No More Sexual Harassment in Fundraising Relationships!

Raise your hand if you are (or have been) a development professional and have ever had a donor flirt with you?

That question would be more powerful if asked in a large room of participants. My guess is that there would only be a very small group of folks who would NOT raise their hand. And, the larger majority of folks with hands raised would be comprised of both women and men.

A well-known adage (and every day media) tells us again and again: “sex sells.” Fundraising is essentially the sales function of a nonprofit corporation. So, perhaps it was inevitable that we would see increasing trends in fundraising professionals being hired because they are attractive or incidents of donors who make inappropriate comments or physical contact towards fundraising staff.

Driven by human nature or not, it needs to stop. There is no room for sexual harassment in any arena – and most especially in the nonprofit arena where we work to protect and support the most vulnerable segments of our society. To allow ourselves to be objectified or diminished for the benefit of our organization’s cause is at best hypocritical and, at worst, physically and emotionally dangerous.

Ending sexual harassment within the fundraising arena must start with the nonprofit organizations. We cannot control the behaviors of others who behave inappropriately, but we can consistently and consciously make choices to minimize the opportunity for sexual harassment to occur and control our reactions to it when it does.  For example, at Spokes, we’re in the process of reviewing our personnel policies and have identified two new policies we will add to support our staff in navigating donor relationships. The first will require that any and all meetings with donors regarding their support of Spokes will be scheduled during regular business hours in a public space appropriate for a professional discussion, unless otherwise approved by the CEO. There is generally no need to schedule a professional meeting with a donor on the weekend or in the evening – especially at a bar. And, no Spokes staff will be allowed to drink alcohol during such meetings. If the donor chooses to order a glass of wine or a cocktail, he/she is entitled. The fact that a staff person refrains from ordering alcohol subtly reinforces that he/she is participating in the meeting in a professional – and only a professional – capacity. It also protects a staff person’s ability to safely and quickly remove him/herself from a meeting that devolves.

Another option may be to set a policy that a minimum of two people always meet with donors. A recent Chronicle of Philanthropy opinion piece, “Stop Tolerating Donors Who Sexually Harass Fundraisers” by Arminda Lathrop offers additional ideas and strategies for ending harassment in the development field. Read her full article here to learn additional steps you can take to protect your employees, your donors and yourself.