New Report Examines Ethics of Paying Fundraisers by Commission
“Well, in all my years I ain’t never heard, seen nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn’t be talked about. …I’m for debating anything.” (RI delegate Stephen Hopkins in “1776”, by Edwards & Stone)
Have you ever been asked to write a grant proposal on commission? (I have.)
Have you ever been part of a board where someone recommends asking someone to do fundraising labor on commission? (I have.)
Because I have been a fundraising professional for a long time, and a member of AFP for (also) a long time, I responded, in each instance, that that practice is considered unethical behavior – and was met with both embarrassment and surprise from the people suggesting it. They asked, how can this be?
(Rolled up in that, of course, is that nobody likes the suggestion that they are unethical, especially when they’re trying to help a good cause.)
Commission-based pay for fundraisers is considered unethical in the US; but professional codes in the UK and Australia have changed to allow the practice. And, as my experiences (and those of others) show, many good-meaning people in the US aren’t familiar with our professional expectations.
So it seems a good time for a thorough examination of arguments for, against, and about the issue. This report from Rogare (authored by Ian MacQuillin MCIOF(Dip) (UK), Heather Hill, CNM, CFRE (US), Roewen Wishart (Australia), and myself) does that. We pick it up, turn it around, and examine it from all the angles we could think of, including that of the fundraisers as employees. We don’t argue for the practice, or against it; our goal is to examine the arguments of others. However, we do identify several potential “danger zones,” including the effect on fundraisers’ well-being. We also offer some possible mitigating safeguards for those working in contexts where professional codes allow commission-based pay.
Even those of us who sign professional ethics codes that repudiate commission-based fundraising can be – and some have been – asked to participate in the practice. If you’ve ever wondered “why” – or wondered about the arguments for or against – this candid exploration may be of interest.
Download Playing the Percentages report