Mutual Trust Is a Must

Sometimes a nonprofit’s unrealistic program performance goals are driven by a development staff that is inexperienced in direct-response fundraising. Other times, uninformed boards dictate performance expectations to the development staff, which accept the numbers to get their budgets approved. The ADRFCO rules state that, “Fundraising counsel will not enter into a business relationship without reasonable assurance that the client understands the economics and processes of direct-response fundraising.”