Q&A With a Charity Auctioneer: Vetting Donors

Q: Should nonprofit organizations vet their donors?

Answer:

It depends on your organization and what you stand for.

First things first, check your bylaws. Is there anything in them than restricts donations from certain sectors or people?

For example, I work with an environmental education nonprofit. They don’t accept donations from anyone connected to the coal or oil industries. They will not take money directly from companies with a connection to these industries either.

If there’s nothing explicitly written in your organization’s bylaws, then your answer to this question depends on if you care where the money comes from or if you only care about doing good work, regardless of where the money comes from.

Personally, I don’t think there should be any restrictions on accepting money from individuals. As long as what the individuals do is legal, I don’t care.

If you are interested in vetting your potential donors there is software on the market to help you do so. But honestly, the simplest thing that you can do is google them.

Ultimately, what you do has to align with your moral code and the ethics of the organization you work for. Don’t be shy about asking your board what their opinion is.

There’s no simple answer to this question, but don’t be hasty turning down donations. Remember your nonprofit’s end goal is helping people and every dollar helps to make this a reality.

If you have a question you’d like me to answer on an upcoming Q&A with a Charity Auctioneer, leave a comment below with your question.

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