Many music educators are so preoccupied with raising money for their departments' technological needs that they never stop to consider the ethical issues that could arise. Most of us assume that our fund-raising campaigns will run fairly smoothly. Regrettably, however, serious problems occasionally occur that require careful consideration. Let's examine a hypothetical problem.

Ms. Robins, a music teacher who is tired of using antiquated computers and software, is finally able to mobilize her students and their parents in her effort to purchase the new technology lab that the department has needed for years. Two of her students, Jackson and Amanda, decide to do their own fund-raising campaign outside of school. Their parents create a paper tag with the school's name on it, and then take both students to various shopping districts throughout their city. Jackson and Amanda go from store to store, politely pleading their case and requesting donations from business owners and patrons. Miraculously, over a period of months, they each accumulate approximately $1,000. The money is submitted on a weekly basis to the teacher or parent organization for deposit.

Over the next year, Ms. Robins realizes that the lab isn't going to happen; the money is not there. Things begin to change. Her budget is decreased and staffing is cut, but more students than ever are entering her music program. She is now short of musical instruments for the students and is faced with several decisions regarding the direction of her program. Knowing that funds are available for “departmental needs,” she decides that purchasing badly needed musical instruments, rather than new technology equipment, is in the best interest of her students. The old technology will have to last another year. Maybe the school district or a grant will lend some financial support to purchase the hardware and software.

There is one problem: some of the money Ms. Robins wants to spend on instruments was collected for the computer lab. Unfortunately, the bookkeeper never distinguished which funds went where, once the deposits were made. Everything was documented as a deposit, withdrawal, and so on. To further complicate things, the fund-raising included concert-ticket sales, candy sales, and more, in addition to the parent-based activities.

Once it was determined that new instruments were being purchased, several parents requested a refund, claiming the money they collected was for a computer lab that never materialized, and not for instruments. Question: should Ms. Robins return the money to the parents, even though they received contributions from businesses and other individuals, or should she spend the funds on other department-related supplies? Should the funds be held in escrow? Should money gained from concert-ticket sales or candy be considered “targeted funds” for a specific purpose? Such dilemmas are common and can easily become major problems.

Technically speaking, Ms. Robins cannot use money that has been raised for one purpose for a different purpose. But because funds were lumped together and recordkeeping was slack, acting on that principle would be difficult. So one lesson here is to clearly document the amount, source, and stated purpose of each donation.

Many people never consider that ethics are a part of the decision-making process. Common sense is the rule applied in most situations, particularly regarding daily concerns. At our best, we instinctively function as competent ethical decision makers with respect to family, colleagues, strangers, and so on. Despite the fact that most daily decisions have an ethical dimension, sometimes complex situations require that we think about our decisions in a more responsible, organized, and carefully structured manner.

Good ethical decisions are based on whether one has asked enough good questions. And the three critical elements to examine in order to ensure that the appropriate questions and ethical issues are being broached are organizational mission, relationships, and personal integrity.

Once all of the relevant information is gathered, you can use a visual aid of ethical decision making that evaluates your options. Try to envision all possible resolutions for a particular situation. For each alternative, use the following rationale:

• Organizational mission

  Does the alternative decision promote or does it detract from the organization's or department's mission? How does the alternative decision affect those who will ultimately receive the services?

• Relationships

  Does the alternative decision strengthen long-term relationships with parents, colleagues, and donors, including businesses, volunteers, and community members?

• Personal integrity

  In what ways does the alternative decision help and hinder you to develop as an ethical individual? How does it strengthen and weaken your integrity and your department's motives regarding fund-raising?

There is no magic bullet or specific equation that instinctively generates an ethically correct decision. Ethical quagmires should be approached by interconnecting your significant concerns with the facts and considerations of a particular state of affairs. The ultimate decision is a matter of judgment, based on objectively scrutinizing all the facts. In many cases, no one right answer exists. There are, however, plenty of wrong decisions. That said, a code of ethics does exist for professional fund-raisers, and it's worth examining (see the sidebar, “The Donor Bill of Rights”).

After you have reflected on the set of circumstances and applied the suggested rationale, the correct answer will become more apparent. Hopefully, matters of this nature will be judged equitably and with sensitivity to satisfy all the parties involved.

Stephen Wilensky is the Music Department chair at Central High School in Philadelphia and is a Temple University faculty member and Fulbright Award recipient. Please email the author with comments, questions, and suggestions for future “Finding Funds” columns at swchs@earthlink.net.

The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the American Association of Fund-raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Association of Fund-raising Professionals (AFP), and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). It has been endorsed by numerous organizations.

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

1. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
3. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
4. To be assured that their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
6. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization, or hired solicitors.
9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.