ETHICS - ARE YOURS SECOND NATURE?
ETHICS - ARE YOURS SECOND NATURE?
Andrea McManus, ViTreo Group Inc
October 15th 2019
Photo Credit: Nathan Dumlao, Unsplash
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) was founded in 1960 to create a code of ethics in fundraising. For the first time in 60 years, it has declared an Ethics Awareness Month; AFP celebrates Ethics Awareness Month throughout the month of October.
While part of me thinks “Duh, why didn't we do this before.” I also think we (the world in general) are in a sad place when a global and professional fundraising organization such as the AFP believes it must declare an entire month as a celebration of and a reminder of the importance of ethical practice.
The reality is it is the place in which we currently find ourselves and not only in the charitable sector. It’s certainly not only fundraisers and nonprofit organizations which must be reminded how critical it is to be aboveboard and ethical in all their undertakings. Globally, many politicians, for profit organizations, government institutions and more seem to have veered off the path of doing what’s right. They’re heading pell mell down a rapidly accelerating highway of doing only what’s right for them in their efforts to gain money, power and market share.
So, back to the charitable sector. Why do we as fundraisers and nonprofit organizations need to take the high road (always)? Why must we ensure all our interactions can withstand scrutiny?
Firstly, unethical behaviour in fundraising isn’t a new issue. That’s not going to be a shocker to anyone. We now inhabit a world of instant information that can be disseminated globally. The internet and social media make the sharing of news available to the entire world within a few seconds.
To add to this never before time in history where anyone anywhere could quite easily research you and/or your organization, there’s much chaos and competition for support and funds. Governments everywhere are debt-ridden; funding in Canada and the U.S. alone has been severely curtailed in many instances. This reduction doesn’t even touch the level seen in many other countries in the EU and elsewhere.
All this adds up to a “perfect storm” where the temptation to toss aside ethics in the efforts to reach goals and get ahead can flourish. And that is why more than ever, AFP’s code of ethics which was adopted n 1964 and revised in 2014, is essential to the work we do in the fundraising profession.
“AFP was initially created in 1960 to develop a code of ethics for the fundraising profession. Because our leaders knew there would be moments where fundraisers felt pressure from others to cut corners or ignore ethical principles. Or situations where there might be competing interests, and the fundraiser would have to determine what’s best for the donor, the organization and the profession.
That’s why AFP created its Code of Ethical Standards and its accompanying guidelines. And The Donor Bill of Rights. And our Ethics Committee to serve as a guide for members. So you’d have the knowledge, backing and support of a professional association to help navigate through tricky situations and pressure-filled demands.”
AFP’s Ethical Standards, adopted in 1964 and amended October 2014, state:
“The Association of Fundraising Professionals believes that ethical behavior fosters the development and growth of fundraising professionals and the fundraising profession and enhances philanthropy and volunteerism. AFP Members recognize their responsibility to ethically generate or support ethical generation of philanthropic support. Violation of the standards may subject the member to disciplinary sanctions as provided in the AFP Ethics Enforcement Procedures. AFP members, both individual and business, agree to abide (and ensure, to the best of their ability, that all members of their staff abide) by the AFP standards.”
There are 25 standards AFP members must adhere to ranging from:
“Public Trust, Transparency, & Conflicts of Interest
Members shall:
1. not engage in activities that harm the members’ organizations, clients or profession or knowingly bring the profession into disrepute.
2. not engage in activities that conflict with their fiduciary, ethical and legal obligations to their organizations, clients or profession.
3. effectively disclose all potential and actual conflicts of interest; such disclosure does not preclude or imply ethical impropriety.
4. not exploit any relationship with a donor, prospect, volunteer, client or employee for the benefit of the members or the members’ organizations….”
to:
Solicitation & Stewardship of Philanthropic Funds
Members shall:
12. ensure that all solicitation and communication materials are accurate and correctly reflect their organization’s mission and use of solicited funds.
13. ensure that donors receive informed, accurate and ethical advice about the value and tax implications of contributions.
14. ensure that contributions are used in accordance with donors’ intentions.
15. ensure proper stewardship of all revenue sources, including timely reports on the use and management of such funds.
16. obtain explicit consent by donors before altering the conditions of financial transactions.”
For the full Code of Ethical Standards, please visit AFP Global Ethical Standards.
As Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA, AFP Global President states in his President’s Perspective Blog about celebrating Ethics Awareness Month ….
This month’s issue of Advancing Philanthropy is entirely devoted to the topic of ethics.
“Why…Because ethics, and its direct relationship to public trust and confidence, makes philanthropy possible. Fundraising is the IMPACT profession—because of ethics. Ethics allows us to partner with supporters to change the world, and THAT is worth celebrating.
That’s why AFP created its Code of Ethical Standards and its accompanying guidelines. And The Donor Bill of Rights. And our Ethics Committee to serve as a guide for members. So you’d have the knowledge, backing and support of a professional association to help navigate through tricky situations and pressure-filled demands. And THAT’S worth celebrating too.
We, as fundraisers and non profit organizations, have a duty of care to be ethical and honourable. If we are unsure or second-guessing ourselves in our work, all of us have the ability to access the guidelines or the Ethics Committee.”
Aside from the fact we should all behave ethically in our fundraising efforts (really in everything) because we just should, there are enormous consequences for not only ourselves, but for the people we seek to help, for the organizations we fundraise for, for the sector as a whole. And I’m going to go out on a limb here and say unethical behaviour today can have global consequences. Because of the power of social media and the connectivity now available, if one of our own, a fundraiser or nonprofit behaves unethically, all of us can be painted with the same brush. Bad news travels fast.
All of our decisions and actions today must be carefully considered. Most of us have seen the posts and reposts, tweets and retweets, strings of comments and the pouncing by the media whenever there is the appearance of bad behaviour. “Innocent until proven guilty” no longer applies. Once the “story” is out in cyberspace, you are guilty. Even if you are found innocent.
And that perceived guilt has a trickle down impact. Those we wish to help, the beneficiaries of our fundraising efforts, may suffer. Even the people we aren’t specifically seeking support for can experience a loss of donations as perception of our entire sector may become tainted.
Consider this:
“Ethics isn’t just a list of ‘do’s and don’t’s.’ It’s a way of thinking - how can we not only just prevent harm, but actually help everyone achieve and flourish in a just and equitable way?
Our ethical considerations should extend beyond just the issue of fundraising. Are diversity and inclusion ethical issues? [AFP’s} free webinar in October will explore that question. Do you have an ethical responsibility to take care of yourself? Have we focused our ethics too closely on the donor and not on our constituents - the people who depend on our programs and services? Both of those issues are examined in [AFP’s} special October ethics issue of Advancing Philanthropy.
I’m proud of all the resources we’ve put together for Ethics Awareness Month. I know it’s a lot, and the subject of ethics can sometimes be a bit overwhelming…
It’s not enough to talk about ethics. It’s not enough just to have a code. We need to understand ethics. Practice it. Live it. It’s a skill, and we can get better at it, learning how to best approach and address situations as they arise.”
Photo Credit: Gemma Evans, Unsplash
Let’s celebrate ethics and ethics awareness every day, all year, and year after year. As Mike Geiger says, let’s make it a way of life. And if we’re unsure of something we’re about to do, some step we’re about to take or promise, instead of moving forward, take a step back and check in with some colleagues or with the AFP Ethics Committee.
Next steps we must take
And in this era of #MeToo, as fundraisers and nonprofits, it’s timely to develop a Donor Code of Ethics and/or a Fundraiser’s Bill of Rights. Donors must of course be protected from unethical behaviour; we have the right to the same protection.
Please share with us your thoughts on whether you agree this is necessary. If you believe this is critical, what would you include? What do you feel is important to capture within these standards for behaviour?
This brings us to the topic of next week’s The Provocateur - EpsteinGate and the ripple effect of that incident.
Interested in taking your learning of Ethics to the classroom? Join Vincent Duckworth on October 17th as he presents “The Principles Of An Ethical Human Being” in partnership with AFP Calgary and Area. If you’re not located in Calgary, check out your local AFP Chapter as they celebrate Ethics Awareness Month with workshops and webinars.
For more resources -
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea McManus, Chair, Board of Directors, Partner
ViTreo Group Inc
Andrea McManus is a Partner with ViTreo with over 30 years’ experience in fund development, marketing, sponsorship and nonprofit management. A highly strategic thinker and change maker, Andrea has worked with organizations that span the nonprofit sector with particular focus on building long-term and sustainable capacity.