The data is in: to rebuild Australian social cohesion, we need to repair political and community connections
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Posted on 16 Sep 2025
By Nick Place, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia
Australian Red Cross has been named the most trusted charity in the country in a new report by Roy Morgan research.
It is the second time Red Cross has topped the charity section of the Roy Morgan Trusted Brand Awards, with the local arm of the global Red Cross organisation beating the Salvation Army and the RSPCA to the title.
A Roy Morgan spokesperson said the awards were determined by surveys to June 2025, with questions designed to identify “market-leading levels of trust, and exceedingly low, or negligible, levels of distrust to outstrip their rivals on the key metric of ‘net trust’.”

The award is derived from the Roy Morgan Risk Monitor, an ongoing survey based on 1500 to 2000 interviews each month, measuring levels of trust and distrust in more than 1000 brands across 27 industry sectors, the spokesperson said.
“Respondents are asked which brands and companies they trust, and why, and which brands and companies they distrust, and why. The survey is specially designed to be open-ended and context-free, that is, unprompted,” they said.
Roy Morgan CEO Michelle Levine said, “Australian Red Cross as part of the broader Red Cross Red Crescent movement is a global beacon of hope, delivering humanitarian aid and support to those in need, embodying the spirit of compassion and community.”
Survey respondents in favour of Red Cross praised “a great range of products, courses, and services that are all designed to help people and the community,” and said, “[Red Cross] have a large number of volunteers and donate time and resources to providing safe spaces for people.”
“This award is a reflection of the work of our extraordinary 17,000 members, volunteers and staff who give their time and energy in every community across the country.”
Red Cross’s director of marketing, communication and customer experience, Kira Reed, said the organisation was deeply honoured to be receiving the award for the second time.
“This award is a reflection of the work of our extraordinary 17,000 members, volunteers and staff who give their time and energy in every community across the country,” she said. “It also speaks to the generosity of our supporters and donors, whose trust allows us to continue our mission to bring help to those who need it most.”
The awards cover many sectors, with Bunnings hardware named “the best of the best” as the most trusted brand in Australia across all categories, as well as the retail champion. Among other winning brands, the Commonwealth Bank was named most trusted bank for the first time, and Medicare was also a first-time winner, recognised as best government service.
More information
The Roy Morgan Trusted Brands Award report is available for purchase.
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