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

“Online gifts are considerably higher than direct mail, averaging in the $185 range for the under $500 population,” Walsh says. “We also receive quite a few large donations online. For donors who give more than $5,000 annually, the average gift is around $6,200.”

In 2003, for the first time, the U.S. section of MSF established a major-gifts program with the goal of raising $30 million in new money over the next five years. Prior to the new initiative, there had been no MSF staff member or program in place to proactively cultivate major donors. Big gifts on the order of $5,000 just came in via direct mail and the Internet year after year.