MadaiAid & AFP Code of Ethical Standards
Position Paper

MadaiAid & the
AFP Code of Ethical Standards

How MadaiAid’s value-generation model aligns with the principles of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

A Different Kind of Fundraising

MadaiAid is a technology-enabled fundraising model. Unlike traditional platforms that collect monetary donations, MadaiAid does not ask supporters to donate, pay, or transfer money to a nonprofit organization.

Instead, supporters voluntarily participate in validated market research activities — primarily online surveys. Each successfully completed and validated survey generates real economic value. MadaiAid's technology redirects a share of that value toward nonprofit organizations and their communities.

📋
Supporter
Completes a validated survey. No money required.
⚙️
Madai Platform
Validates participation. Economic value is generated.
🤝
Value Shared
Supporter rewarded. Nonprofit funded. Platform sustained.
How to describe the model

Supporters do not donate money. They generate value by completing validated surveys. A share of that generated value is allocated to the nonprofit organization, a share is rewarded to the supporter, and a share is retained by Madai to operate the platform.

Why this matters

The value generated by market research participation already exists in the digital economy — it is typically captured by research platforms, advertising systems, or data intermediaries. MadaiAid redirects part of that existing value toward nonprofits, rather than creating a new financial obligation for supporters.

Alignment with AFP Core Principles

The AFP Code of Ethical Standards centers on integrity, transparency, public trust, donor protection, responsible stewardship, privacy, and fair compensation. MadaiAid is designed to be consistent with all of these principles, within the specific structure of its model.

Transparency

All communications clearly explain how value is generated, how it is allocated, and that no monetary donation is involved.

Public Trust

The model is described accurately. MadaiAid is never presented as a guaranteed donation or a deduction from supporter payments.

Donor Protection

Supporters are never asked to spend money. Participation is voluntary and value is generated only through validated activity.

Stewardship

Amounts allocated to nonprofits are calculated consistently, reported clearly, and linked to verified survey completions.

Privacy

Individual survey responses and personal supporter data are not shared with nonprofit organizations unless explicit consent has been given.

Integrity

The nonprofit partner is informed about the purpose and scope of the relationship with Madai before the collaboration begins.

On Compensation: Why the AFP Percentage Rule Does Not Apply

The AFP Code states that fundraiser compensation should not be based on a percentage of funds raised, and that commissions or finder's fees derived from charitable gifts should be declined.

Structural difference

MadaiAid does not operate as a percentage-based fundraiser. Madai does not deduct a commission from donations, because there is no monetary donation made by the supporter. There is no donated amount from which a commission could be taken.

Madai's platform share is retained from the value generated by research participation — before any allocation is made to the supporter or the nonprofit organization. This is structurally different from taking a percentage of a charitable gift.

In other words, MadaiAid does not monetize donations. It creates a mechanism through which a supporter's validated participation generates value, and that value is then shared transparently among three parties: supporter, nonprofit, and platform.

Aspect Traditional % Fundraising MadaiAid Model
Supporter action Donates money Completes a survey (no payment)
Source of platform revenue % cut from donated funds Share of value generated by research participation
AFP % compensation concern applies? Yes Not applicable
Transparency obligation Applies Applies — fully observed
Privacy obligation Applies Applies — fully observed
Stewardship obligation Applies Applies — value allocation reported clearly

How to Communicate the Model Correctly

Consistent with the AFP's emphasis on accuracy and public trust, MadaiAid should always be described precisely. Below are key statements to use — and to avoid.

Do not describe MadaiAid as

A guaranteed donation · A direct donor contribution · A deduction from money paid by the supporter · A commission-based fundraising service

Correct description

MadaiAid is a value-generation fundraising model. Funding is generated only when a supporter completes and validates a survey. No money is donated or transferred by the supporter. The nonprofit organization receives a share of the economic value generated by that participation.

Nonprofit partners should be clearly informed — at the start of the collaboration — about the purpose of the relationship, how value is generated, how it is allocated, and that participation is entirely voluntary for their supporters.

In Summary

MadaiAid is aligned with the spirit of the AFP Code of Ethical Standards — particularly on transparency, accuracy, privacy, responsible stewardship, and public trust — while remaining structurally different from traditional donation collection or commission-based fundraising.

The AFP percentage-based compensation concern does not apply to MadaiAid, because no monetary donation is made and no commission is deducted from charitable gifts. Madai's platform share derives from the value generated by research participation, not from donor funds.

MadaiAid's contribution extends beyond operational fundraising: it gives nonprofit organizations access to a new, technology-enabled source of funding generated by supporter participation rather than supporter spending.

The core claim

MadaiAid is a value-generated fundraising model — aligned with AFP principles on transparency, privacy, stewardship, and public trust — and structurally distinct from the commission-based practices the AFP Code is designed to regulate.