Use simple, clear communications.
With cognitive impairment or hearing loss, fundraisers can take steps to minimize confusion, says Rob Hofmann, senior director of development at the University of Minnesota, in Duluth, who does presentations on working with vulnerable older donors.
Simple things like wearing a name tag during a donor visit can help, Mr. Hofmann says.
Also, avoid using pronouns such as “he,” “she,” or “it,” which can be confusing to people who might forget who or what the fundraiser is talking about after the first mention. Instead, he says, it’s better to use proper nouns, repeating the person’s or organization’s name throughout the conversation.
Pay attention to your instincts.
If something feels amiss, says Barlow Mann, a Memphis consultant who advises charities on planned gifts, it may be time to step back. Do you feel queasy about an exchange with a donor? Imagine that a fundraiser was having a similar conversation with your own parents or that a television investigative-news program has been watching your exchange on a hidden camera, Mr. Mann says. If it feels wrong, you’re probably stepping out of bounds.
Pay extra attention to written reports.
Fundraisers should use caution when filling out reports on visits with cognitively impaired donors, says Mr. Mann. For example, if a donor revives a discussion about a large estate gift that was initially discussed years before any sign of mental decline, a sloppily worded report on the donor visit could leave the impression that the fundraiser was taking advantage of the donor’s diminished state to reopen the topic.
“Anything you put in a call report could come back to haunt you,” Mr. Mann says.
Fundraisers should list family members or other emergency contacts in donor records and gift agreements. That way charity officials will have someone to call if donors exhibit signs of confusion or behavioral changes that could make them vulnerable to financial and other forms of abuse. In the event that no such contacts are listed, development officers may need to get in touch with an outside agency that looks out for seniors, such as Adult Protective Services.
Limit personal favors.
Many fundraisers have trouble drawing the line when cognitively or physically impaired donors ask them for rides to doctors’ appointments, grocery runs, or other personal favors.
An occasional ride to a fundraising or other event probably is fine. However, getting more involved in a donor’s personal affairs and developing a relationship of dependency is problematic, says Carol Weisman, a former social worker who advises charity boards on fundraising and other issues.
The best course of action is to show compassion and offer help to find another solution to meet a donor’s needs, she says.
For example, if an impaired donor asked Ms. Weisman for a ride to an hourslong medical procedure at the local hospital, she would commiserate with the donor over the lack of reliable transportation and then offer to help find a permanent solution for getting to medical appointments. She might call one of the hospital’s social worker or one of the donor’s adult children for ideas.
Such a course of action, she adds, “gets it off your plate but demonstrates you really care.”