AFP's Standard is Our Standard

Hey, maybe actually, it is below our standard!

I'm referring to the article titled "New Ethics Code Governs Businesses that Serve Fund Raisers" published today on the News Updates website of The Chronicle of Philianthropy.  Authored by Holly Hall, this article cites the action of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) to create these "new" ethical standards and invite businesses to pay to attest they meet those standards. They do this by now offering to allow these businesses (including us for GiftWorks fundraising software) to become AFP members so we can display their "Executive Circle" logo.

I'm still trying to understand the logic of being charged to be labeled ethical but I certainly appreciate the need in the marketplace. Fundraisers, often so pressed for time and dollars, can give due diligence short-shrift. Lamentable but true. Then, of course, no field is free of shysters either.

In any case, I'll hold our Mission Research standards of ethics and demonstrated behavior, up to anyone. Everyone here "gets it". And we didn't need AFP to get there. Now about that AFP membership fee....