Fundraising think tank, Rogare, have recently published their ‘Take it or leave it: the ethics of gift acceptance and refusal’ research, developed in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF), which explores the often challenging and complex decision making process when accepting of refusing donations.
The research argues that charities should not only refuse donations whose values conflict with their own, but also that prioritising ‘values alignment’ may not be the most consistent or ethical way for fundraisers to make donation decisions. It suggests that focusing on the potential harm to the charity caused by accepting a donation may offer a more reliable ethical framework than evaluating the donor’s values.
It also tackles broader issues such as the ethics of returning donations, the role of fundraisers’ personal moral convictions, and how global issues should shape donation policies.
Ian MacQullin, Director at Rogare says
Even though it probably feels totally counter-intuitive not to make the decision based on alignment with the charity’s values, we contend they could make the same decision based on harm. If a donor/donation is so out of line with a charity’s values, then it is almost certain to result in some kind of harm, such as other donors stopping their giving, or beneficiaries being deterred from seeking help.
Claire Stanley, Director of policy and communications at CIoF says
There is no single solution to the challenges around deciding to refuse a donation, and every organisation needs to develop their own approach that will enable them to fulfil their charitable objectives.
We have often encouraged charities to ensure they have a ‘donor acceptance’ policy, or similar, and that this policy be periodically reviewed and updated.
