Views matter: an analysis of public opinion on the activities of non-profit organizations

Sedykh Ol'ga Gennadevna PhD in Economics Associate professor, Department of Sociology and Psychology, Baikal State University 664003, Russia, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk, Lenin str., 11, office 2-111 sedyholga@yandex.ru Other publications by this author     Avilova Veronika Anatol'evna Student, Department of Sociology and Psychology, Baikal State University 664003, Russia, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk, Lenin str., 11, office 2-111 nika.school.avi@gmail.ru Other publications by this author

Alsaeva Yuliya Gavriilovna Student, Department of Sociology and Psychology, Baikal State University 664003, Russia, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk, Lenin str., 11, office 2-111 uliaalsaeva5@gmail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

Recently, a lot of different non—profit organizations have begun to appear in Russia, which try to provide vital functions for society - social, educational, cultural ^{[1, 2]}. In fact, the non—profit sector has taken over the satisfaction of those needs of society that were not covered by two other sectors - commercial and public ^{[3; 4, p. 478]}. Under these conditions, the study of public opinion on the functioning of these organizations seems to be quite relevant, since it allows us to determine the attitude of the population towards them. It is this perception and view of the work of NGOs that are important, as they are inextricably linked both with their reputation and image, and with the formation of development strategies and information policy ^{[5, 6]}.

Thus, public opinion is traditionally considered as a collective value judgment, i.e. a specific form of reflection of reality, as well as an important social institution that throughout the history of mankind has occupied and occupies its prominent place in various areas of public and personal life ^{[7, p. 73; 8]}.

Research methods and results

The purpose of the study is to study the representation and perception of the activities of non—profit organizations by society, as well as to compare the results for different regions of the Russian Federation (Irkutsk Region, Republic of Buryatia, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra).

To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set:

- to conduct a questionnaire survey among residents of three regions of the Russian Federation in order to study the representation and perception of the activities of non-profit organizations by residents of the selected regions;

- analyze the data obtained through a questionnaire survey of residents of selected regions.

To conduct the study, a standardized online survey was used, including eight questions that addressed the following aspects: socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, including gender and age group; place of residence in a particular region of the Russian Federation; acquaintance with non-profit organizations and the level of trust in them; participation in the activities of non-profit organizations; perception of their influence on the life of the city; and information sources through which respondents receive information about the activities of non-profit organizations.

One of the questions included a filtering criterion that allowed researchers to select respondents living in specific regions of the Russian Federation.

In total, 150 respondents from three different regions of the Russian Federation participated in the survey: the Irkutsk Region, the Republic of Buryatia and the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra. 50 people were interviewed in each of these regions.

A secondary analysis of research on the subject of interest was also used as a research method: public opinion about NGOs.

The study was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, the data obtained through an online survey of citizens of the regions were studied.

The socio-demographic profile of the respondents showed that women made up 70% of the survey participants, while men made up 30%. By age category, 37.33% of the respondents were between the ages of 18 and 20, 55.33% were in the age group from 26 to 55, and 7.33% were in the age category of 56 years and older. There were no significant differences in the socio-demographic profile of respondents in various regions of the Russian Federation.

To the question: "Which non-profit organizations (charities, public organizations) in your region can you name?" 65.33% of respondents were able to correctly name these organizations, while 34.67% of respondents had difficulty answering this question.

It should be noted here that the answers to this question are unevenly distributed among the regions of Russia. In the Republic of Buryatia, 78% of respondents correctly named existing non-profit organizations in their region, and in KhMAO-Yugra this figure is 74%, which does not differ much from the region already considered.

A different situation is observed with regard to the responses of residents of the Irkutsk region. Only 44% of respondents from this region were able to correctly name existing non-profit organizations, while 56% of respondents, which is the majority, could not give the correct answer. Compared with other regions of the Russian Federation, residents of the Irkutsk region showed a lower level of awareness of existing non-profit organizations. This can be explained by several factors:

1. Insufficient information activity of organizations. It is possible that non-profit organizations in the Irkutsk region do not pay enough attention to the dissemination of information about their activities and mission. This may lead to local residents having limited access to information about such organizations.

2. Lack of active advertising of non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations may not conduct sufficiently active advertising campaigns and educational events to attract the attention of residents. This can reduce the level of awareness about them.

3. Lack of interest in the third sector. Residents of the Irkutsk region may not show proper interest in non-profit organizations and their activities, which may also reduce their level of awareness.

In order to increase awareness among residents of the Irkutsk region about non-profit organizations, it may be necessary to strengthen efforts in the field of information campaigns, education and involvement of the local population.

We can see an interesting result by analyzing the respondents' answers to the question of trust in non-profit organizations. Only 22.67% of respondents fully trust these organizations, and slightly more, 25.33%, said they do not trust them. However, more than half of the respondents, namely 52%, say that they trust non-profit organizations, but do so with some caution. There were no significant differences in the responses of respondents from different regions. The only difference that can be distinguished is that residents of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug show slightly less confidence in non-profit organizations compared to the average.

The reasons why people don't trust non-profit organizations can be diverse. For example, people's opinions about the activities of non-profit organizations could be influenced by the following factors:

- Some people may not trust non-profit organizations because of the lack of clarity and openness in their activities. They may feel that organizations do not provide enough information about how they use the funds and what goals they pursue;

- people's opinions could also be influenced by incidents related to scandals or corruption in non-profit organizations, which sometimes become the subject of media attention, despite their rarity;

- some people may not trust non-profit organizations due to high administrative costs, believing that too much money is spent on management and administrative needs, and not on helping those in need;

- The influence of public opinion and media can also affect the credibility of non-profit organizations. Negative comments and news reports can increase doubts about their honesty;

- sometimes distrust can be caused by the lack of reliable information about non-profit organizations, which makes it difficult to draw informed conclusions.

It is important to note that the reasons for distrust of non-profit organizations may vary from person to person, and to resolve this issue, increased work is often required to increase transparency, improve management and prove the effectiveness of such organizations.

When answering the question "What do you think non-profit organizations do?" The respondents named various options that they considered appropriate for the activities of NGOs. Thus, the most common formulations of the answers were highlighted:

- non-profit activities (1.3%);

- the work is aimed at solving social issues (1.3%);

- volunteering (2%);

- depending on the direction of work (2%);

- the work is not aimed at making a profit (2.7%);

- do good deeds (2.7%);

- deception, fraud (2.7%);

- they help the elderly and veterans (3.3%);

- different jobs (4.7%);

- work for the benefit of the country and society (4.7%);

- help animals (6.7%);

- collect money (6.7%);

- charity (12%;);

- helping people (35.3%);

- I don't know (20.7%).

It is noteworthy that in the Irkutsk region, the prevailing opinion is that NGOs are engaged in helping people, namely all categories of the population (10.7%), the same situation is observed both in Buryatia (9.3%) and in KhMAO-Yugra (15.3%). There were no particular differences in the understanding of the essence of the work of NGOs by region. However, according to the data obtained, we can assume that the respondent, answering this question, was poorly acquainted or not at all familiar with the activities of organizations, but had only a superficial idea. Since the wording of the responses received was more often either general and indirect, indirect in nature, or not related to NGOs at all. For example, "These are commercial organizations", "They earn money for themselves", "They do good deeds". And also a significant part spoke about their ignorance of what these organizations are doing — Irkutsk region (6%), Buryatia (6%), KhMAO-Yugra (8.7%), in general 20.7% of the responses. There were also answers regarding deception or fraud, which may indicate a dubious attitude on the part of the respondents.

The respondents were asked a question regarding the benefits of the work of organizations of interest: "How do you think the activities of non-profit organizations are useful for the life of your city?" These answers were distributed by region as follows:

- significant benefits (Irkutsk region — 9.3%, Buryatia — 5.3%, KhMAO-Yugra — 9.3%, as a result — 24%);

- there is some benefit (Irkutsk region - 18%, Buryatia — 26.7%, KhMAO—Yugra - 17.3%, as a result — 62%);

- there is no benefit (Irkutsk region — 6%, Buryatia — 1.3%, KhMAO-Yugra — 6.7%, as a result — 14%).

So, we can conclude that a significant part of the respondents, regardless of the region of residence, believes that there is a benefit from NGOs. However, it is noteworthy that 21 respondents spoke about the lack of any benefit to the activities of non-profit organizations in society. And the differences in the data obtained for different regions can be explained by the specifics of specific organizations already operating in the surveyed territories, their information openness, the results of their activities and actions, as well as their reputation and recognition among the population.

The following answers were received to the question: "From what sources do you learn about the activities of non-profit organizations?":

- messengers (Viber,  WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.). Irkutsk region — 11.3%, Buryatia — 16.7%, KhMAO-Yugra — 8%, as a result — 36 %;

- mass media (Newspapers, TV channels, etc.). Irkutsk region — 15.3%, Buryatia — 17.3%, KhMAO-Yugra — 11.3%, as a result — 44 %;

- social networks (VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, etc.). Irkutsk region — 19.3%, Buryatia — 20%, KhMAO-Yugra — 13.3%, as a result — 52.7 %;

- official websites of organizations. Irkutsk region — 5.3%, Buryatia — 2%, KhMAO-Yugra — 0.7%, as a result — 8 %;

- acquaintances, friends, family, etc. Irkutsk region — 12%, Buryatia — 10.7%, KhMAO-Yugra — 16.7%, as a result — 39.3 %;

- I take part in this activity myself. Irkutsk region — 2.7%, Buryatia — 2%, KhMAO-Yugra — 0%, as a result — 4 %;

- other (answers "I don't know" — 4%).

Thus, it should be noted that "social networks", "mass media" and "acquaintances, friends, family" are the predominant sources of information about the activities of non-profit organizations. The interesting thing is that the sources vary depending on the territory. So, for example, if in the Irkutsk region and Buryatia "social networks" prevail among the sources, then in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug it is the source of receiving news through "acquaintances, friends, family, etc.

At the second stage, a secondary analysis of research on the selected topic was carried out. So, let's turn to the sociological study conducted by I. V. Babichev, S. V. Demina "The activities of non-profit organizations in modern Russian conditions: the socio-managerial aspect". Where the authors evaluate their activities in order to determine the factors, trends and stereotypes that shape the attitude of Muscovites towards NGOs. The study focuses on identifying the degree of respondents' involvement in the work of the third sector, analyzing the experience of real practices of interaction between Muscovites and NGOs, assessing the level of awareness of respondents about the activities of NGOs and the third sector as a whole. The leading research method was a telephone survey of respondents based on random generation of phone numbers ^{[8, p. 24]}. Having paid attention in this study to the aspect of studying precisely the idea of the functions of NGOs, the following conclusions can be drawn:

- public opinion positions NGOs as leading organizations in providing assistance to those in need and on charity issues, but at the same time 49% of respondents felt that NGOs deal more with private problems, which shows both a cautious attitude on the part of half of the population towards them and a weak awareness of their work.

- based on the results of a comparative analysis of the answers to the question: "Tell me, which of the following judgments about the role and activities of non—profit organizations do you agree with, and which do not?". The data on the response "I rather agree" of the VTSIOM mass survey in 2014 were used. (sample — 1600 people) and the author's survey in 2018. (sample — 1006 people). So, we can say that there is a lack of confidence among the citizens of Moscow in relation to the activities of non-profit organizations, namely older people.

Next, attention should be paid to the results of an empirical study conducted by Yu. V. Ukhanova and K. E. Kosygina in the work "The non-profit sector in the estimates of the population of the region: socio-demographic aspect", where the goal is to identify the peculiarities of the perception by the population of the region (Vologda Oblast) of the activities of non-profit organizations in terms of socio-demographic characteristics. The study itself was carried out on the basis of data from public opinion monitoring organized by the Vologda Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (VolSC RAS) ^{[9, p. 30]}. Based on the results of the analysis of the dynamics of assessments of residents of the Vologda Oblast in this aspect, the following conclusions can be drawn:

- only 30% consider the activities of NGOs to be significant, this assessment can be explained by the low awareness of citizens ^{[9, p. 33]}.

- in dynamics, the authors of the study noted that, comparing the data of VTSIOM in 2012 and this 2017 study, there is a positive trend in estimates of the value of NGOs in the whole country.

- the perception of the activities of NGOs in the Vologda Oblast is more influenced not by gender and age factors, but by education and financial situation, that is, the higher the level of education and income, the higher the awareness of the activities of NGOs, and in general, the respondents' assessment of significance ^{[9, p. 36]}.

Let's take a closer look at P. V.'s sociological research. Pak in the work "Public opinion on non-governmental non-profit organizations and their exercise of public control" in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Thus, according to the results of the survey, 38% of respondents spoke about the benefits of the work of public organizations, 32% critically assessed the activities of NGOs ^{[10, p. 217]}. In this regard, we can assume that this is due to both the low awareness of citizens and the low level of information openness of these organizations. In general, the study showed the dependence of the estimates obtained on the respondent's region of residence and the different activity of NGOs in them.

Conclusions

Based on the conducted research, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. More than half of the respondents (65.3%) are aware of non-profit organizations operating in their region. The lowest level of awareness about non-profit organizations was found among residents of the Irkutsk region, where only 44% of respondents were aware of them. On the other hand, residents of the Republic of Buryatia and KhMAO-Yugra showed high awareness, exceeding 70%.

2. The majority of Russian citizens do not show confidence in non-profit organizations, and this is observed in different regions of the country. Only 22.67% of respondents say they are trusted, while 25.33% expressed distrust, and 52% noted that although they trust, they do so with caution.

3. Most of the survey participants correctly indicated the areas of activity of non-profit organizations. The most common responses were: helping people, holding charity events, taking care of animals, and raising funds to support certain social groups. However, a small number of respondents (4 people) expressed the opinion that non-profit organizations may be associated with fraud and deception, while 32 people could not give a clear answer to this question. This may indicate a lack of transparency in the information provided by these organizations.

4. The majority of respondents believe that the activities of non-profit organizations bring some benefit to society — 62%. While 24% noted that this benefit is significant, and 14% — that there is no benefit from organizations.

5. As for the sources of information from which the population of the Russian Federation receives information about the activities of non-profit organizations, it should be noted that the main sources are "social networks", "mass media" and "acquaintances, friends and family". These sources prevail when transmitting information about the work of non-profit organizations.

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations can be formulated:

1. In order to increase citizens' awareness of the activities of non-profit organizations, it is proposed to deepen NGO cooperation with the media and expand information events, covering not only active NGO participants, but also a wide audience of ordinary citizens.

2. To increase public confidence in their activities, it can be proposed to publish reports in a single form on the expenditure of funds and resources, and make such reports available not only to official bodies, but also to ordinary citizens.

3. In order to ensure maximum information transparency and increase public confidence, non-profit organizations should actively and regularly update information about events and promotions.

4. In order to ensure public confidence in its activities, it is important to regularly provide reports not only on the main activity, but also on the implementation of additional programs. However, not all organizations do this, and, as already mentioned, not all reports are available to a wide audience.

5. In order to increase the level of public confidence in the activities of non-profit organizations, it is necessary to pay attention to the appointment of employees specializing in PR management and public relations in order to ensure greater transparency of information and trust on the part of citizens.