Ethical Fundraising and Problematic Philanthropy – a Talk and Q&A

The way that we view philanthropy is rightly changing. A number of recent developments have increased scrutiny on how philanthropists, companies and trusts accrued their wealth, and the ethical implications of this for charities and social enterprises.

But how much should this matter to your organisation? In a challenging financial climate, when is it right to say no to a donation? How can you balance your obligation to protect your organisation’s reputation, but maximise resources at the same time? How can you find a path forward when people have differing and strongly-held personal views? And if you have to make a controversial decision, how can you justify it when challenged?

Organisations that debate these questions quickly realise things aren’t as clear-cut as they hoped. You might want to say you’ll never take donations linked to gambling, alcohol and pornography – but what about grants from the National Lottery Community Fund?…