The Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain isn’t letting a recent New York Times expose about his ties to a lobbyist interfere with his fund-raising operations, and that approach offers a lesson for nonprofit leaders, says one commentator.

Tom Durso, a public-relations consultant, says on the 501c Files. that Mr. McCain is using some smart tactics to raise money in the face of the controversial story — he is denying the allegations, he is rallying his most ardent supporters, and he is playing the victim.

“Poor Senator McCain, minding his own business, running his campaign, was completely ambushed by those bullies in New York. Please give to help him fight back,” is one of the key messages from Mr. McCain’s campaign in recent days, Mr. Durso writes.

“It almost makes you want to go out and do something improper so that the press will notice and report on it, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not,” Mr. Durso writes. “But the last few days have been a fascinating case study in how to rally the troops in support of your mission when powerful outsiders are raising uncomfortable questions.”

What other fund-raising strategies work during times of crisis? Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.