Above all else, be ethical and loyal

I am proud of and take seriously my accreditation and certification by national organizations that represent my two areas of professional expertise – fund-raising and public relations – as a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) through the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Accredited in Public Relations (APR) through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). These two organizations adhere to the highest standards of behavior in representing donors’ wishes and in representing organizations to the general public through the media. I firmly and unequivocally believe in the importance of honesty, transparency and concern for the greater good, first, because it is the right thing, and secondly, because I know that once an individual or an organizations loses the trust of the people it represents and needs to help it do its work, it has lost the ability to ever be as effective in fulfilling its mission as it could have been.

This stuff is important. Here’s what AFP requires of its members:

Member Obligations

1.  Members shall not engage in activities that harm the members’ organizations, clients or profession.

2.  Members shall not engage in activities that conflict with their fiduciary, ethical and legal obligations to their organizations, clients or profession.

3.  Members shall effectively disclose all potential and actual conflicts of interest; such disclosure does not preclude or imply ethical impropriety.

4.  Members shall not exploit any relationship with a donor, prospect, volunteer, client or employee for the benefit of the members or the members’ organizations.

5.  Members shall comply with all applicable local, state, provincial and federal civil and criminal laws.

6.  Members recognize their individual boundaries of competence and are forthcoming and truthful about their professional experience and qualifications and will represent their achievements accurately and without exaggeration.

7.  Members shall present and supply products and/or services honestly and without misrepresentation and will clearly identify the details of those products, such as availability of the products and/or services and other factors that may affect the suitability of the products and/or services for donors, clients or nonprofit organizations.

8.  Members shall establish the nature and purpose of any contractual relationship at the outset and will be responsive and available to organizations and their employing organizations before, during and after any sale of materials and/or services.  Members will comply with all fair and reasonable obligations created by the contract.

9.  Members shall refrain from knowingly infringing the intellectual property rights of other parties at all times.  Members shall address and rectify any inadvertent infringement that may occur.

10.  Members shall protect the confidentiality of all privileged information relating to the provider/client relationships.

11.  Members shall refrain from any activity designed to disparage competitors untruthfully.

Makes sense, doesn’t it? And yet, there are those who think these obligations don’t apply to them and that the end result justifies taking any means they use to get there, as long as they are trying to help people.

Here’s PRSA’s Code of Ethics:

ADVOCACY

We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate.

HONESTY

We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.

EXPERTISE

We acquire and responsibly use specialized knowledge and experience. We advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and education. We build mutual understanding, credibility, and relationships among a wide array of institutions and audiences.

INDEPENDENCE

We provide objective counsel to those we represent. We are accountable for our actions.

LOYALTY

We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest.

FAIRNESS

We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression.

Seems straightforward, right? Honesty, accuracy, loyalty, faithful to those we represent and to those for whom we work – just plain do-the-right-thing stuff. And yet, some people become so puffed up with themselves, determined to make a name for themselves, sure they are smarter than everyone else that they conveniently forget ethics.

For those starting out in these professions, please remember this. First, do no harm. Guard your reputation and that of the organization you represent fiercely. Don’t let stars get in your eyes. Remember who is really important, i.e. those your organization is serving in keeping with its mission.

Those of us who are entrusted with fund-raising and public relations efforts hold our organization’s reputation in our hands. This is serious stuff.