An Introduction to Ethics for Nonprofits and NGOs

Abstract

Part 1 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 -- Part 2 From Theory to Action -- Ethics Vs Law -- Demanding the "Right" Answer -- The informed argument -- Applying Moral Theories -- Coallating our Observations.-Part 3 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 -- Part 4 Moral Dilemmas in Executive Leadership.-Meltdown in Monrovia -- Cutting vital services -- Changing staff's job descriptions -- Child sponsorship in the after school program -- Accepting crypto donations -- The White Savior in the Dark Continent -- Internship or exploitation? -- Graft at the top -- Part 5 Money, Finance and Fundraising -- Misallocation or 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" -- Part 6 Inter-Cultural 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 -- Part 7 Ethics in Program Operations -- 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?Part 8 Digital, Online and Cyber Ethics -- Archiving a Nation's Text Messages -- Where there are no government-issued ID's -- 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 -- Appendix I: Discussion-Leader Tips -- Appendix II: Structuring an Ethics Discussion -- Appendix III Evaluating Ethics Argumentation -- Appendix IV: Examples of good and bad case analyses -- Appendix IV: Discussion Guides to each Case.