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Roy Morgan — Australia’s best known and longest established market research company — held its Trusted Brand Awards for 2026 last week, with The Salvation Army winning the Charity category.
 
“It was my privilege this evening to accept, on behalf of The Salvation Army, the Roy Morgan award for the Most Trusted Charity in Australia,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Hateley, Secretary for Communications.

“This award isn’t given by a panel. It’s given by the public which makes it both the most meaningful recognition we could receive, and the most humbling.

There’s a saying I keep coming back to — trust is won in drops and lost in buckets. It’s earned slowly — one conversation, one meal, one night of safe accommodation, one person treated with dignity. And it can be emptied in a single moment.

So, we don’t accept this as a verdict. We accept it as a balance we’re responsible for maintaining — one that has to be topped up daily, by thousands of officers, employees and volunteers, most of whom will never be recognised like this.”

“The Salvation Army does not work alone, and we couldn’t. We work alongside and in partnership with extraordinary organisations — in homelessness, family violence, addiction, disaster recovery, financial hardship — many of whom are doing work that no one applauds, in places no one is watching. Trust in our sector is something we hold collectively. When one of us earns it, we all benefit. When one of us loses it, we all carry the cost. So, this recognition belongs, in part, to all not-for-profits who are working tirelessly for better outcomes for others.

For an organisation like ours, trust isn’t a reputational nicety — it’s the operating condition.

To our donors, thank you for trusting us with your gifts. To the people who come to us at a time in need, thank you for trusting us. To our officers, staff and volunteers, thank you for being the creators and custodians of trust. You are the heroes.”

Return win

According to the Roy Morgan website, “The brands represented across all 22 categories have had exceptional years with high levels of trust, and exceedingly low, or negligible, levels of distrust.

“All winning brands are highly regarded in their respective industries, and many have built on previous wins to continue their market leading levels of trust for another year.”

The Salvation Army was among three brands that returned to the winners circle this year, with its last win as Charity of the Year in 2023.

_{This article has been adapted from Salvos Online.}