Nonprofit draws a line with some donors

In the wake of the 2004 tsunami that devastated shorelines around the Indian Ocean, the French medical charity Doctors Without Borders won plaudits for its decision to halt fund-raising for the disaster once it had collected enough donations to accomplish the mission it had set for itself.

Doctors Without Borders has long practiced an unusual form of discipline that may cause other nonprofits to squirm. For more than a decade, it has politely declined financial support from corporations whose activities conflict with its mission and principles, recently adding some medical device makers and biotechnology companies.

[Excerpt of an article by Stephanie Strom, The New York Times]