In 2008 the APRA board charged the Ethics Committee to prepare an updated revision of APRA’s Statement of Ethics, focusing on the broad essentials of ethics rather than the details of our day-to-day work. In response, the committee reviewed the code of ethics of many fundraising associations and research organizations and drafted a new statement that focused on what committee members considered to the four essentials of ethical conduct: personal integrity, accountability, practice, and conflict of interest. The Ethics Committee will be writing case study examples to illustrate these principles in the future. APRA members are invited to comment on the proposed statement by November 15, 2009. All comments will be reviewed and considered prior to finalizing the statement. The final statement will be made available to the membership by the end of the year.

Congratulations to Karen Maki and the Ethics Committee!  As the board liaison during the last Ethics Statement revision, I know this was no simple task.  I believe that the high-level focus of this statement and it's simplicity will prove to be it's strength.  I believe the case study/examples will provide members, especially new members, with the specific guidance they need in their day-to-day work.  In focusing on the ethical principles, this statement is also more accessible to non-researchers, which is critical to our partnerships with advancement colleagues.  Well done!

I like that the new statement of ethics is succinct, but I almost wonder that it's too short.

Thanks so much for your comment - it was one of the questions that the committee grappled with when putting this together.  Do you have any suggestions about where you think it might be too short or is it an overall perception?

David Eberly