Heifer one of Top 10 most trusted nonprofits

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Heifer International is one of the top 10 most trusted nonprofits in America and one that people identified as an organization they would most likely personally give to, a new Harris Interactive brand equity study shows.

In Harris Interactive’s EquiTrend® survey, which measured more than 1,000 brands across 42 categories, Heifer International was named the ninth most trusted charity in the United States and number seven among nonprofits to which people are most likely to donate.

“We are naturally delighted to be in such good company as Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Doctors Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity, but more, we are thrilled to have earned the trust of the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who make our work possible,” said Charles O. Stewart, interim chief executive officer.

“Trust is a critical element for any nonprofit, but especially so for us,” Stewart added. “The relationship we foster and nurture becomes the transformational change that has helped more than 12 million families over Heifer’s 65 years.

“People’s gifts become cows, goats, pigs, chicks and seeds, and those living gifts become the fuel for hope and give people not a handout but a way out.”

According to Harris Interactive, the study evaluated equity, customer connection, commitment, energy, brand behavior, brand advocacy, and trust. Keystone to the study, Harris reports, was equity—providing an understanding of a brand’s overall strength, determined by a calculation of familiarity, quality, and intention to donate.

Said Justin Greeves, senior vice president of public affairs at Harris Interactive, “These top performing non-profit brands are not only well known, but have created powerful and personal relationships with donors, the public, governments and other non-profit stakeholders.

“They are working to solve many of society’s most complex and relevant problems in efficient, new, and innovative ways and have achieved personal relevance in many of our lives—that is why they are at the top.”

Others joining Heifer in the Top 10 most trusted list include St. Jude’s Research Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and the Make A Wish Foundation. Among those most likely to receive a donation, in addition to Heifer, were the American Cancer Society, Goodwill and the American Red Cross. Several organizations—Komen, the Salvation Army and St. Jude’s—appeared on both lists.

The online study included more than 19,700 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over between January 12 and 21, 2010. More than 1,100 total brands were rated, and each respondent was asked to rate 60 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over on the basis of age sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, and income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online.

Harris Interactive has been tracking consumers’ awareness and perception of brands for over 20 years. For more information about Harris Interactive and the EquiTrend study, please visit: http://news.harrisinteractive.com/EquiTrend.

Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in more than 50 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant.

For more information, visit www.heifer.org or call 1-800-696-1918.