Newsletter Archive
Q.
I would love to work with MJA. Would you take a percentage of monies
raised as compensation?
A. While this may seem like
the perfect solution to paying a consultant, it is actually destructive
for all involved.
The primary goal of a consultant should match
your goals, not his or her own short-term financial gain. We work with
each of our clients to develop long-term relationships with their donors
and do not want our interest to be perceived as anything but in the
best interest of the donor and your organization.
We agree, whole-heartedly with the Association
of Fundraising Professionals that “percentage based compensation
can encourage abuses, imperils the integrity of the voluntary sector,
and undermines the very philanthropic values on which the voluntary
sector is based. AFP stands firm with its Standards of Professional
Practice which prohibits members from working for percentage-based compensation
or accepting finder’s fees.” For additional information
on the subject, please visit the Association of Fundraising Professionals
at www.afpnet.org
In addition, the American Association of Fundraising
Counsel’s professional code of ethics states, “A flat, fixed
fee or hourly rate is charged based on the level and extent of professional
services provided. Fees are not based on the amount of charitable income
raised or expected to be raised. Contracts providing for a contingent
fee, a commission, or a fee based on percentage of funds raised are
prohibited. Such contracts are harmful to the relationship between the
donor and the institution and detrimental to the financial health of
the client organization.” For further information, visit http://www.aafrc.org/standards_of_practice/ethics.html
This article is from Resources: The MJA Newsletter.
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