Staying on the Ethical Straight and Narrow

Ask yourself how the organization would look if something you’re doing ended up on the front page of tomorrow’s paper. If you’d be mortified, Schmidt says, “That’s usually a good indication that you’re doing something that you ought not be doing.”

It’s the golden rule, she says. “If you treat others like you like to be treated, you’re more likely to be doing something that’s ethical.”

Ethical and legal considerations exist for online philanthropy as well. Schmidt says a good resource for online fundraisers is ePhilanthropy.com’s Code of Ethical Online Philanthropic Practices. They also have a test to help those doing online fundraising make sure that they’re following these ethical suggestions.

For more information on the ePhilanthropy Code of Ethical Online Philanthropic Practices visit www.ephilanthropy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=codeofethics. Elizabeth Schmidt can be reached via www.southpointsocialstrategies.com.