Ethical Issue
Ethics
What is the meaning of ethics? Actually, the definition of ethics is complicated. Some philosophers have attempted to make ethics objectively and universal, while others claim moral decision making is a lonely, intuitive, and wholly individually business of making fundamental choices. Some individuals anchor their ethics in religion; and some believe morality is an odd mixture of received tradition and personal opinion. During the past 50 years, ethics has moved from the academic realm of the theoretical to the need for applied, day-to-day guidance in such fields as healthcare, law, business, and more recently, the environment and biotechnology. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) was the first international organization for professional fundraisers in the world to create a Code of Ethics in 1964.
Ethics is a code of conduct, based on moral duties and obligations, which indicates how we should behave. Ethics deals with the ability to distinguish right from wrong and with the commitment to do right.
(Definition of ethics from Michael Josephson)
Why is ethics in fundraising important?
In this age of Enron and Worldcom, with charity controversies splashed on newspaper headlines seemingly every day, the answer seems obvious. Without public trust, fundraising cannot happen. If people do not believe an organization will use their money appropriately, they simply not give. Ethics is not simply a list of behaviors, but also a set of restrictions on what we can and cannot do. What the most important, ethics is not just something we do because we know people are watching us. Actually, ethics is a reflection of us as a profession. That means it expresses who we are, what values we hold and what principles we will always fight for. Our ethics goes straight to the heart of our vision for the world. It empowers our donors and makes them feel like part of the process. It helps our fundraising efforts, allowing us to talk to our donors honestly and
What is the meaning of ethics? Actually, the definition of ethics is complicated. Some philosophers have attempted to make ethics objectively and universal, while others claim moral decision making is a lonely, intuitive, and wholly individually business of making fundamental choices. Some individuals anchor their ethics in religion; and some believe morality is an odd mixture of received tradition and personal opinion. During the past 50 years, ethics has moved from the academic realm of the theoretical to the need for applied, day-to-day guidance in such fields as healthcare, law, business, and more recently, the environment and biotechnology. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) was the first international organization for professional fundraisers in the world to create a Code of Ethics in 1964.
Ethics is a code of conduct, based on moral duties and obligations, which indicates how we should behave. Ethics deals with the ability to distinguish right from wrong and with the commitment to do right.
(Definition of ethics from Michael Josephson)
Why is ethics in fundraising important?
In this age of Enron and Worldcom, with charity controversies splashed on newspaper headlines seemingly every day, the answer seems obvious. Without public trust, fundraising cannot happen. If people do not believe an organization will use their money appropriately, they simply not give. Ethics is not simply a list of behaviors, but also a set of restrictions on what we can and cannot do. What the most important, ethics is not just something we do because we know people are watching us. Actually, ethics is a reflection of us as a profession. That means it expresses who we are, what values we hold and what principles we will always fight for. Our ethics goes straight to the heart of our vision for the world. It empowers our donors and makes them feel like part of the process. It helps our fundraising efforts, allowing us to talk to our donors honestly and