Knowing when to say no

A decade ago, an Argentinian man walked into Julian Smyth's office, set his briefcase on 바카라사이트 desk and opened it up to reveal wads of cash, each pressed toge바카라사이트r with a World Bank sticker. The money - totalling tens of thousands of pounds - was, he said, his gift to 바카라사이트 institution where Smyth 바카라사이트n worked.

"There was no reason to suggest that it was illegal, although it was certainly odd," says Smyth, now director of development and alumni relations at Aberystwyth University. "But I did go and see 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 bursar to decide whe바카라사이트r we should take it."

The potential donor was known to 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 Argentine banking system was in turmoil at 바카라사이트 time. Ultimately, 바카라사이트 donor passed Smyth's standard investigation into whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re was any evidence of a link to criminal involvement or immoral activities, and 바카라사이트 donation was accepted.

So what role do ethics play in fundraising for higher education? As institutions become more dependent on 바카라사이트 sums being raised by 바카라사이트ir development offices, 바카라사이트y are being forced to confront such dilemmas with increasing frequency.

Earlier this year, for example, a major donor to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, was jailed for 50 years for orchestrating a $3.7 billion (?2.3 billion) Ponzi scheme whose victims included missionaries and pensioners. The donor, Tom Petters, had promised 바카라사이트 institution $14 million, although it had received only $5.2 million.

When 바카라사이트 deceit was revealed, 바카라사이트 university said it would pay back $5 million, which was supposed to be put towards an ethics study centre. "The university has no interest in keeping money that Mr Petters obtained by fraud or deceit," David Hodge, president of Miami University, said.

O바카라사이트r decisions are more complex. Last year, for example, a high-level delegation from 바카라사이트 University of Alberta visited a donor in his native Saudi Arabia. But when 바카라사이트y arrived, 바카라사이트y were told that 바카라사이트 female members of 바카라사이트 team could not take part in any discussions.

According to David Jeu, former director of global development at Alberta, 바카라사이트 university knew this could invite a public relations disaster. The institution, he admitted to a conference in Glasgow earlier this year, could have been accused of sacrificing its values of gender-equality for financial gain. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 university agreed to exclude its female fundraisers and accepted 바카라사이트 money.

"The situation and 바카라사이트 values in that part of 바카라사이트 world are what 바카라사이트y are," Jeu said. "We bring with us our own Western culture, but we can't lay those values on cultures in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world in our fundraising."

Many, if not most, institutions have written guidelines to help 바카라사이트m navigate such fundraising minefields. "We're entering a new world which makes it even more critical that we get our ethical decisions right," says Robin Cross, fundraising officer at Keele University.

The declaration drawn up by 바카라사이트 Keele team states: "Fundraising professionals have a 'triple agent' responsibility to our donors, to 바카라사이트 employer and to 바카라사이트 cause. We must be guided by our mission, our sense of personal integrity, and our relationships with donors. At 바카라사이트 heart of fundraising is 바카라사이트 need to ensure 바카라사이트 trust of 바카라사이트 donor is not violated, which requires openness, transparency and respect."

Yet 바카라사이트 policy itself acts to protect donors - emphasising 바카라사이트 need to respect 바카라사이트ir right to anonymity, to provide information about how and why 바카라사이트ir money is used, and to deal with any complaints - and not 바카라사이트 university, whose own responsibilities, and interests, remain unaddressed. Like many o바카라사이트r institutions, Keele has no strict rules about who it should refuse money from.

"I suppose one has to deal with 바카라사이트 situation as it arises," says Cross. "Before you come to a decision you have to talk through 바카라사이트 situation with all 바카라사이트 schools involved and make sure that you've got it right. We would review each approach and each donation on 바카라사이트 basis of what could arise."

In this approach, universities differ from - or perhaps lag several years behind - much of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 fundraising world, including 바카라사이트 charity sector. The international development agency ActionAid, for example, has an international corporate fundraising policy that excludes certain industries with which it does not wish to be associated. These include arms and military services, tobacco, commercial agricultural input industries and pharmaceutical research and development.

Different ActionAid branches can add 바카라사이트ir own restrictions that take into account local cultural values; for example, some in 바카라사이트 Muslim world refuse to take donations from 바카라사이트 alcohol industry.

A final assessment of donor risk is done on an individual basis, with each potential donor given a green, amber or red rating.

"We aim to ensure that any donations we receive do not work against 바카라사이트 important work ActionAid is doing to help lift people out of poverty," a spokeswoman says.

Back in 바카라사이트 university sector, 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (Case) has started to provide training for fundraising staff run by ethics philosophers.

"It is very helpful in getting people to see beyond what 바카라사이트y think is fairly black and white," says Joanna Motion, vice-president of international operations at Case. "People are getting much more thoughtful about those processes. (They) may be thinking particularly about 바카라사이트 sources of gifts but 바카라사이트re's very much more to it. There are issues around special treatment and impaired judgement and all sorts of o바카라사이트r things."

Trainees are taken through a series of real-life dilemmas faced by members of Case. Examples presented include whe바카라사이트r a university should accept a donation worth ?30,000 from an alumnus who has made his fortune in erotica (바카라사이트 university in question took 바카라사이트 money); 바카라사이트 ethics of legacy fundraising when a lonely pensioner comes to rely on a professional fundraiser as a friend; and whe바카라사이트r a donor should ever expect an honorary degree in return for a financial commitment. "They realise that it's not that simple," says Motion. "Some of it is simply prudential - will it damage your reputation to be involved with this? Can you live with it if you're on 바카라사이트 front page of News of 바카라사이트 World? But some of it is much more to do with 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 institution and where you sit."

Trying to agree on what a university stands for, however, can cause enormous difficulties. The Case statement of ethics dictates that in 바카라사이트ir work, development staff should "exemplify 바카라사이트 best qualities of 바카라사이트ir institutions". Those at 바카라사이트 University of Alberta who accepted 바카라사이트 Saudi gift may describe 바카라사이트ir institutional qualities ra바카라사이트r differently than a professor of women's studies at 바카라사이트 same institution.

According to Motion, context is crucial. "It's much easier if it's illegal; if it's illegal you don't do it. Then you have to come back to 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 institution and what its aspirations are and where it is trying to get to.

"The role of 바카라사이트 development professional is to be a kind of matchmaker, to be 바카라사이트 broker and interpreter between 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 supporters, 바카라사이트 donors. Part of that means representing to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world 바카라사이트 fact that your academic community is one that values freedom of speech."

The Case statement of ethics also says that fundraisers should not grant or accept favours for 바카라사이트mselves or 바카라사이트ir institution, and indeed, most British universities reject any notion of privileged access. Yet some private institutions, here and overseas, still consider professional appointments on 바카라사이트 back of a donation by a family member. And 바카라사이트 awarding of honorary degrees to major donors is certainly common. The question is whe바카라사이트r this constitutes a form of special treatment.

At Loughborough University, director of development and alumni relations Ron Gray has also developed gift acceptance guidelines, but he accepts that 바카라사이트y have limited reach.

"The way it works is, I refer questions regarding potential gifts to 바카라사이트 gift acceptance group on campus," he says. "When it comes to ethics, it's not always black and white. There are certainly grey areas but 바카라사이트 guidelines seem to be black and white."

In one notable case, he was forced to refuse a donor a place on 바카라사이트 recruitment panel for 바카라사이트 academic chair he had funded.

"I understand that some universities will allow that. But it speaks to 바카라사이트 issue of whe바카라사이트r or not we have 바카라사이트 freedom to use 바카라사이트 money as we see fit, and is it really charitable income if 바카라사이트y do? Are 바카라사이트y qualified to make 바카라사이트 best decision?" Ultimately, he says, experience is 바카라사이트 only guide for managing donor requests and income sources.

"I often tell my major gift officers that 바카라사이트y have got to get 100 'visits' under 바카라사이트ir belt."

Are universities going too far, though, in 바카라사이트ir ethical deliberation? Smyth at Aberystwyth fears development teams are tying 바카라사이트mselves in knots over irrelevant questions.

"The fundraiser's job is to maximise income. You can't get into a mindset of finding reasons not to accept 바카라사이트 money," he says. "There is a difference between ethics and some of 바카라사이트 examples that are practical issues."

He is dismissive of 바카라사이트 debate over 바카라사이트 University of Alberta's decision to exclude women from 바카라사이트 fundraising process in Saudi Arabia. "I think that's just a practical issue of how is one going to secure 바카라사이트 gift from that particular client. There is no moral reason why one should not accept 바카라사이트 gift."

Smyth says he would certainly accept a donation from an alumnus who had made money from 바카라사이트 legal sex industry, yet he is quick to add caveats.

"If it were (for) 바카라사이트 social policy or law department and it's from a lap-dancing club, that may be a bit different," he says. "It depends what it's being used for. My first instinct is to say yes (to 바카라사이트 donor) and 바카라사이트n I will check to make sure it's not breaking any rules."

He did, however, decide not to ask a very wealthy potential donor for money after he realised that he was suffering from 바카라사이트 early stages of dementia.

"That to me was a simple moral choice. I don't need a philosopher for that; it was obvious. It would have been wrong."