One Bad Apple Spoils the Barrel

There was a news alert this week out of Wisconsin where the Wisconsin Attorney General shut down a tele-funding operation. Several others followed suit.  This company is alleged to have made more than 1.3 billion (yes that is billion) deceptive fundraising calls over the last 12-to-14 years. In some cases, unique phone numbers were called more than 100 times a year.

As I have begun to build my business, there are a number of states in which I have to register Hallett Philanthropy. Each state is a little bit different, requiring different levels of questions answered or details provided. I always shake my head as I complete the forms and send in the required check.  But it’s stories like this that give context to why states make consultants and fundraisers, both individual and corporate, register with the appropriate state agency.

I hope what I do is always “above board.” Someone once said the difference between morals and ethics is that ethics is defined as what should happen where morals are about what someone does in their life. In my case, I hope they’re both the same. But it’s this kind of story that destroys the credibility of fundraising efforts. I truly believe 99% of organizations and individuals, both in consulting and in practice, are good people doing good things. But it only takes one bad apple to spoil the entire barrel.

Next time your nonprofit’s required to fill out appropriate state paperwork, you might shake your head too. But remember that one dishonest person or company probably caused the need for some type of government regulation.