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

MSF’s major undertaking
The woman in charge of fostering relationships with high-dollar donors — those 1,200 generous individuals who contribute more than $5,000 annually — is Mary Sexton, a former MSF volunteer who took her post as major gifts officer in 2003.

“When I started here, there had been only limited contact with these people,” Sexton affirms. “Now we’re making a concerted effort to meet with them one on one to find out what their interests are and why they chose to come to us. Is it because of our work with HIV/AIDS? Or because of work in Africa?”