Keeping an Industry Scandal From Tarnishing Your Organization

I've been in the business for a long, long time (yes, my first boss was a dinosaur), and I've been unfortunate in that I have had to navigate through many scandals that have rocked our industry. I could mention a few names, and some of you would cringe right along with me. (But I'm not going to — that's "shooting ourselves in the foot," as far as I'm concerned.)
Let's face it — some nonprofits are the worst enemies of the rest of us who are doing our best to stay above the fray and comply with the law and the "higher standard" some donors expect of us. But sadly, when a scandal hits the mainstream press, we feel it. Some donors assume "guilty by association." Others use any excuse to say, "I told you so!" and cut back their giving.