Fundraising ribbon embeds ethics at the heart of Italian fundraising profession

A certification mark – the fundraising ribbon – has been launched for nonprofits in Italy, awarded to those that commit to meet new professional fundraising criteria.

Aiming to ensure that fundraisers maintain the highest ethical standards, the Italian Fundraising Association (ASSIF) has developed a Memorandum of Understanding addressing the way in which fundraisers are remunerated and deterring organisations from running payment on commission schemes.

All those that adhere to the memorandum are awarded the fundraising ribbon, as a symbol of quality and of the organisation’s commitment to its donors, partners and the wider public. To date, 50 nonprofits have been awarded with or have applied for the ribbon.

While ASSIF states that fundraising and ethics usually go hand in hand, the association set out to reward Italian nonprofit organisations that are willing to commit to guaranteeing a remuneration structure that encourages and incentivises long-term supporter relationships.

Jara Vernarecci, ASSIF Board member and coordinator of the initiative, says:

“Since the ultimate goal for fundraising is to develop long-term relationships and strategies capable of securing the organisation’s financial sustainability, the right pay structure should reflect this approach and should not be fully based on results.

“Nonprofits are the main allies in guaranteeing the high ethical profile of our profession. Any work paid exclusively as a percentage of commission sends the wrong message to fundraisers and also to donors since it’s rarely transparent and it aggravates the investment burden that every organisation should guarantee for its own development.”

The association is working in partnership with Italianonprofit and with the support of sector suppliers to encourage nonprofits across the country to commit to the new standards.

Photo credit: Photo by Christopher Czermak on Unsplash