Though misunderstood at first, Doctors Without Borders’ bold decision to stop accepting tsunami-relief donation could help revive public trust in nonprofits.

By Paul Barbagallo

Special challenges
Since its beginnings in the United States in the late 1980s, MSF has relied heavily on direct mail to educate the public about its mission, recruit volunteers and, most importantly, raise funds. A considerable emphasis is placed on the medium because MSF does not accept any U.S. government funding whatsoever. Quite an arduous task to maintain private gift levels, that.