Ethics in Fundraising What does it mean? How do I practice? Anup Tiwari www.nonprofitfundraisingindia.blogspot.com www.fundraisingindia.org Presented at Resource Alliance FR Course’08, BVB, New Delhi

What is Ethics? Ethics is a set of your beliefs about right and wrong. Integrity to your beliefs is an important element of being ethical.

Ethics is a set of your beliefs about right and wrong.

Integrity to your beliefs is an important element of being ethical.

And beliefs are dependent on Your Education Your Family Background Your Religious Background Your Personal Experience in life

Your Education

Your Family Background

Your Religious Background

Your Personal Experience in life

So your beliefs are Your beliefs My beliefs are mine

Your beliefs

My beliefs are mine

So is everyone ethical? Yes or No.

How do I know if I am ethical? Integrity is the corner stone in being ethical If you display integrity to your beliefs then you are ethical

Integrity is the corner stone in being ethical

If you display integrity to your beliefs then you are ethical

How can I become ethical? Ask if you take decisions based on what is good for greatest number of people? Do you promote individual self-interest as long as it does not harm others?

Ask if you take decisions based on what is good for greatest number of people?

Do you promote individual self-interest as long as it does not harm others?

… how can I become ethical 3. By making decisions with a belief that everyone has a fundamental right that should be respected and protected. 4. By making decisions which treat everyone fairly and consistently.

3. By making decisions with a belief that everyone has a fundamental right that should be respected and protected.

4. By making decisions which treat everyone fairly and consistently.

How does it translate… In Fundraising

But why ethics in fundraising? For most fundraising activities there is a positive and negative side Not send Mailers or destroy trees? Do not Telecall or Do not Follow DND registry?

For most fundraising activities there is a positive and negative side

Not send Mailers or destroy trees?

Do not Telecall or Do not Follow DND registry?

Question of ethics comes When we have to make choice between two unfavorable options

Ask yourself 1 Is your fundraising strategy/plan/activity doing good for more people? Surely there will be people at disadvantage, do they outnumber the beneficiaries? If answers are Y&N perfectly ethical

Is your fundraising strategy/plan/activity doing good for more people?

Surely there will be people at disadvantage, do they outnumber the beneficiaries?

If answers are Y&N perfectly ethical

Ask yourself 2 Do you have any individual self interest in your fundraising decisions? Do you benefit more than Your organisation Your beneficiaries Your donors Your community

Do you have any individual self interest in your fundraising decisions?

Do you benefit more than

Your organisation

Your beneficiaries

Your donors

Your community

Ask yourself 3 Is my fundraising activity violating anybody’s fundamental rights? If Yes, how can I address that? E.g. Mailers on recycled paper

Is my fundraising activity violating anybody’s fundamental rights?

If Yes, how can I address that?

E.g. Mailers on recycled paper

Ask yourself 4 Is my fundraising activity discriminating Beneficiaries (identity, showing in poor light, gender insensitive) General Community (showing in poor light) Donors (big and small; just emotionally)

Is my fundraising activity discriminating

Beneficiaries (identity, showing in poor light, gender insensitive)

General Community (showing in poor light)

Donors (big and small; just emotionally)

Case Study 1- should they partner? Leads to malnutrition Leads to proper nutrition of children Plush with funds that can fight malnutrition it created in 1 st place Needs funds to find malnutrition Promotes its infant formula Promotes breast feeding An Infant milk supplement marketing company Child Rights Organisation

Case Study 2 Greenpeace & Corporate Houses Can they partner? Should they partner? Do they partner?

Greenpeace & Corporate Houses

Can they partner?

Should they partner?

Do they partner?

Case Study 3 -WWF & Paper WWF also saves forests WWF also sends mailers WWF also sells cards Is this ethical? Recycled paper usage. Yes if you answer the 4 questions.

WWF also saves forests

WWF also sends mailers

WWF also sells cards

Is this ethical?

Recycled paper usage.

Yes if you answer the 4 questions.

How do you judge your fundraising ethics? Search the organisational literature & speak to old timers to construct a beliefs booklet Follow those beliefs with integrity

Search the organisational literature & speak to old timers to construct a beliefs booklet

Follow those beliefs with integrity

Remember your beliefs may not be mine. Thank You!