Researchers from New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service surveyed 1,820 Americans and found that confidence in charities has not recovered from the dip it took in the wake of controversies surrounding the Sept. 11 relief funds. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they had "not too much" or no confidence at all in charities, compared to 64 percent who said they had a "fair" amount or "great deal" of confidence.

"However one interprets the opinion trends in 2001-2002, it is impossible to ignore the stall in public confidence from 2002 to the present," noted Light. "Those who hope the public will forget about the controversies that depressed confidence after 9/11 are waiting for Godot."

Please read the Rebuilding Public Confidence in Charitable Organizations (PDF) report.