Fundraising and Quality Improvement
With the increased scrutiny nonprofits face these days, are you incorporating fundraising into your quality improvement and performance improvement initiatives? This is an extraordinary challenge and one that we applaud. Here are some efforts that help with this integration:

• Proudly post a copy of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Donor Bill of Rights in your development office (and ask me if you would like a copy). Attend an ethics program the next time your AFP chapter hosts one.
• If applicable, register (and re-register) with your state's fundraising licensing division—usually a part of the attorney general's office but sometimes part of the consumer fraud division
• Check to see that your fundraising consultant is registered to do business in your state
• Complete your IRS 990 every year and fully report all fundraising expenses
• Annually check your nonprofit listing at Guidestar.org and call their Customer Service Department if you have changes at (757) 229-4631. While GuideStar does not rate nonprofits, it does include your recent 990s, Federal ID number, board of directors, assets, income, mission statement and the year you obtained your 501(c)(3). It may even include your salary.
• Do you know how you are rated by The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (Give.org), American Institute of Philanthropy (CharityWatch.org) and Charity Navigator (CharityNavigator.org)?
• Are the following items up to date: gift acceptance policies, investment policies, errors and omissions coverage for your staff and board?
• If you write or enter information about a donor or prospective donor into a donor software system, do not record anything that you would not want the donor or donor's family to read themselves
• Remember the "Golden Rule" and its applicability to fundraising as you treat donors the way you would like to be treated yourself.