The book Ethical Fundraising: A Guide for Nonprofit Boards and Fundraisers, which includes a chapter by one of York's own, is set to launch at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) 45th International Conference on Fundraising in San Diego, California, March 30 to April 2.
"Using Donations as Intended", Chapter 6 of Ethical Fundraising (Wiley, 2008), was written by Paul Marcus, president & CEO of the York University Foundation.
"Selfless acts by donors for the betterment of others change lives," says Marcus in Ethical Fundraising. "But when the euphoria of both giving and receiving a gift subsides, difficult ethical issues can arise regarding the stewardship or usage of funds, and accountability to donors."
Right: Paul Marcus
The book is written by practitioners for practitioners and non-profit boards and uses 17 new cases reviewed and approved by the AFP International Ethics Committee on which Marcus serves. It is designed to be a practical, helpful and ultimately inspiring resource for non-profits large and small, young and mature, local and international.
Edited by Janice Gow Pettey, the book takes a post-Enron look at the importance of ethics in fundraising and how trust plays a vital role. It also addresses the ethical decisions boards and fundraisers make and the ethical dilemmas they face.
As Marcus notes in the book, "Accounting for the usage of funds entrusted to an organization is the ethical thing to do. It is also the smart approach for organizations dedicated to building meaningful, long-term relationships with their supporters."
In addition to Marcus’ chapter, the book delves into the rights of donors through the use of the Donor Bill of Rights, honesty and full disclosure and conflict of interest from organizational and individual perspectives. The chapters are written by a host of well-known and respected senior level fundraising professionals and looks at the ethical codes, universal ethical standards and implications for the future.
.AFP International, the world's largest fundraising organization, awarded Marcus the prestigious 2007 Community Counselling Service Award for Outstanding Professional – making him only the second Canadian to receive this award. He is also a recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the AFP Greater Toronto chapter