PHDE611 Ethics in Philanthropy and Development (1 cr.)

Ethics and values are at the core of our work as philanthropic leaders and fundraisers. Our capacity to be reflective about the personal, professional, organizational, and public values at stake in our work—and make ethical decisions based on that—is at the heart of our moral lives as professionals and citizens alike. The course will explore several ways of understanding ethics and values in our lives as philanthropic leaders and professionals. In addition to a review of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Code of Ethics and its implications for our work, we will explore approaches to philanthropic program leadership—and core prescriptive methods (or “lenses”) for determining right and wrong, good and bad.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Articulate an expansive vision of philanthropic work in America and understand our public roles as philanthropic leaders.
2. Understand the role of ethics in organizational and professional settings.
3. Understand and apply various moral approaches to leading and managing philanthropic fundraising programs.
4. Develop a framework for resolving complex ethical dilemmas while applying ethical theories, models, and principles.
5. Understand and describe the various motivations of philanthropic donors—and articulate the values or perspectives underlying these different motivations.
6. Analyze and make decisions about ethical dilemmas based on the codes of ethics prescribed for philanthropic professionals.