60% of Koreans don't trust charity organizations: survey

By Kim Hyun-bin

Close to 60 percent of Koreans are hesitant to make donations to charity organizations as they don't trust how the funds are being used, a recent survey showed.

The Korea Association of Fundraising Professionals (KAFP) released the results of its survey, Tuesday, conducted at the request of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The KAFP surveyed 1,052 people over the age of 19 from October to December.

According to the survey, 424 people, or 40 percent of the respondents, had given donations at least once in the past year, and 56.8 percent of them said they didn't know how their contributions were spent.

The people who had not given any donations during the period were allowed to give multiple reasons for their decision. Of this number 65.3 percent said they did not donate because of economic reasons and 61.5 percent said because they could not trust the charity organizations.

Over 96 percent of the respondents stated donors have a right to know where their contributions are being used. Some 83 percent also said transparent management of donated funds would be a priority if they were to donate to a charity.

“What we need to focus on is that people with high incomes are not donating because they don't trust the organizations,” the KAFP said. “Some might claim it as an excuse but it's an issue fund-raising organizations need to resolve, as it is also connected to their transparency.”

According to the survey, the amount of donation per person was about 434,000 won on average, and 81 percent of the donors contributed less than 500,000 won each. People in their 50s donated the largest amount per person, with an average of 684,000 won.

“Korea's donation culture has rapidly expanded and fundraising organizations have become very active, but there has been little improvement in the donation system,” the KAFP said.