Fundraising Ethics

Be careful. Once your nonprofit loses the trust of your donors you will fight an uphill battle trying to restore their confidence in your organization. Protect the reputation of your nonprofit by promoting ethical standards in your fundraising program.

A new book from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Fund Development Series can help you explore best practices in this area. In Ethical Fundraising: A Guide for Nonprofit Boards and Fundraising, experts contribute chapters that discuss several key areas, including:

privacy issues
donor intent
ethical gift solicitation
handling full disclosure
conflict of interest vs. the appearance of wrongdoing
compensation of fundraisers

The volume also contains brief cases studies that examine various ethical challenges.

For additional readings on this subject, have a look at our topical resource list on fundraising ethics.