Sometimes it can be difficult to identify when you're facing an ethical dilemma in your work with volunteers. Using volunteer management scenarios and a conversational format, this webinar will cover some of the dilemmas you face when you engage and manage volunteers and provide ideas on how to resolve these situations effectively and ethically.

3. Walking the Talk of Ethics
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4. Ethics Is…
 A guide for navigating confusion and conflict
 More than a written “code”
 Influenced by history, culture, faith, experience
 A management tool
 Connected to effective leadership
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5. Ethical Organizations
 Are accessible to diverse groups
 Operate ethically with all stakeholders
 Strive for excellence
 Maintain the public trust
 Sustain a helping environment
 Are at low risk for legal actions against it
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6. Types of Ethics
Personal
ProfessionalOrganizational
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7. Recognizing an Ethical Dilemma
 Am I trying to determine the right course of action?
 Am I asking a “should” question?
 Are values and beliefs involved?
 Am I feeling uncomfortable?
 Is there a downside to making the “correct” choice?
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8. Universal Core Values
Six “Pillars of Character”:
Citizenship and Philanthropy
Respect
Responsibility
Compassion and Generosity
Justice and Fairness
Trustworthiness
Josephson Institute of Ethics
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9. Professional Values and Principles
Citizenship and Philanthropy
 Personal philosophy of volunteerism
 Social responsibility to meet human needs
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10. Professional Values and Principles
Respect
 Self-determination
 Mutuality
 Human dignity
 Privacy
 Safeguarding confidential information
 Accessibility
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11. Professional Values and Principles
Responsibility
 Staff relationships
 Professional responsibility
 Diligence
 Doing one’s best and perseverance
 Continuous Improvement
 Self-disclosure and self-restraint
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12. Professional Values and Principles
Compassion and Generosity
 Caring and kindness
 Minimal harm to others
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13. Professional Values and Principles
Justice and Fairness
 Procedural fairness
 Impartiality
 Equity
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14. Professional Values and Principles
Trustworthiness
 Truthfulness and candor
 Sincerity/Non-deception
 Principled and moral courage
 Reasonability & clarity of commitments
 Limitations to loyalty
 Addressing conflict of interests
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15. Real-Life Scenario I
 You are Director of Volunteer Services at a residential facility for
seniors.
 An anonymous note was left on your desk, accusing a volunteer
named Ruth of downloading and sharing information about
residents.
 As far as you know, Ruth does not have access to any confidential
files and has very limited computer skills.
 However, you am aware that Ruth has a reputation among staff
and other volunteers for gossiping about community members
during her volunteer shift.
 How should you respond to the note?
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16. Ethical Decision-Making Steps
1. Identify the facts.
Evidence
Situational context
Multiple perspectives
Relevant policies
2. Determine the ethical issue.
Which ethical values & principles are involved?
Where is the conflict?
Who will be most affected by your decision?
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17. Ethical Decision-Making Steps
3. Explore the options.
Harms and benefits
Legal implications
Policy implications
Connection to organizational mission and values
What is the path of least harm?
4. Make a decision and test it.
5. Act, with confidence and courage.
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18. Testing Your Decision
Consequence
Legal
Image
Culture
Knot
Source: Gardenswartz, Rowe & Digh for Florida Power Corp.CCVA 2014
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19. Real-Life Scenario II
 You manage a group of 20 volunteers doing trail construction in a
state forest.
 Volunteers must be housed in congregate living with no individual
rooms, shared sleeping and bathroom facilities, and limited privacy.
 Alex, a transgender volunteer, expresses concern to you about how
others will treat him and his potential exposure to fears,
discrimination or prejudice from other workers.
 Alex asks to be allowed to stay in a private hotel room nearby.
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20. Real-Life Scenario II
 You manage a group of 20 volunteers doing trail construction in a
state forest.
 Volunteers must be housed in congregate living with no individual
rooms, shared sleeping and bathroom facilities, and limited privacy.
 Alex, a transgender volunteer, expresses concern to you about how
others will treat him and his potential exposure to fears, discrimination
or prejudice from other workers.
 Alex asks to be allowed to stay in a private hotel room nearby.
What else do I need to know before deciding what to do?
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21. Real-Life Scenario II
 You manage a group of 20 volunteers doing trail construction in a
state forest.
 Volunteers must be housed in congregate living with no individual
rooms, shared sleeping and bathroom facilities, and limited privacy.
 Alex, a transgender volunteer, expresses concern to you about how
others will treat him and his potential exposure to fears,
discrimination or prejudice from other workers.
 Alex asks to be allowed to stay in a private hotel room nearby.
What are some possible courses of action I could take?
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22. Real-Life Scenario II
 You manage a group of 20 volunteers doing trail construction in
a state forest.
 Volunteers must be housed in congregate living with no
individual rooms, shared sleeping and bathroom facilities, and
limited privacy.
 Alex, a transgender volunteer, expresses concern to you about
how others will treat him and his potential exposure to fears,
discrimination or prejudice from other workers.
 Alex asks to be allowed to stay in a private hotel room nearby.
What might I learn from this situation?
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23. Ideas for “Exercising” Ethics
 Develop or revisit an organizational code of ethics
 Discuss ethics at staff and volunteer orientation
 Use scenarios as a discussion starter
 Focus on each core value at staff or board meetings
 Convene a training on ethical decision-making, and
practice on examples from fellow professionals
 Find colleagues to serve as a “sounding board”
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24. Related Resources
Independent Sector (sample codes)
www.independentsector.org
Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration
www.cvacert.org
How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the
Dilemmas of Ethical Living, by Rushworth M. Kidder
Josephson Institute of Ethics www.josephsoninstitute.org
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25. Comments from The Ethics of Volunteer Engagement Conversation with
VolunteerMatch and Katie Campbell, CVA
05/06/2014
What else do I need to
know?
What are some possible
courses of action?
How could it be
prevented in the future?
has Alex experienced
discrimination or negativity in
the past?
see if there are other ways
for Alex to become involved
very clearly outline
expectations of housing
does he have specific
concerns about individuals?
would try to keep the team
together­ having one person
in a hotel changes the team
dynamic
I have learned to provide
details repeatedly ­ to
communicate to all
volunteers and to clarify
issues.
Would we be responsible for
paying for the room?
Talk with Alex and offer
another volunteer activity that
he may be more comfortable
in
frequent mentioning of
policies/expectations to
volunteers
is there a group he would feel
comfortable with ?
Provide congregate living for
all volunteers as an option,
also give everyone the option
to stay in a hotel on their
expense.
look into the facilities
available to volunteers and
the effectiveness of these
facilities based on changes
to our communities
Will Alex be singled out as
being provided special
treatment
i would opt to turn alex to
another opportunity that does
not require exceptions
did the group sign some sort
of code of respect as part of
their intake/orientation
process?
Privacy, respect