An Introduction to Ethics for Nonprofits and NGOs

Craig Hanson currently serves as Associate Professor and Director of the International Development program at Palm Beach Atlantic University, USA. He is an applied scholar and researcher with expertise at the intersection of philosophical ideas and the economy of human behavior. Using this expertise, he has engaged in a career of articulating new solutions to old problems in international development.He has lent his expertise to a large number of projects throughout the world – from Latin America to Southeast Asia – ranging from small faith-based endeavors to large public-private initiatives. A guiding principle of these activities has been the conviction that development requires more than just one focal point, be it religious, governmental, or in the private sector. Only through the effective intersection of these often competing sets of interests can forward progress be made in those places that need it most. He has lectured at institutions across the United States as well as Europe and Africa. He speaks, lectures, and writes in French and English and has conversational competence in a variety of other languages from Spanish to tribal languages of West Africa. He is currently engaged in a variety of projects related to the intersection of the public sector and private interests as well as the ever-changing landscape of American Philanthropy.

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.- AppendixI: 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.