How to Hire Ethical Fundraising Counsel

Ethical practice in fund-raising is a major concern in today's nonprofit organizations. Because they are dependent on philanthropic support for fulfilling their missions, nonprofits increasingly turn to professionals to obtain more funds. The question of how nonprofits can be sure that the people they hire are upholding the highest ethical principles takes on growing importance in view of recent accounts of fraudulent practices by fund-raisers. The initial steps Kemper Center Inc. (Kenosha, Wisconsin) followed in hiring a professional fund-raiser were: 1. The board of directors created an ad hoc committee to evaluate consultants and make recommendations. 2. The executive director composed a list of consultants and wrote to several firms and individuals in order to form a prospective consultant pool. 3. The committee developed a set of criteria for selecting a consultant. Other steps involved: 1. rating the pool, 2. planning site visits, 3. requesting proposals, 4. briefing the committee, 5. holding interviews, 6. checking references, and 7. advising the board.