Conclusion

In 1991, INDEPENDENT SECTOR published a report on ethics in the nonprofit sector titled “Obedience to the Unenforceable” (1991). This is a superb one-phrase summary of how you must approach the ethics of grantmaking. None of the seven issues discussed in this chapter, with the possible exception of conflict of interest, can be effectively addressed by written rules or books of statutes. You must observe most ethical commandments as an act of obedience to the unenforceable. Ironically, although there is no external reward for compliance, there are many punishments, both great and small, for transgressions. The punishments range from the inner pangs of an outraged conscience to the public humiliation of banner headlines in the Chronicle ...

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