With the recent scandals that have affected the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations are facing greater scrutiny of their fund-raising practices by the government and the public. Fund raisers need to make the right decisions when faced with questions such as: “Can I pay commissions to my staff as a percentage of the funds they raise?” or “Can I approach my possible $5,000,000 donor with the tax benefits of their gift as an incentive as opposed to focusing only on the charitable intent?” The answer to both questions, in the opinion of the IRS, the public, and fundraising associations is “No”.
Book Details:
- Author: Marilyn Fischer
- ISBN: 9780470310618
- Year Published: 2000
- Pages: 272
- BISAC: BUS074000, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS/Nonprofit Organizations & Charities
About the Book and Topic:
With the recent scandals that have affected the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations are facing greater scrutiny of their fund-raising practices by the government and the public. Fund raisers need to make the right decisions when faced with questions such as: “Can I pay commissions to my staff as a percentage of the funds they raise?” or “Can I approach my possible $5,000,000 donor with the tax benefits of their gift as an incentive as opposed to focusing only on the charitable intent?” The answer to both questions, in the opinion of the IRS, the public, and fundraising associations is “No”.
Ethical Decision Making in Fund Raising presents an ethical decision making model (tested with the Miami Valley NSFRE chapter, for which it was developed) which will aid fund raisers and other leaders in nonprofit organizations to approach complex situations in a carefully structured manner. The model assesses alternative courses of action in terms of three fundamental areas: organizational mission, organizational relationships, and personal integrity. This will provide guidance to all the fund raisers who have watched the heavy, heated debate on electronic lists and publications about the definition of “ethical.” Part I consists of a Model of Ethical Decision Making for Fund Raisers, Part II is titled “Ethics and Current Issues in Fund Raising” including such issues as diversity, donor confidentiality, partnerships, and working with corporate and foundation gifts, and Part III is titled “Ethics Committees: Serving Fund Raisers and their communities”.
The book provides an in-depth examination of the ethics of several topics that will have special resonance for anyone working in the nonprofit world today, including diversity and money from for-profit corporations. * Forms, checklists, and examples help readers better understand, visualize, and incorporate this new philosophy into their own nonprofit organizations. * Considers the key factors of organizational mission, organizational relationships, and personal integrity in helping fund raisers make the right decision in a variety of situations. * Part of the NSFRE/Wiley Fund Development Series.
About the Author
MARILYN FISCHER, PhD, is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dayton. Her areas of specialization include ethics, political philosophy, feminist theory, and philosophy of music. She is particularly interested in interdisciplinary education and team-teaches several courses with faculty from different academic disciplines. Her current research focuses on Jane Addams’s philosophical writings. Dr. Fischer has been working with the NSFRE as an ethics consultant since 1990, giving workshops on ethical decision making in fund raising. She is a member of the Miami Valley NSFRE Chapter and chairs their Ethics Education Committee.