Three quarters of fundraisers have experienced sexual harassment at least once in their careers. More than half have experienced behaviour from a donor that made them feel physically or mentally unsafe.
These are not fringe statistics — they are the findings of research conducted by Rogare, the fundraising think tank, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
And yet, for too long, inappropriate donor behaviour has been dismissed as an occupational hazard — something to talk about quietly with colleagues, and then get on with the job.
Episode two of Let's Talk Fundraising confronts that reality directly. Host Tim Beynon is joined by co-host Damian Chapman — CIOF Trustee, founder of Fundraiser in the Room, and chair of Rogare — alongside Antonia Brownlee, Director of Philanthropy at Scottish Ballet, for an honest and at times uncomfortable conversation about what it takes to make fundraising a safer profession.
Damian Chapman is unequivocal about the scale of the problem. "Fundraising doesn't happen in a vacuum," he explains. "Fundraisers work in situations where there are power imbalances, expectations and sometimes a sense that money buys access or behaviour that wouldn't be acceptable anywhere else."
The data backs this up. Research from Rogare shows that 84% of respondents had experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour — including sexual innuendo, unwanted comments and inappropriate physical contact. One respondent reported a sexual assault. As Tim Beynon notes during the conversation: "One sexual assault is just one too many."
The behaviour is not limited to isolated incidents. "It isn't rare and it isn't isolated," says Damian. "It's systemic." And it is particularly women who are bearing the brunt of it, with the Rogare research showing that female fundraisers are disproportionately affected.
Central to this issue is the concept of donor dominance — the belief that financial power confers behavioural licence. Damian describes this as "the whole belief that you can, because you have the power, because you have the dominance, because you have the money — the fundraiser will accept it, tolerate it, accommodate it or shrug it off."
Antonia Brownlee recognises this dynamic from her 25 years in fundraising. Speaking about the culture that existed before Scottish Ballet developed its donor guiding principles, she recalls how inappropriate incidents were discussed only in whispers: "I think it became something that was joked about. It was that kind of conversation that we would have and we would all be horrified, but I think it just came back to that feeling of not being in a position of power — that we were unable to do something about it because people were giving us money."
She is clear that this acceptance was never right, even if it felt, at the time, unavoidable: "It almost felt like something you just put up with as a fundraiser, as a female fundraiser. It was just something that sort of went with the job. That sounds really old fashioned of me to say that. And it's not an opinion I personally hold, but I think it was something we didn't feel empowered to do anything about because nobody was really talking about it."
A donor code of conduct does not, as some might fear, signal hostility towards donors. "This isn't about being anti-donor," Damian stresses. "It's about being pro-fundraiser and pro-healthy relationships." The distinction matters: a well-implemented code sets clear expectations for both parties, creates accountability, and — crucially — gives fundraisers permission to speak up.
"What it does do," he explains, "is give people permission to speak up, to step away from unsafe situations and to challenge behaviour without fear. Because these conversations have been happening in organisations for years, but they've been had in quiet corners or they've been had between trusted colleagues, one-on-one. You haven't had that organisational understanding, appreciation and — for want of a better phrase — insistence that we don't tolerate it."
Over time, Damian argues, these codes do something even more significant: "They change culture. They normalise respectful relationships with donors, and they make it clear that impact and income should never come at the expense of someone's safety or dignity."
The CIOF and Rogare have developed practical guidance and resources to help charities introduce codes in a way that is values-led, proportionate and suited to their context. The call to action is straightforward: start the conversation at senior leadership or trustee level, consider training and reporting routes, and recognise that charities don't have to navigate this alone.
Scottish Ballet's journey to developing its donor guiding principles began not with a crisis, but with a growing awareness — sharpened by attending Rogare's online training in spring 2023 — that what the fundraising team had been quietly managing was part of a much wider, sector-wide problem.
"We had our imaginations peaked, if you like," says Antonia. "It made us realise that there were other people in the same boat as we were, sadly. And whilst as a team we'd been talking about some inappropriate behaviour, I don't think we were fully cognizant that it was happening across the board for fundraisers on the other side of the ocean, as well as fundraisers in the UK and Scotland."
Addressing the Challenges
Developing the guidelines took approximately two and a half years — not because the process was obstructive, but because Scottish Ballet was determined to get it right. Using a Rogare template as a starting point, the team quickly realised they needed something that reflected their own organisational values — inclusion, excellence and innovation — and their distinctive, curiosity-led communication style.
One early suggestion was that draft guidelines should be shared with male donors for their feedback, given that, in Scottish Ballet's experience, it was male donors who had been the source of most of the issues. "With absolutely no disrespect intended," Antonia reflects, "it was suggested we share that with male donors — and they were great about it actually. They said, we completely understand, this is appalling, it's shocking, it shouldn't be happening."
The Importance of Leadership Buy-in
Getting the full organisation on side was essential — and not without its moments of nervousness. Antonia presented to both the leadership team and the board, where the response was telling: "The women on the board were all nodding their heads and saying, oh yes, we've experienced this ourselves in the workplace. The men on the board were shocked, surprised and really horrified that that's something we were just sort of putting up with in day-to-day work."
Chief Executive and Artistic Director Chris Hampson, and Executive Director Stephen Roth were, she notes, "hugely supportive" — and that support from the top made a material difference to how confidently the team could act. "I know the entire board are behind me and will support me in any conversations I have to have," says Antonia. "That makes me feel encouraged. It really helps if you have your chief exec behind you, because you know that they have your back."
The Impact — Particularly on Dancers
Since implementing the guidelines in April/May 2025, Scottish Ballet has not received a single objection from a patron, prospect or donor. The principles are embedded across the organisation — included in touring handbooks, referenced at company-wide town hall meetings, incorporated into donor renewal correspondence, and discussed regularly with Scottish Ballet's Guardians group, who helped shape the wording.
But the most significant shift has been felt by the company's dancers. With around 40 dancers aged 18 to 35 regularly involved in donor events, clarity about what was and wasn't acceptable was long overdue. "The biggest difference actually for us has probably been with our dancers," says Antonia. "We've had a few dancers saying in company meetings that it's felt really important to them to know that their wellbeing and their safety at work among our patrons matters to us — not just to me as director of the team, but across the whole organisation."
The change in confidence is palpable. "Before, our dancers were saying, we don't know what we can say no to because they're donors, they're giving us money," Antonia explains. "And if they're waiting at a stage door and asked to go for a drink at 10 o'clock — am I allowed to say no? And I said: absolutely, you're allowed to say no."
If a situation does arise in future, Scottish Ballet's approach is to "lead with curiosity" rather than confrontation: making a call, asking questions, and addressing what happened with empathy and firmness. "I think we all feel now that we're in a much better place to stop anything before it really gains traction," she says.
The message from this episode of Let's Talk Fundraising is clear and unambiguous: fundraisers should never have to choose between their safety and their organisation's income. As Antonia puts it: "If it came down to it and it was money versus the wellbeing of a member of the team or dancers, it would be the wellbeing every time."
Donor codes of conduct are not a threat to fundraising relationships — they are the foundation of healthier ones. They signal to donors what is expected of them, signal to fundraisers that their organisation has their back, and signal to the sector as a whole that the era of quietly putting up with inappropriate behaviour is over.
"Just because somebody is donating to your organisation doesn't give them a sense of power or control over you as an individual or as an organisation," says Antonia. "You should never have to put up with any kind of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace — and that applies to all fundraisers."
Access the CIOF's guidance and templates for a donor code of conduct
This article was created using the support of AI, based on the transcript from the podcast. It has been reviewed, edited and approved by a member of CIOF staff.
