50 Years of Providing a Critical Foundation - Here's to AFP!

This post is written from an intense, jam-packed Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 3,500 fundraisers from five continents are gathered for relevant, helpful educational sessions and inspiring speakers including Lee Woodruff, Peter Thum, Archbishop Desmund Tutu and Jeff Salz.

What's particularly significant about this conference is the milestone it represents in fundraising.  In 1960 in New York City, three philanthropists gathered for lunch and discussed the need for ethics to be the foundation of the good philanthropic fundraising work our country and our world would need to move forward effectively.

That lunch became the genesis for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). The cornerstones of this calling to do good well are the Code of Ethics and the Donor Bill of Rights.  
Anyone generous enough to give any gift to a cause they feel connected to deserves nothing less.

Fifty years ago, AFP began with a focus on:
1. Honoring donor intent
2. Addressing the lack of ethics in percentage based compensation
3. Addressing reasonable and responsible fundraising costs 

Congratulations and thank you to the many amazing philanthropists who laid a critical foundation for today with the formation of AFP. If you're hiring for fundraising services, make sure your resource is an AFP member. 

Take Your Department's Fundraising to New Heights

Non-profits and the fundraising industry as a whole suffer when isolated individuals and organizations behave without any ethical foundations. It appears there may be such a case in the public eye now. Today, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller filed a lawsuit against Public Safety Communications of Des Moines. The lawsuit alleges the firm misled the public by collecting $1.5 million in Iowa but only forwarding 10% or 20% of the proceeds to its non-profit clients.

You may have received calls at your Fire Department questioning the validity of telemarketing calls from organizations claiming to be raising money for fire department charities. Although it's frustrating that the public may associate your department with this kind of behavior, think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to excellence.

Between your job, your family, and/or Fire Department needs, you already have enough on your plate. How do you avoid firms that might conduct themselves unethically in working with you to achieve your fundraising goals? A few thoughts:

1. In accordance with the standards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), any percentage-based compensation agreement is unethical. You are owed the best work of the fundraising professional working for you regardless of his or her direct stake in the outcome.

2. Ask any professional you are considering working with for his or her thoughts on the AFP Code of Ethics and the Donor Bill of Rights. If you don't hear the same themes in these documents reflected in their response, find someone else.

3. Discuss fundraising costs in detail. Ask for information on fundraising costs for comprable clients. For example, if you're contracting for a capital campaign for a new fire station, ask for fundraising cost information based on other client capital campaigns. While client-identifying information is confidential, illustrative examples are not. General industry trends for fundraising costs will vary slightly by the type of campaign on which you are working.

4. Expect "not to exceed" quotes up front for fundraising services. Expect service agreements and contracts that confirm relationship expectations and costs in writing.

You already have the commitment to excellence you need to have a positive impact on the communities you serve. In the wake of these black marks for the fundraising industry, now is a great time to apply your high standards to those you work with on fundraising. In doing so, you will take your fundraising to new heights.
Your comments are welcome or email me to continue the discussion at dawnsh@gmail.com.