the organization's goals. Perhaps, in an effort to increase the effectiveness of their fundraising efforts, NGOs try to fit into the expectations of Polish citizens regarding the organization's activities or manner of operation. In this way, the established image reproduces and reinforces itself. A question arises: is sticking to this simplistic image of the organization the only way to do effective fundraising?
Are NGOs safe from an image crisis?
An idealized image of organizations can work in their favor, but it also carries certain risks. Perhaps the need for a narrative of ideal organizations causes their image to be unaffected by situations that "don't fit'' in this picture. In the surveys conducted in early 2023, one does not hear the echoes of the troubles of the Women's Rights Center, and the so-called Villa+ scandal seems to burden the government, not organizations, in the eyes of those surveyed. Which is not to say that the NGO sector need not fear an image crisis. It is conceivable that it will be led not by a real scandal, but by a realignment of the NGOs image, which will not be accompanied by a message explaining why organizations cannot always be a solution to all problems.