With this column I bid you farewell as the author of a regular monthly column on the CharityVillage site. This column began in November 2003, and I sincerely thank you for all your questions and feedback over the years. I have been particularly happy when readers told me a column had answered a burning issue in their organization at exactly the right time – especially when the question hadn’t even come from someone in that organization! Donating information to CharityVillage has been a pleasure and very fulfilling for me. I will continue to be involved in the community benefit sector in Canada to help create better futures for our communities and organizations. And the CharityVillage staff have been wonderful to work with; I will miss being part of its extended family.

I will leave you with some parting thoughts to help with your future governance and ethics questions.

What are the key criteria for governance and ethics decisions?

I use Governing for What Matters thinking to guide all leadership decisions, which basically means governing to create better communities. Internal improvements are a means, not an end. That means you would consider three factors in your decision-making:

1. What kind of world is my organization trying to create? In other words, will this choice help make progress towards the vision? Will it help provide for the long-term sustainability of the people, the planet and the bio-diversity? Will it have the most positive outcome possible for your community? Note that I am assuming your vision is about community impact; a vision focussed on your organization will not provide the kind of guidance you need.

2. How can my choice best live up to, and model, the ethical values and principles that guide the organization? Every decision you make and every action you take models the values you believe in and want to create in the community/world. You cannot effectively create a world based on one set of values while living by another.

3. Is this the best choice to carry out the purpose and priorities of my organization? Does the choice advance your mission? If not, and if the choice that does advance the mission doesn’t in your opinion have the right community impact, perhaps it is time to challenge the mission statement. Is the choice consistent with the current strategic plan and is it the best use of resources? If not, it is ethical to say no. Alternatively, the priorities may need to change.

The board of directors must articulate the vision, values and mission statements and only the board of Directors can change them or the strategic plan. However, boards need to truly listen to the community and stakeholders in formulating the statements and plan, and in regular monitoring and updates. Increasingly, boards share power with the community in planning and accountability decisions.

Senior staff should help all staff and volunteers understand how the Vision, Values and Mission guide their work, so they can apply their judgment as issues arise.

The other imperative for making tough decisions is to generate a minimum of three options to analyze. Almost always, the first two choices are too extreme, and choices identified later incorporate the best aspects of the original options and package them in more positive ways. At minimum, the new choices help minimize harm to stakeholders and find ways to add positive outcomes to even the most dire situations.

What about when I need to make a quick ethics decision?

Ask yourself why you are thinking about the issue as an ethics dilemma. Almost always, it’s because the choice that’s in front of you in large neon lights makes you feel uncomfortable, or kept you awake last night. Your gut is telling you that something is wrong; you don’t actually need anyone else to tell you that. But talking to someone you trust, who will keep a confidence and does not have a stake in the outcome, can help you to clarify:

• Why is this choice ethically problematic?
• What other choices do I have?
• What quick sources of guidance am I overlooking? (e.g., a code, set of standards or policy manual)
• How can I explain my decision in ethical terms?
• Who will benefit and who will be harmed; can I completely avoid or at least minimize the harm?
• How will stakeholders be affected and how will they react?

Remember, there are ALWAYS other choices, though some may involve a risk to you.

Where can I ask my governance and ethics questions from now on?

Look for advisors who understand our sector, and demonstrate their focus through continuing education and continuous learning about our sector. Get leadership advice from those who’ve been in the leadership trenches as senior staff and board members of volunteer-led organizations.

You can find Canadian governance consultants through supplier directories at CharityVillage and the Canadian Society of Association Executives. I believe there will also soon be a list of CreatingtheFuture.org graduates and faculty, including myself and other Canadians. Creating the Future is an international organization working to make dramatic community change the norm rather than the exception, and a number of senior consultants are graduates of its training programs. A lot of my work is based on Creating the Future principles and practices.

You can find ethics advisors through the Our Members page of the Ethics Practitioners Association of Canada. If you belong to a professional or industry association, it may provide resources such as a Code of Conduct, standards or Ethics Committee.

As well, you can always look to what EthicScan Canada calls “gold collar workers” – colleagues and co-workers with integrity whose judgment you trust. In a good organization, your manager will have received ethics training and should also be well positioned to help.

I remain available at (416) 512 6765 or jane@garthsonleadership.ca. My consulting firm will continue to help organizations make wise decisions on leadership and ethics matters, as it has since 1992.

Since 1992, Jane Garthson has dedicated her consulting and training business to creating better futures for our communities and organizations through values-based leadership. She is a respected international voice on governance, strategic thinking and ethics. Jane can be reached at jane@garthsonleadership.ca.

Because nonprofit organizations are formed to do good does not mean they are always good in their own practices. Send us your ethical questions dealing with volunteers, staff, clients, donors, funders, sponsors, and more. Please identify yourself and your organization so we know the questions come from within the sector. No identifying information will appear in this column.

To submit a dilemma for a future column, or to comment on a previous one, please contact editor@charityvillage.com. For paid professional advice about an urgent or complex situation, contact Jane directly.

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be legal advice. You should not act or abstain from acting based upon such information without first consulting a legal professional.

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