Fundraisers Contemplate Ethical Issues

Making sure that nonprofits use funds in a manner that is consistent with their mission and the motivations of their donors ranks as one of the most common and difficult challenges faced by fundraisers. This is according to a new website poll conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Participants in the poll were asked what kind of ethical challenge they were most likely to face in their fundraising efforts, and they were presented with 7 choices.

Nearly a third of all respondents reported that the use of donated funds was the greatest area of concern. Sixteen percent selected challenges related to privacy and confidentiality, and fifteen percent highlighted the issue of donor control over gifts. Other options included percentage-based compensation/commission and conflicts of interest. According to Paulette Maehara, CEO of AFP, the use of donated funds is one of the key aspects of ethical fundraising practices, particularly as charitable gifts increase in size. Maehara has stated that it's crucial that fundraisers and donors collaborate and develop sound documentation to ensure that disagreements are avoided. The results of the survey are based on the input of 569 people who participated on January 20th.

The Armstrong Foundation Achieves A Major Stock Gain

A gain of over three million dollars in the stock market has been achieved by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The foundation is a content provider for Demand Media, which has a licensing agreement with the foundation that allows it to make use of the Livestrong name and brand. The foundation sold off 150,000 of its shares, and Lance donated 68,000 of his own shares as well.

Demand Media recently went public on the New York Stock Exchange. It has created a for-profit health and fitness Internet platform known as Livestrong.com which utilizes the Livestrong brand. The Armstrong Foundation currently still holds in excess of 60,000 shares, and has annual revenue of approximately $48 million as a result of licensing arrangements with companies such as Nike and Oakley, and thanks to members of the public who continue to show their support with a donation.