Thursday, January 21, 2010

An ExecuMate C-Level Etiquette Discussion: Lunching with a Nonprofit Recruiter

Recently, a discussion arose among my nonprofit arena recruiter friends stemming from a question they often ask themselves: if a nonprofit recruiter invites a potential supporter of that organization to lunch or dinner, who pays?

After making a few phone calls to top recruiters and having been in the situation myself several times, I came to this conclusion: the invitee, the person with the funds that has the potential to donate to this non-profit organization, pays.

The reasoning: Although the recruiter has extended the invitation (and in just about any other social situation, of course, we know the answer), this time it does not apply. Why? If you have come this far to accept the invitation and are serious enough to consider donating, truly, you wouldn't want to take money out of that organization's pocket. AND, even if you decline the position, please...pick up the tab.

Executives and executive spouses: Have you been invited to dine by a charity recruiter? Accept only if you are willing to pay for lunch. Also, it would be really nice if you let them know as you accept the invitation. And very importantly, the offer and deed also demonstrates you have the frame of mind to be a supporter.