Occasionally, while doing research on an organization, you may learn that it supports a cause or position you don’t or can’t ethically stand behind. It would therefore be your duty to decline the board position, as it is unlikely that you could fully support the organization’s goals or projects.

Just what is ethics all about? For a detailed explanation, visit the website of Santa Clara University (California). Here, you will find an excellent interpretation of all the considerations that apply to making ethical decisions. A basic summary suggests that ethics is not about science, religion, feelings, or simply following the law. Making ethical decisions is about doing the right thing with respect to: creating an optimum balance of good over harm; protecting and respecting moral rights; and acting with virtue to the best of the human condition.

Bonnie Zink has extensive experience working in the healthcare/nonprofit field in Saskatchewan, and helped put together a board manual for the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) in 2003. She is passionate about the issue of ethical decision-making: “As healthcare can be one of the most politicized issues of our day, ethical decision-making is an important component of every board-run organization.” She adds, “We need to ask ourselves questions such as: Who receives a piece of the very limited resources available? How much ought they be entitled to? Why will organization A be successful over organization B in lobbying for the desired outcome? These are questions that remain central to any board decision with respect to the allocation of funds and other resources.”

Zink says that thinking and acting ethically as individual board members and as an organization will help ensure that each board decision is carefully deliberated and provides the fairest outcome possible. “Most healthcare boards are publicly funded, and decisions that determine where to allocate resources must be carefully thought out and validated in an ethical and transparent manner,” says Zink. “Thus ethics is an integral part of the decision-making process that both new and veteran board members ought to consider.”

For more on ethical decision-making, visit charactercounts.org, where you can sign up for a free e-newsletter from the Josephson Institute, a US-based organization that develops and delivers services and educational materials that aim to increase ethical commitment, competence, and practice in all segments of society. A variety of resources are also available for purchase, including a thirty-three-page booklet written by Michael Josephson called Making Ethical Decisions.

It is tremendously important to fully understand the background and backbone of the organization you will be serving. Conduct your research by reading published articles about the organization. Does it have a media clipping service? If so, get a hold of the archived articles. Or simply perform an Internet search for the organization. This will likely provide you with all you need to know — and more. You can also talk to members of the staff or seasoned directors, and read the organization’s constitution, bylaws, or past minutes of the board. The more you learn about the organization, the more effective you will be as one of its new directors.

If you don’t understand something you have come across in your research, ask for an explanation. If you are thorough in your research, you will set yourself up for success. Engaging in a hurried or uninformed decision will make saying yes the wrong thing to do — both for you and for the organization. It is your obligation and due diligence as a director to be well-informed and engaged in the issues affecting the organization. You can only do this if you immerse yourself in its business, become fully aware of its concerns, and attend meetings regularly.

Most boards are not simply looking for “bums to fill the seats,” to use a popular expression. They are looking for individuals who care enough to educate themselves about the organization and to truly make a difference through their participation on the organization’s driving force.

Excerpted from Before You Say Yes by Doreen Pendgracs. Copyright © Doreen Pendgracs, 2010. http://www.dundurn.com/books/you_say_yes

Doreen Pendgracs is a freelance writer and author based in Matlock, MB. She is the author of Before You Say Yes… a guide to help nonprofit board directors be more effective in their volunteer roles. The book is published by Dundurn Press and available online and in bookstores across the country.