A Message to Organization Leaders From the People Who Depend on You
"We expect the organizations in our lives to have an effective reporting mechanism — a way to report concerns anonymously, without fear, that actually gets heard. Not someday. Not when it becomes convenient. Now."
What the Data Shows — By Organization Category
Between 2014 and 2019, Look 1st surveyed more than 137,000 consumers, parents, donors, volunteers, and employees. The strongest option available was "Prefer." 91.6% chose it.
In Fall 2024, "Expect" was offered for the first time. The results below are from Fall 2024 through 2026 — approximately 163,000 additional respondents. The preference was always expectation. Now it's measured as such.
| Organization Category | Expect | Prefer | Ambivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Churches | 98.47% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Youth Camps | 97.48% | 2.3% | 0.2% |
| K–12 Schools | 94.77% | 5.1% | 0.1% |
| Youth Sports | 94.35% | 5.4% | 0.2% |
| Child Care | 93.12% | 6.6% | 0.2% |
| Youth Programs (All Other) | 92.57% | 6.8% | 0.6% |
| Employers of Minors / Youth Volunteer Orgs | 92.38% | 7.3% | 0.4% |
| After School Programs | 89.27% | 10.2% | 0.5% |
| Camps / RV Parks / Cruises / Resorts | 88.99% | 8.5% | 2.5% |
| Amusement / Entertainment Venues | 86.29% | 11.6% | 2.1% |
| Tutoring | 84.87% | 14.2% | 0.9% |
| Hotels / Motels / Apartments | 82.57% | 15.5% | 1.9% |
| Restaurants and Other Venues | 79.31% | 18.3% | 2.4% |
| Home Services | 79.34% | 18.1% | 2.6% |
| Micro, Small & Medium Organizations (All Other) | 78.79% | 18.9% | 2.3% |
| OVERALL | 88.55% | 10.3% | 1.1% |
Survey conducted by Look 1st, Inc. via SurveyMonkey, 2014–2026. Total N ≈ 300,000. Pre-2024: Ambivalent · Prefer · N/A. From Fall 2024: Ambivalent · Prefer · Expect · N/A. 2014–2019: 99% confidence, ±2% margin of error. 2024–2026: 95% confidence, ±5% margin of error by category. N/A responses excluded from percentages shown.
What the Law Already Requires
Federal law — USSG §8B2.1 — has required every nonpublic organization to have an effective reporting mechanism since 2004. This applies regardless of size, sector, or tax status — including faith-based and nonprofit organizations, as well as federal, state, county, and local government. The statutory definition draws no line between them.
USSG §8A1.1 (Applicability); §8B2.1(b)(5)(C). Adopted by Amendment 673, effective November 1, 2004. 18 U.S.C. § 18 (definition of "organization," including nonprofit and unincorporated entities).The science behind why this matters is equally settled. The U.S. Department of Justice's own research arm has established that the certainty of being caught is what actually deters wrongdoing. An effective reporting mechanism is what creates that certainty.
National Institute of Justice, "Five Things About Deterrence," June 6, 2016.
Less than 10% of organizations serving children and youth currently have one.
Look 1st, Inc. survey of 7,630 organizations across 15 categories, 95% confidence, ±5% margin of error.
Nothing happens today. No penalty, no charge, no fine. But something does change the moment you read this: "I didn't know" stops being available to you. If misconduct happens next year and there's still no effective reporting mechanism in place, the organization faces the consequences of the act itself, plus the consequence of having had no way to catch it — a documented gap that existed with leadership's full knowledge. For leadership personally, that absence is the evidence used to ask whether they knew, or should have known, the risk was unaddressed.
This is the moment "It couldn't happen here" gets tested. Every leader who has ever said it meant it — right up until the moment they were proven wrong. The only difference between them and you is that you're reading this now, while there's still time.
This isn't a threat. It's just how it works. The moment is whatever you decide to do next.
🇨🇦Canadian Organizations — The Gap Is Even Larger
There is no pre-incident compliance mandate in Canada. Instead, Bill C-45 and Criminal Code §718.21 make an effective reporting mechanism the primary evidence considered by Crown prosecutors and by courts at sentencing, after an offence has occurred. This applies to all organizations directing the work of others — including federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Individual directors, officers, and anyone directing the work of others carries a personal duty of care under §217.1.
Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46), §§ 22.1–22.2, 217.1, 718.21
Your constituents aren't asking for something unreasonable. They're asking for what the law already requires, what the research says works, and what 98.85% of them — across every category — either expect or prefer.
They trust you with their time, their money, and the people they love. This is what trust looks like from where they stand.
It's a matter of trust.
Here's a special offer from Look 1st:
Start Using It Now — Until You Find Something BetterSources & Citations
- Look 1st, Inc. Constituent Expectation Survey, 2014–2026. SurveyMonkey. Total N ≈ 300,000. Pre-Fall 2024: N ≈ 137,000, response options Ambivalent/Prefer/N/A, 99% confidence, ±2% margin of error. Fall 2024–2026: N ≈ 163,000, response options Ambivalent/Prefer/Expect/N/A, 95% confidence, ±5% margin of error by category.
- Look 1st, Inc. Organization Compliance Survey. N = 7,630 organizations across 15 categories. 95% confidence, ±5% margin of error.
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual §8A1.1 and §8B2.1 (Effective Compliance and Ethics Program), including subsection (b)(5)(C). Adopted by Amendment 673, effective November 1, 2004.
- 18 U.S.C. § 18 (statutory definition of "organization," including nonprofit and unincorporated entities).
- National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, "Five Things About Deterrence," June 6, 2016.
- Criminal Code of Canada (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46), §§ 22.1–22.2, 217.1, 718.21, as amended by Bill C-45 (2004).
