An Introduction to Ethics for Nonprofits and NGOs

Description

This textbook explores ethical issues for not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations, providing discussion-oriented cases for NFP and NGP practitioners. The book begins with an introduction to professional ethics as practiced in industry, not-for-profits and NGO’s. Attention is paid both to classical ethical theories and contemporary variants. Then, combining that theory with an introduction to the morally unique facets of the NFP and NGO landscape, it offers a series of cases which pertain to the underlying theoretical substrate. The reader will find a blend of theory and application within the text as well as guided assignment prompts. Themes covered include board relationships, staff management, work with vulnerable populations, financial transparency, Human Resources ethics and ethical dilemmas unique to international operations. Contents Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables Introduction: A Framework for Analyzing Moral Situations Ethics, Naive vs. Nuanced The Is/Ought Distinction Relativism Deontological Ethics: Duty and Law Teleology: Judging Cases by Consequences Insights from Medical Ethics Virtue Ethics and Feminist Ethics Practical Tips for Instituting Ethics in Your Institution Conclusion Bibliography From Theory to Action Ethics vs Law Demanding the “Right” Answer The Informed Argument Applying Moral Theories Egoism Utilitarianism Kant Feminist Ethics Virtue Ethics Biomedical Ethics Religious Ethics Collating Our Observations Boards and Oversight Covid-19 Vaccine Policy in a Medium-Sized NFP The Helpful Board Member When Democracy and Mission Collide The Employee with Family on the Board Social Enterprise vs. Social Service The Board Member’s Pet Project Regime Change and the Perils of Being a Hero The Possessive Major Gifts Officer When Personal Problems Threaten the Mission References Moral Dilemmas in Executive Leadership Meltdown in Monrovia Cutting Vital Services Changing Staff’s Job Descriptions Child Sponsorship in the Afterschool Program Accepting Crypto Donations The White Savior in the Dark Continent Internship or Exploitation? Graft at the Top References Money, Finance and Fundraising Misallocation of Resources or Unreasonable Donor? Lean or Starving? On the Tyranny of Low Administrative Cost Rates That Time When Your NFP Became his PR Crisis Response Plan A Successful Event Missing Money at the Group Home Bribery or Just Doing Business? Coalition Building or Finder’s Fee? Inheriting an Albatross The School for Civil War Orphans The Best President We Could Ever Dream Of The Post-Mortem “Take” Missing Money? “Give Me a Child You Don’t Care About” References Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Ethics Short-Termer Headaches “Hire a Young Woman” In Our Country They Would Be Married What Counts as Diversity Numbers? Vaccine Resistance in Vulnerable Communities The At-Least-Somewhat Racist Missionary Later that Evening, in the Same Town Nurturing African Entrepreneurs The Successful West African Recycling Entrepreneur Bibliography Ethics in Program Operations Ethics Committees The HR Department Staff-Training and Grassroots Ethics The Protective Guardian Dealing with Noncompliance in Syracuse Putting Nationals in Harm’s Way Another Feeding Program Begins What Could Go Wrong? Land Title Woes in Sub-Saharan Africa Microfinance, Interest and Islam Indian Nationalism and the Foreign NGO Lying to the Police Closing the Orphanage Professorial Malfeasance Abroad? References Digital, Online and Cyber Ethics Archiving a Nation’s Text Messages Where There Are no Government-Issued IDs Political Disinformation, Community Outreach and Vaccine Drives Election Season and Viral Online Videos Revealing the Location of Vulnerable Women Child Porn, Revenge Porn and Non-Fungible Tokens Bibliography Appendix I: Discussion-Leader Tips Appendix II: Structuring an Ethics Discussion Appendix III: Evaluating Ethics Argumentation Appendix IV: Assessing Written Case Analyses Example 1: A Poor Response to the Case (Advocating That the Country Director Do Nothing) Example 2: A Good Response to the Case (Advocating That the Country Director Do Nothing) Example 3: A Good Response to the Case (Advocating That the Country Director Do Something) Reflections on the Three Preceding Analyses Appendix V: Discussion Guides to Each Case Covid-19 Vaccine Policy in a Medium-Sized NFP The Helpful Board Member When Democracy and Mission Collide The Employee with Family on the Board Social Enterprise vs. Social Service The Board member’s Pet Project Regime Change and the Perils of Being a Hero The Possessive Major Gifts Officer When Personal Problems Threaten the Mission Meltdown in Monrovia Cutting Vital Services Changing Staff’s Job Descriptions Child Sponsorship in the Afterschool Program Accepting Crypto Donations The White Savior in the Dark Continent Internship or Exploitation? Graft at the Top Misallocation of Resources or Unreasonable Donor? Lean or Starving? On the Tyranny of Low Administrative Cost Rates That Time When Your NFP Became His PR Crisis Response Plan A Successful Event Missing Money at the Group Home Bribery or Just Doing Business? Coalition Building or Finder’s Fee? Inheriting an Albatross The School for Civil War Orphans The Best President We Could Ever Dream of The Post-Mortem “Take” Missing Money? “Give Me a Child You Don’t Care About” Short-Termer Headaches “Hire a Young Woman” In Our Country They Would Be Married What Counts as Diversity Numbers? Vaccine Resistance in Vulnerable Communities The At-least-Somewhat Racist Missionary Later That Evening, in the Same Town Nurturing African Entrepreneurs The Successful West African Recycling Entrepreneur The Protective Guardian Dealing with Noncompliance in Syracuse Putting Nationals in Harm’s Way Another Feeding Program Begins What Could Go Wrong? Land Title Woes in Sub-Saharan Africa Microfinance, Interest and Islam Indian Nationalism and the Foreign NGO Lying to the Police Closing the Orphanage Professorial Malfeasance Abroad? Archiving a Nation’s Text Messages Where There Are No Government-Issued IDs Political Disinformation, Community Outreach and Vaccine Drives Election Season and Viral Online Videos Revealing the Location of Vulnerable Women Child Porn, Revenge Porn and Non-Fungible Tokens Bibliography Index