Ethics Scenario #75: Quad Fundraising Services

75. Quad Fundraising Services (QFS) is a for-profit professional fundraising firm that specializes in providing services to small nonprofit charities that have no internal fundraising staff. Quad handles all fundraising duties, using a bank of trained telemarketing staff, and a sophisticated direct mail operation. QFS is expensive, but they promise that the charity will receive at least something for being added to its client list, and the costs are reasonable considering the upfront investment a charity might have to make to purchase mailing lists and train staff, something QFS has already done. Brad, the CEO of the Harristown Environmental Improvement Fund, decides to hire QFS. QFS raises nearly $450,000 from its telephone and direct mail campaign, and, after expenses and a reasonable fee, presents a check to the Fund for $5,200, money that will go a long way considering the meagerness of the Fund’s budget. Brad is grateful he had the foresight to find a professional fundraiser to do all of this dirty work so that he could focus on the actual mission of the organization.

a. Is it ethical for Brad to hire Quad Fundraising Services?