Ethics

The subject of ethics most commonly arises in a charity context when the charity has to decide whether to pursue a course of action that some of its supporters – or other stakeholders - might find morally questionnable. For instance, some charities will reject donations from certain groups or individuals on ethical grounds, because the donor’s values conflict with the charity’s values. And some charities will eschew certain investments even though they may offer financial benefit, because they conflict with the charity’s aims or values.

Some charities have ethics committees, which exist to deliberate on whether the charity is right to pursue a course of action that its supporters or other stakeholders might object to.

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Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and
News

Bill Gates pledges $750m as Global Fund announces new leadership

Governance | Niki May Young | 26 Jan 2012

Bill Gates has pledged a $750m vote of confidence in the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria after it was announced its executive director would step down following the exposure of a "grave abuse of funds" in several countries the fund works in.

Charities poll in gay-friendly employers list
News

Charities poll in gay-friendly employers list 4

Governance | Adam Martin | 13 Jan 2012

Nacro has reclaimed its crown from Citizens Advice as the most gay-friendly charity to work for.

Nuffield Health will remove PIP breast implants for free
News

Nuffield Health will remove PIP breast implants for free

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 9 Jan 2012
Tags: Ethics

Nuffield Health, the UK’s largest healthcare charity, is one of a handful of firms providing cosmetic treatment, which have publicly agreed to meet the costs of investigating or removing French 'PIP' breast implants, which have caused a widespread health scare in Europe due to reports of them having a high rupture rate.

8,000 Tate supporters call for end of BP partnership
News

8,000 Tate supporters call for end of BP partnership

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 7 Dec 2011

Trustees at Tate will soon decide on the future of the organisation’s 21-year relationship with BP after 8,000 Tate members and visitors signed a petition asking for the partnership to be ditched.

Evegny Lebedev, founder and chair of The Journalism Foundation and chairman of the Independent and Evening Standard
News

Journalism Foundation launches to 'bolster democracy' 1

Governance | Niki May Young | 5 Dec 2011

Amidst a backdrop of the Leveson Inquiry, Salman Rushdie, Jon Snow, Paddy Ashdown and Sir Menzies Campbell have lent their support to a new charity promoting journalism as a force for democracy which launches today.

Tate trustee criticises BP sponsorship
News

Tate trustee criticises BP sponsorship

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 2 Dec 2011

One of the Tate’s corporate sponsors BP has been branded “a disgrace” by one of the organisation’s trustees who has also applauded the protestors which disrupt Tate events to campaign against the oil company.

Major gift fundraising after the Woolf Report
Blogs

Major gift fundraising after the Woolf Report

Finance | Adrian Beney | 1 Dec 2011

The hierarchy of charities must be broken down if they are to learn from the London School of Economics' independent report into its donations from Gaddafi, says Adrian Beney.

Simon Cowell donates £20,000 to Rhythmix to cover its legal costs
News

Simon Cowell donates £20,000 to Rhythmix to cover its legal costs

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 21 Nov 2011

X Factor mogul Simon Cowell  has temporarily abandoned his “Mr Nasty” tag and agreed to donate a reported £20,000 to Rhythmix, a charity which had been battling the producers of X Factor over the trademark of its name.

Rhythmix raises £1k in 24-hrs to battle X Factor over trademark
News

Rhythmix raises £1k in 24-hrs to battle X Factor over trademark

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 10 Nov 2011

Music and youth charity Rhythmix has raised £1,000 from the public in just 24-hours to help it fund £8,000 in legal fees incurred as a result of a near three-week battle with the TV show X Factor over the trademark of its name.

Rhythmix slams X Factor for silence on trademark wrangle
News

Rhythmix slams X Factor for silence on trademark wrangle 1

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 9 Nov 2011

The chief executive of music charity Rhythmix has slammed the X Factor for continuing to apply for a European trademark of its name, despite bowing to public pressure and changing the name of a girl band on its show that had been using the moniker. 

All charities urged to support at least one unemployed young person
News

All charities urged to support at least one unemployed young person

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 1 Nov 2011
Tags: Ethics

Stephen Lloyd, partner at law firm Bates Wells and Braithwaite, has called on all charities to help combat youth unemployment by supporting one or more NEET (not employed, in education or in training) young person.

OSCR fights FOI request to release letters of complaints about charity
News

OSCR fights FOI request to release letters of complaints about charity

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 5 Oct 2011

OSCR has successfully challenged a Freedom of Information request from Dunnet Head Education Trust to see letters from people complaining about its plans to reorganise the charity.

Bullying by a chief executive's wife
HR

Bullying by a chief executive's wife

Governance | 25 Aug 2011

A CEO's wife is accused of bullying in the charity, rendering the chief unable to carry out an objective investigation. What should be done? A Chairman responds.

Copyright  NightFall404
News

Charitable housing associations resist evicting people involved in last week's riots 4

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 16 Aug 2011

Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of Acevo, has said many charitable housing associations which are members of Acevo will resist evicting rioters or family of rioters involved in the disturbances which rocked the UK last week.

News of the World sales raise £2.8m for charity
News

News of the World sales raise £2.8m for charity 3

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 13 Jul 2011

The final edition of News of the World has raised £2.8m for the three partner charities it promised to give its final circulation profits to.

Anti-obesity charity defends £50k donation from Coca-Cola
News

Anti-obesity charity defends £50k donation from Coca-Cola 3

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 12 Jul 2011

A charity which works to reduce obesity and educate about healthy diets is standing by its decision to accept a £50,000 donation from soft drink giant Coca-Cola.

Military and children’s charities to benefit from News of the World final day profits
News

Military and children’s charities to benefit from News of the World final day profits

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 11 Jul 2011

The profits from the final edition of the News of the World are to be split between three charities which work with children and military families, while just over two dozen charities and social enterprises took up the paper’s offer of free advertising. 

To disclose or not to disclose?
HR

To disclose or not to disclose?

Governance | Olga Johnson | 6 Jul 2011

A trustee of a charity who is also a head-hunter is aware that a key player in the charity's latest programme is seeking new employment elsewhere. What should they do?

Safeguarding from a governance perspective
HR

Safeguarding from a governance perspective

Governance | 6 Jul 2011

The Charity Commission does not have direct statutory responsibility for safeguarding but expects trustees to give high priority to this issue and publishes detailed guidance on its website. Yvonne Spencer takes us through safeguarding best practice.

Stephen Mangan, Charity Awards 2011 host
Blogs

Having a laugh 1

Finance | Ian Allsop | 4 Jul 2011
Tags: Ethics

Writing this column is no laughing matter for Ian Allsop.

Animal Aid calls for donation boycott of top medical charities
News

Animal Aid calls for donation boycott of top medical charities 6

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 22 Jun 2011

An animal rights group has launched a campaign against four major medical research charities, calling for the public to withhold donations until the organisations pledge to cease testing on animals.

Improper trustee benefit?
Case studies

Improper trustee benefit?

Governance | 27 Apr 2011

Concerns are raised about trustees using their executive positions in the same charity for commercial benefit. Now what should be done about the conflicts of interest?

Nestlé Pure Life bottled water
News

Commission asked to investigate Nestlé's London Marathon sponsorship 2

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 20 Apr 2011

Baby Milk Action has asked the Charity Commission to investigate sponsorship of the London Marathon by Nestlé, after failed attempts to discuss the Nestlé deal with the London Marathon Charitable Trust.

Peter Pack, Amnesty International IEC chairman
News

Paying off Khan was 'least-worst option' according to Amnesty's IEC chair 41

Governance | Niki May Young | 1 Mar 2011

A full and frank explanation of the reasoning behind Amnesty International's pay-off packages to Irene Khan and Kate Gilmore has been given by the organisation's international executive committee (IEC) chairman, Peter Pack, in which he describes the payment to Khan of over £533,000 as the "least-worst option".

Keeping confidentiality
Terms of reference

Keeping confidentiality

Governance | Robin Stephenson | 1 Mar 2011
Tags: Ethics | Law

All charities should have rules as to what may and may not be discussed or disclosed, in order to properly protect confidential information and comply with the law. This applies to trustees as well as employees and other volunteers.

Charity soap opera, episode six: If it's not one thing, it's another
Case studies

Charity soap opera, episode six: If it's not one thing, it's another

Governance | Shirley Otto | 13 Jan 2011

This is the sixth instalment in a charity ‘soap’ written by Shirley Otto, governance specialist.

National Bullying Helpline closes
News

National Bullying Helpline closes 2

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 10 Jan 2011

The National Bullying Helpline has closed due to lack of funding and the resignation of its founder and chief executive, Christine Pratt.

Emma-Jane Cross
News

New sector code aims to improve partnerships between charities

Governance | Tania Mason | 6 Jan 2011

Beatbullying chief executive Emma-Jane Cross is setting up a cross-sector working party to devise a code of conduct that will govern how charities should treat each other when embarking on formal or informal collaborations.

No fundraising on commission: time to dump this regulatory relic
Blogs

No fundraising on commission: time to dump this regulatory relic 4

Fundraising | Joe Saxton | 7 Dec 2010

The long aversion to paying fundraisers on commission has become not only outdated, but threatens to stifle entrepreneurialism in the sector. Joe Saxton says charities deserve better.

Equality should mean one rule for all
Blogs

Equality should mean one rule for all

Governance | Dorothy Dalton | 10 Nov 2010
Tags: Ethics

Dorothy Dalton highlights an unintended consequence of the recent Equality Act.

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