Summary
Highlights
Jennifer Bennett from Volunteer Match introduces Fisa Vanzant, Executive Director of CCVA, who will discuss the role of ethics in volunteer engagement. Fisa highlights that professional ethics is a crucial but often overlooked topic, especially significant for professionals in volunteer administration. She also briefly introduces CCVA's mission to foster competent and passionate leaders in volunteer engagement through certification (CVA credential) and ethics education.
Fisa presents a case study about Lynn, a Director of Volunteer Services at a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lynn is tasked with organizing a vaccine clinic for volunteers based on governmental phasing criteria. The Vice President of Development asks her to include a major donor, Mrs. Smith, in the clinic, despite Mrs. Smith not meeting the current eligibility criteria. This scenario sets the stage for exploring ethical decision-making in volunteer engagement.
Fisa explains the concept of an 'ethics backpack,' illustrating that everyone carries unique values influenced by lived experiences. She then differentiates between three types of ethics: personal ethics (subjective, influenced by individual beliefs and history), organizational ethics (principles guiding a group's behavior, like a code of ethics or values), and professional ethics (values and principles specific to a field, universally applicable in that profession). The webinar will focus on professional ethics in volunteer administration.
Fisa introduces the five core values for volunteer engagement professionals, conveniently remembered by the acronym CRAFT: Citizenship, Respect, Accountability, Fairness, and Trust. These values are based on the Josephson Institute of Ethics' 'pillars of character,' universal values agreed upon by diverse groups. Each value is defined with supporting principles to guide practical application in daily work.
Fisa elaborates on the first two CRAFT values. Citizenship emphasizes understanding volunteerism as a foundation of civil societies, encompassing a philosophy of volunteerism, social responsibility, and philanthropy. Respect highlights acknowledging the inherent value, skills, and abilities of all individuals, focusing on dignity (involving volunteers in decisions affecting them), inclusivity (facilitating participation from diverse backgrounds), and privacy (protecting confidential information).
Fisa continues with the remaining CRAFT values. Accountability means demonstrating responsibility to stakeholders and the profession through collaboration, continuous improvement (enhancing competence and fostering innovation), and professionalism (upholding boundaries and providing outstanding service). Fairness involves ensuring an equitable and just organizational culture through impartiality, equity (ensuring access to opportunities), and justice (open processes to address discrimination). Trust is built on honesty, integrity, and commitment, fostering loyal relationships and safe environments based on standards of practice.
Fisa outlines a five-step process for making ethical decisions, emphasizing that not every difficult situation is an ethical dilemma. Ethical dilemmas are rooted in specific contexts, involve conflicts between core values, include multiple stakeholders, and challenge the standard application of policies. The process includes gathering information, naming the dilemma, exploring options, testing the decision, and acting with confidence. This structured approach helps avoid knee-jerk reactions and leads to defensible decisions.
As part of the decision-making process, Fisa introduces the 'CLICK' test to evaluate potential options: Consequence (who benefits, who suffers, legal implications), Image (public perception), Culture (impact on organizational culture/values), and Knot (gut feeling, personal ethical alignment). This test helps assess the broader impact of a decision and identify the path of least harm, recognizing that perfection is rarely an option.
Fisa applies the five-step ethical decision-making process to Lynn's case study. Lynn gathers information (who's responsible for vaccines, existing guidelines, VP's discussions), names the conflict as a tension between fairness/equity/justice, trust/integrity, and accountability to her profession. She explores options (inviting Mrs. Smith, not inviting her, asking about Mrs. Smith's eligibility, or the VP inviting her anyway). After applying the CLICK test, Lynn decided not to invite Mrs. Smith based on eligibility criteria, communicating her rationale and potential negative media implications to the VP. This led to Lynn gaining a valuable ally and elevating her profession's standing.
Fisa discusses the importance of moral courage in facing ethical dilemmas and suggests ways to develop this skill. She encourages practitioners to regularly review the CRAFT values, integrate ethics into new employee/volunteer orientations, use scenarios for discussion, and actively seek out and serve as a sounding board for colleagues. She also provides valuable resources like the CCVA website, Independent Sector, Josephson Institute of Ethics, and an 'Ethics Toolkit for Managers' to support ongoing ethical development.
A question arises about dealing with supervisors who embody untrustworthy ethical behavior and how to navigate situations where one's ethical backpack is out of alignment with organizational decision-makers. Jennifer and Fisa acknowledge that in some cases, if the conflict is deep and irreconcilable, leaving the organization may be the only option. They emphasize the importance of documented rationales and the support of professional communities when facing such challenges, and how to maintain confidentiality when discussing ethical dilemmas with colleagues.
The discussion turns to the intersection of ethics, safety, and risk management with an example of a blind prospective volunteer at an animal shelter. Fisa emphasizes that ensuring safety is fundamental to ethical practice and often highlights gaps in existing policies. She also stresses that while organizations should strive for inclusivity, it's impossible to accommodate everyone, and transparency about limitations is crucial. Jennifer adds that prioritizing risk management is paramount and that having clear position descriptions for volunteers helps in these conversations. Ultimately, engaging volunteers in finding solutions demonstrates true inclusivity.
A question addresses situations where volunteers request opportunities outside of an organization's operating hours or capabilities (e.g., volunteering on Sundays when the organization is closed). Fisa explains that while it's important to be as accessible as possible, organizations don't need to fundamentally change their mission or operations to accommodate every request. Redirecting volunteers to other organizations or exploring alternative, flexible opportunities (like virtual tasks) are valid approaches. She reiterates that it's acceptable for job descriptions to include specific requirements, even if they limit some individuals, as long as the organization is genuinely striving for inclusivity and openness in its approach.