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

“The challenge for us is that we don’t take donors into the field, even though some relief agencies do,” Sexton says. “So we’re always trying to figure out ways to keep people personally involved, where they really do feel like they’re an invaluable part of our work.”

For example, Sexton will make a phone call or send a note to a donor who has expressed interest in a certain cause, such as MSF’s new HIV/AIDS treatment program. It might sound something like, “Hey, I thought you might like to know what we’re doing in Rwanda with survivors of the genocide that occurred in 1994. A team of five psychologists helps women — many of whom were raped during the genocide and have subsequently developed AIDS — to express their anxiety and anger.”