Wounded Warrior Project(R) CEO Chooses Impact Over Ratings

RESTON, Va., July 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- "Charity without fundraising is just good intentions."

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This concept is the key to the successful philosophy of Steve Nardizzi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of  Wounded Warrior Project, and keynote speaker at the upcoming 9^th Annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference, to be held on July 9-11, 2014 at the Gaylord National Conference Center in National Harbor, MD.

Steve's philosophy on fundraising and non-profit management is a critical addition to a larger conversation about fundraising ethics and charity ratings. This topic has dominated the industry for the last several years and has forced many organizations to act defensively to protect their reputations with donors – often hindering the impact organizations have on the causes they work so hard to serve.

As a result of years of negative press about the costs associated with fundraising, nonprofit leaders have begun to view it as a necessary evil instead of a vital component of the overall success of an organization's mission. However, many of the questions facing organizations today are really about business practices and choices, not ethics. Nardizzi warns these conversations have become interchangeable to the general public.

Steve challenges these questions head on. "I tell people not to mistake business decisions for a lack of ethics. If a member of the public or a donor suggests that they do not like the amount I spend on staff salary, travel to affect the mission, fundraising costs, etc., then you disagree with my business plan. That is not an ethical debate. An ethical debate is if I put out a misleading statement or I tell you dollars will be directed to a particular purpose and it isn't."

Charity rating systems may further confuse the issue, as users of these systems can be led to believe that an organization with higher overhead, and thus a lower rating, is unethical.

Nardizzi's perspective is that fundraising is integral to allowing an organization to grow and to serve more people. His focus is on helping more wounded veterans, not trying to fit Wounded Warrior Project into a model that will allow it to get a high rating on a charity evaluator website.

Nardizzi urges organizations to face these tough conversations. Answer questions about ethics and ratios head on by explaining your strategy to donors and clarify why these ratings do not show the whole picture. An organization may have a lower rating because they are investing in a growth strategy that will allow them to further their mission. That is what the focus needs to be on – the work not the rating. He firmly believes you will be surprised by how many donors will appreciate your perspective. During his keynote speech at the upcoming Bridge Conference, Steve will provide insight on how he and Wounded Warrior Project tackle these tough conversations and why they are so important.

For more information on the 9^th Annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference, click here.

Media Contact: Jennifer Newell, PS Digital, 7037345700, [email protected]

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SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project