Creating and Communicating Ethical Guidelines for Nonprofit Groups

NEW BOOKS

Ethical Fundraising: A Guide for Nonprofit Boards and Fundraisers
edited by Janice Gow Pettey

“Ethics can be just as inspiring as the programs and services our organizations provide, and the fund-raising profession must do a better job of communicating ethics in a positive manner,” writes Paulette Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, in the foreword to this book of essays. “We cannot hope to inspire donors about ethics if we are not able to talk about the issue authoritatively.”

Sixteen fund raisers contribute articles to this collection, which was edited by Janice Gow Pettey, a nonprofit consultant and professor of fund raising and strategic planning at the University of San Francisco.

The essays offer background on ethical standards and why they are important for nonprofit groups, as well as guidance for fund raisers navigating issues like conflict of interest, donors’ rights, donor intent, and privacy.

Eugene R. Tempel, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, writes about one prickly subject — accepting so-called tainted money, or donations that “may raise questions of propriety because of the source of the funds or circumstances surrounding the contribution.”

Mr. Tempel discusses such questionable gifts and how fund raisers must evaluate whether taking the donation will damage the organization’s reputation, mission, or moral standing.

Each chapter includes a case study with multiple-choice questions to spur discussion at charities; answers are informed by the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethical Principles.

The appendices include the association’s code, along with sets of ethical standards from the Giving USA Foundation, Independent Sector, the Salvation Army, and several other groups. Additionally, there is a list of Web sites that give information on international fund-raising codes of ethics and standards.

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 111 River Street, Fourth Floor, Hoboken, N.J. 07030; (201) 748-6000; fax (201) 748-6088; http://www.wiley.com; 339 pages; $45; ISBN 978-0-470-22521-9.