how to donate ethically

by Everette Veum 6 min read

The conventional guidance, parroted as if it were gospel, goes something like: Be generous, follow your passions and do enough research to verify that a chosen charity won’t squander your money. As a political philosopher who studies the ethics of philanthropy, I know it’s not that simple.

Full Answer

What are the ethics of giving to charity?

Jan 31, 2022 · How to (Ethically) Get Rid of Your Unwanted Stuff. With so many extensive online selling and donation resources, there's no need to get bogged down. ... A …

Is it ethical to pay fundraisers with a commission on donations?

Sep 02, 2020 · Thrift+ is a fairly new service which allows you to donate ethically, with the proceeds going to your chosen charity. They have an e-commerce site where you can buy clothes as well as donate. The process for donation is simple – you order donation bags, will them up and request a return via their website.

How do you demonstrate ethical fundraising practices?

Jan 31, 2022 · Once they determine what your stuff is worth, you can get credit to spend on the site or cash via PayPal. PoshMark created an easy-to-use system where sellers download an app, take pictures of the items they want to sell—which can be fashion, beauty, or home decor—and create a listing. PoshMark shares the listing on its network, but the ...

What are the ethics of organ donation?

Jul 11, 2020 · I cannot with full integrity tell you there is an ethical way to donate your clothing,” says Ricketts. The crux of the problem lies in the fashion …

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Is donating ethical?

The ethics of giving are inseparable from the ethics of receiving, according to the article. “Individuals and businesses have to think carefully about why they donate to a charity and make sure that what makes giving good for them is not potentially bad for the recipient,” Ciulla said, according to the article.Sep 13, 2020

What is the most ethical charity to donate to?

This list gives details on some of the best US charities to donate to during the coronavirus pandemic.World Central Kitchen. ... Crisis Text Line. ... Heart to Heart International. ... The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. ... Relief International. ... Best animal charity to donate to: American Humane.More items...•May 10, 2021

What makes a charity ethical?

Ethical philanthropy would require the donor to respect the dignity, capacity and aspirations of the people it seeks to help and therefore give at least equal, if not larger weight to the values and vision of the people to whom the philanthropy is directed.

What is ethical giving?

Ethical giving programs come in different forms. They can mean making a general donation to a charity in honour of loved one's birthday, the holidays, or other special occasions. They can also be used to ensure a donation is assigned to a specific initiative or tangible item, like a goat or a birth certificate.

What charities should you not donate to?

Here are some of the worst offenders:Kids Wish Network.Cancer Fund of America.Children's Wish Foundation International.American Breast Cancer Foundation.Firefighters Charitable Foundation.Breast Cancer Relief Foundation.International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO.National Veterans Service Fund.More items...•Feb 28, 2022

What are the best and worst charities to donate to?

High-Rated and Low-Rated CharitiesHigh-RatedLow-RatedAmerican Kidney Fund (Rockville, Md.)Defeat Diabetes Foundation (Madeira Beach, Fla.)Children's Health Fund(New York City)Heart Center of America (Knoxville, Tenn.)Lupus Research Alliance (New York City)National Caregiving Foundation (Dunkirk, Md.)44 more rows•Nov 22, 2019

Are nonprofits ethical?

America's charitable nonprofits rely on the public trust to do their work. That is why it is so important that charitable nonprofits continuously earn the public's trust through their commitment to ethical principles, transparency, and accountability.

What morals should a charity worker have?

respect every individual's dignity and rights to privacy and confidentiality. commit to challenging any instances of sexism, gender inequality and other power imbalances that leave some people at risk of harm. value and improve diversity in their governing bodies, workforce and volunteers.

What are three examples of ethical issues that can arise in a nonprofit organization?

Ethical Issues in the Nonprofit Sector There are six areas in particular where ethical issues arise in the nonprofit sector: compensation; conflicts of interest; publications and solicitation; financial integrity; investment policies; and accountability and strategic management.

Why is effective altruism important?

Effective Altruism is a social movement and philosophy focused on maximising the good you can do in your career, projects, and other life decisions. Human history shows that we should expect unprecedented challenges as the world rapidly changes, but also that it's possible for the world to become so much better.

Are donor advised funds ethical?

DAFs raise ethical issues for donors because people and organizations may be negatively affected by donors using DAFs instead of direct giving. The structure of DAFs encourages an endowment mentality, with donors working to grow the long-term potential distribution versus giving to charitable causes sooner.May 2, 2019

Why ethics is also called moral philosophy?

Ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also described as moral philosophy. The term is derived from the Greek word ethos which can mean custom, habit, character or disposition. Ethics covers the following dilemmas: how to live a good life.

Who is Liz Ricketts?

Liz Ricketts has seen where some of your donated used clothes end up. The fashion designer and cofounder of the University of Cincinnati's Sustainable Fashion Initiative (a zero-waste effort within the university's fashion program) has spent years shuttling between the U.S. and Ghana since 2011. There, she's spent the bulk ...

Where is the Kantamanto market?

There, she's spent the bulk of her time in the Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana 's capital. Kantamanto is Ghana's largest secondhand clothing market, and possibly the biggest in West Africa, according to Rickett's nonprofit the OR Foundation, whose website will be up and running soon.

Do you have to wash clothes before you donate?

Most donation centers state clearly on their websites what they do and do not accept, so that's a good first step before you donate clothes. Definitely wash anything you're going to donate beforehand, says Ricketts.

Can you sell clothes at Plato's closet?

And once they get there, they may not even be sold.

Who is the founder of effective altruism?

A more modern, introspective approach, advanced by the philosopher Peter Singer and embraced by young Silicon Valley billionaires like Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife Cari Tuna, is known as “effective altruism.”

Does Ted Lechterman work for a company?

Ted Lechterman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Why is transparency important in nonprofits?

Transparency inspires confidence. Beyond what the law requires, nonprofits can demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices by being entirely transparent with financial information and fundraising practices. Communications must be accurate and honest.

What is honesty in communications?

Honesty in communications includes providing attributions for images and photographs/video. Only use images of people with prior permission, and never include information with images of minors that could be considered personal identifying information.

Is respecting a donor's intent ethical?

Respecting a donor’s intent is an ethical issue and also a legal matter that starts with educating staff and board members about the importance of maintaining donor trust, and the legal/fiduciary obligation to honor donors’ requests.

Can a donor's gift be anonymous?

Some donors ask that their gift remain anonymous, and are concerned that the nonprofit will sell their contact information to other nonprofits (which will increase the chance that they will be solicited by other nonprofits).

What is transplant ethics?

Transplantation ethics is a philosophy that incorporates systematizing, defending and advocating concepts of right and wrong conduct related to organ donation. As the demand for organs increases, it is essential to ensure that new and innovative laws, policies and strategies of increasing organ supply are bioethical and are founded on ...

What is organ donation?

Organ donation is founded on the pillars of altruism. When the moral value of an individual’s actions are focused mainly on the beneficial impact to other individuals, without regard to the consequences on the individual herself, the individual’s actions are regarded as “Altruistic”.

Who coined the word "altruism"?

Auguste Comte [1] coined the word “Altruism” (French, altruisme, from autrui: “other people”, and also derived from Latin alter: “other”). He was the French founder of positivism and described his views in Catéchisme Positiviste[2], where living for others was “Altruism”.

What is explicit consent?

Explicit consent is recorded as advanced directives on state registries, by the issue of donor cards, and on the driving license. If one does not explicitly consent to donate on the form, the default setting is that one has not consented at all. Many people, however, do not record their decision to donate.

What is the opposite of altruism?

The opposite of altruism is egoism [5]. Egoism is the sense of self-importance. Psychological egoists claim that each person has his/her own welfare on their priority agenda. Some form of self-interest, such as intrinsic satisfaction, ultimately motivates all acts of sharing, helping or sacrificing.

What should a nonprofit consider when making a decision?

In making a decision with respect to a problematic gift, a nonprofit should consider how outsiders might view the decision and think about how it will be portrayed by the media. If a nonprofit has followed the framework, they should have a well-reasoned, defensible position to explain their decision.

How do nonprofits define their work?

Nonprofits define their work through their mission statement and the principles that guide nonprofits should be reflected in their statements of values. A nonprofit working toward its mission is paramount as the mission is the basis for a nonprofit gaining tax exemption. The public effectively subsidizes nonprofits with the understanding that these tax-exempt organizations will maximize their contribution to the public good through fulfillment of their missions. In addition, nonprofits present and publicize mission and values to all of their stakeholders. There are other ethical approaches that may be used as ethical lenses, but an organization’s mission and values should be primary.

Who is Joan Harrington?

Joan Harrington is the director of Social Sector Ethics. Anita Varma is the assistant director of Social Sector Ethics as well as Journalism & Media Ethics. Views are their own. Jeffrey Epstein and the Sackler family are the most recent names in the news about controversial donors and what nonprofits should do about them.

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Accountability to Donors

  • Practices that demonstrate accountability and respect for donors include: 1. Sending timely gift acknowledgements 2. Respecting restrictions on donors’ gifts 3. Disclosing to the public what the law requires 4. Providing timely reports to foundations, and/or government funding sources, as applicable 5. Listing donors on a nonprofits’ website in the manner in which the donor would …
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Anonymous Donors

  • Some donors ask that their gift remain anonymous, and are concerned that the nonprofit will sell their contact information to other nonprofits (which will increase the chance that they will be solicited by other nonprofits). 1. To address these concerns, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has developed a Donors’ Bill of Rightsthat nonprofits are encouraged to ado…
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Acknowledging Donations

  • Donors expect a ‘thank you’ note to acknowledge their charitable gifts. It is not only ethical to be transparent with donors about the receipt of their gifts, but it is also a legal requirement for certain gifts. 1. Read the National Council of Nonprofits' Tip Sheet on Saying Thank You to Donors. 2. IRS resources explain what a written gift acknowledgementshould include and when one is required…
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Respecting Donor Intent

  • Respecting a donor’s intent is an ethical issue and also a legal matter that starts with educating staff and board members about the importance of maintaining donor trust, and the legal/fiduciary obligation to honor donors’ requests. 1. But also make sure all staff and board members understand the significance of “restricted” gifts and that saying “no” to restrictions (tactfully) is s…
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“Can We Pay Our Fundraiser A Commission?”

  • It is NOT appropriate for a nonprofit to compensate a fundraising professional based on a percentage of the money raised. 1. See Standard #21 of the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards for professional fundraisers. 2. Example: Code of Ethics/Fundraising. See Section V of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations' (PANO) Code of Ethics which is one st…
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Transparency About Fundraising Costs

  • As a matter of being a sustainable organization, nonprofits should know what it costs to operate their programs and activities. Fundraising is an activity that has a cost, too. In fact, the annual return (IRS Form 990) asks tax-exempt organizations to put a dollar figure on the annual cost of fundraising activities. The IRS defines fundraising expenses as: “..the expenses incurred in solici…
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Resources

  1. Frequently asked questions about fundraising ethics. (AFP)
  2. Code of Ethical Principles and Standards for professional fundraisers. (AFP)
  3. Legal considerations when engaging in fundraising are reviewed in this presentation, Raising Funds, not Eyebrows: Legal Considerations in Fundraising (Venable, LLP)
  4. Resources on charitable registration
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