Case Study: a prominent educational institution mitigates donor reputational risk with BDO due diligence

Prominent Educational Institution halts a donor contribution after BDO due diligence uncovered 3 major risk findings

A prominent educational institution was approached by a wealthy donor wishing to make a significant contribution. The institution engaged BDO to conduct comprehensive due diligence to assess the reputational risk linked to the donor, wanting to understand his source of wealth and any potential concerns related to bribery, corruption, or sanctions before accepting the gift.

BDO conducted a thorough international background profile, which uncovered numerous adverse findings including a Swiss money laundering conviction and connections to international bribery scandals. As a result of BDO's findings, the client was able to appraise its reputational risk accurately and decided to place a hold on the financial contribution pending further review.