Jim Eskin Says: “Ethics Is a Necessity for Major Gifts” explores why earning donor trust and building lasting relationships are essential to successful fundraising. Eskin shares 10 ethical principles to help nonprofit leaders uphold integrity, honor donor intent, and strengthen their major gifts efforts.
Every profession likes to claim ethics is essential to its success. But you can make an especially persuasive case that this is indeed the case in fundraising.
What’s it take to be successful in fundraising? Strengths like finely honed communications skills, problem-solving and persistence come quickly to mind. But integrity is squarely at the top.
Fundraising is a profession directed at nurturing friendships that culminate in gifts of time, talent and treasure. There is no way that is possible without earning and maintaining trust. We love the expression that fundraising occurs at the speed of trust.
Ethics isn’t an option but a necessity. We simply aren’t going to be successful if donors don’t have faith in us. They must have full confidence that we and the organizations we serve are going to do what we say we’re going to do and fulfill their philanthropic vision.
Our perspective spans being a practitioner, a consultant and now a fundraising trainer for professional and volunteer non-profit leaders from organizations of all different sizes, missions and parts of the country, and now even internationally.
As the competition for philanthropic dollars grows even more fierce, the stakes grow even higher on the challenge of motivating donor prospects to know, like and trust our organizations without hesitation. The word “trust” deserves to be repeated.
For the record, we fervently believe that being uncompromising in upholding the highest standard of ethics and being extremely competitive in spirit go hand in hand.
The larger the amount of the gift — establishes being a truth teller as a Superpower. As our close friend and mentor Jimmy LaRose puts it: “The truth never fears a challenge.”
Major gift donors can sniff out charlatans in a second.
Drafting a code of ethics for professional fundraisers was the first order of business for founders of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in 1960.
Every member must sign and abide by the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards. This is the strictest and only enforced code in the profession. AFP advances philanthropy through its over 24,000 members in more than 240 chapters throughout the world. It has inspired global change and supported efforts that have generated over $1 trillion. Individual and organizational members raise over $115 billion annually.
AFP has established October as Ethics Awareness Month. The theme for Ethics Awareness Month 2026 is “Rooted in Ethics. Human at Heart.”
Let’s step back for a moment. What do we mean by ethics?
There’s a tendency to make it philosophical and abstract, but it doesn’t have to be that way. More often than not, it can be boiled down to a simple extension of the Golden Rule.
Ethical reasoning centers on the ability to see and understand different perspectives and viewpoints, and the capacity to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It’s not just knowing what’s in it for you, it’s weighing the impact on other people.
Many times, ethical issues are black or white especially when it comes to adhering to legal and compliance rules and regulations.
But other occasions can be much trickier and there is gray space. Successful major gift fundraisers always take the high road and commit to highest standards in their professional conduct, organizations and protecting donors.
Let’s consider 10 examples that commonly emerge in the fundraising and advancement fields.
1. Commissions are taboo. As both a practitioner and now consultant whenever that subject is raised, I immediately walk away. From the AFP Standard of Professional Practice: “Members shall not accept compensation or enter into a contract that is based on a percentage of contributions; nor shall members accept finder’s fees or contingent fees.” Those involved in fundraising, especially major gifts, keenly understand that gifts are seldom the result of a single relationship or moment. Rather they reflect a dynamic process of education and engagement over time. It’s unfair to reward a fundraiser for a gift that many others make possible.
2. Influence of donors must be limited. For sure, we want to treat donors like heroes for gifts of time, talent and treasure. But it is for their benefit that we have a healthy respect for boundaries. For example, donors shouldn’t exert influence in organizational hiring decisions beyond the opportunity to share non-binding opinions.
3. When necessary, exercising courage and standing up to CEOs, Presidents and Board Chairs, when they direct fundraisers to travel outside ethical space. Despite higher positions on the totem pole, they don’t share the same keen understanding of fundraising best practices and embracing donor intent.
4. Belittling the so-called competition belittles you and your non-profit. Major gift donors are going to reward your organizations because there is alignment with values, priorities and view of societal needs, not because of disdain for other organizations.
5. Don’t plagiarize proposals and intellectual content of other non-profits. The overwhelming impact of the Internet and now ubiquitous presence of artificial intelligence makes it all too easy to lift the hard work of colleagues without authorization or attribution.
6. Don’t fall into the trap of overpromising. This is a good example where pressure may be felt from senior management and lay leadership. It is the fundraiser’s personal responsibility that donor wishes are carried out to the letter. Transparency means everything. Never hold back from sharing less than good news.
7. Don’t steal credit from team members. This is just good management and workplace protocol. Such missteps severely damage team morale.
8. No romantic engagement with donors at all. This is just old-fashioned common sense. These lines must never be crossed. The issue of sexual harassment introduces profound legal consequences.
9. Don’t gossip. This is another place where work morale can be severely compromised. If a co-worker spreads unfounded opinions, turn away from them, and question their veracity.
10. Keep all donor and prospective donor information meticulously confidential without any ifs, ands or buts. By sharing their hard-earned resources with your organization, donors can and should be treated like family. Their personal and financial information and data must stay in your hands and in your hands only.
By and large, our colleagues throughout America’s 1.5 million non-profits, not only demonstrate the highest ethical standards, but consistently surpass them.
To wit: Non-profits remain the most-trusted institutions in America, even as trust in government, corporations and media, remains significantly lower.
For the seventh year, Independent Sector partnered with Edelman Data & Intelligence to examine how the American public views non-profit and philanthropic organizations. The 2026 study includes a nationally representative survey of 3,000 U.S. adults and politically representative online focus groups.
The findings show that non-profits remain a rare point of common ground. Americans continue to trust non-profit organizations more than government institutions, corporations, the media, and philanthropy — and increasingly see non-profits as institutions that can bring people together and improve their communities. This is precisely the medicine that our nation so sorely needs.
The passionate and devoted men and women who compete for and earn major gifts proudly live the spirit of outstanding ethics during the month of October, but more importantly, 365 days a year.
Jim Eskin Says: “Ethics Is A Necessity For Major Gifts” was first posted at MajorGiftsRampUp.com
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