10 Simple Ways to Protect Your Career From Ethical Slip-Ups

10. Keep your compensation a separate matter from the funds you raise.

Probably no other subject raises more questions about what is and is not ethical than fundraising compensation — salaries, bonuses, fees for service, commissions, benefits and the like. The subject is too detailed for this short article, but remember the basic ethical principle: As a fundraiser, what you are paid should depend on the work you do, and not solely on the gifts that happen to come to your organization during your tenure there. That way, your self-interest will not conflict with your organization’s mission or your donors’ wishes.