Rebecca Boughamer Ethics and Accountability in Advancement Services

Agenda Introduction Defining Ethics and The Role We Play Management Accountability Q&A

Introduction Rebecca Boughamer Assistant Vice President, Advancement Services Database Management, Gifts Processing, Prospect Research, Budget and Finance & some Donor Relations and Career Services UMUC since 2012 Prior to that UDC, Marymount U and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Ethics Define Ethics synonyms: moral code, morals, morality, values, rights and wrongs, principles, ideals, standards (of behavior), value system, virtues, dictates of conscience "your so-called newspaper is clearly not burdened by a sense of ethics"morality eth·ics ˈ eTHiks/ noun plural noun: ethics; noun: ethics 1.1. moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior. "Judeo-Christian ethics" the moral correctness of specified conduct. "the ethics of euthanasia“ 2.2. the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.

Ethics Define Your Role The Person Part Define your own moral standard Trust your gut – as long as your gut is informed What are you working to accomplish? The Group Part Do you and your colleagues share core values? Do your missions and goals align? Where do you fit in? Combining the Two Parts Strategy, management, communication and documentation

Ethics in Advancement Services Ethics Management Strategic Management Policies and Procedures Strategic Plan Setting Benchmarking

Ethics Management Strategic Management Guides or assists ethical decision-making and establishes accountability standards Clearly defined management structure and division of labor Security checks and balances Ethical checks and balances Accountability and trust Clear chain of communication and open communication channels Who is able to communicate what information to whom? Transparency speaks volumes. Communicate policies and procedures. Communicate decisions. If you don’t feel comfortable communicating it to the masses, ask yourself why? Strategic delegation of responsibilities and power Division-wide Department-wide Organization-wide

Strategic Management Confidentiality Agreements Employees Usually held by HR and IT departments Protect the organization and constituents of the organization Students or Volunteers Usually held by Manager of the student worker or volunteer Certain access granted; protects the organization and constituents and the volunteer! Example for Student Agreement

Strategic Management Maintenance vs. Inquiry USM = Ellucian Advance All databases have some form of Inquiry vs. Maintenance vs. “Super User” Inquiry Access Access to view specific information through the system. Maintenance Actual maintenance of data; access to change information and run reports Super User Back end access and reports creation Why does this matter? Super users should be rare. Maintenance access should also be limited within a department Procedures as to data work flow and who updates what are needed

Strategic Management In-Office Information Privacy Secure Credit Card Numbers and SSNs Prospect and Patient Files Hard copy under lock and key/Digital files encrypted and password protected No medical or health information for Higher Ed Available to prospects or patients at any time. Healthcare is seeing more patients logging into online portals to access their own information. Access and checks/balances. Example: If you hold the key to the safe, someone else should have the code.

Ethics Management Policies and Procedures The unauthorized “AdvServ Bible” Outline the management structure, responsibilities, and expectations Donor Bill of Rights, FERPA, HIPAA, as well as internal policies already established. Don’t reinvent the wheel like I did: document management is actually easy. Document security access, confidentiality agreements, gift agreements and other ethical happenings Revisit, edit or adjust as appropriate, but try and remain consistent

Policies and Procedures Pledge Agreements Verbal vs. Written Verbal cannot be entered as a technical pledge and cannot be enforced Written pledge agreements should be kept as you keep your gift files Should specify exactly what the donor and institution have agreed on (time, contingencies, programs, etc.) Where are these files stored and who has access? Example of our Gift/Pledge Agreement

Ethics Strategic Plan Setting Set goals Individual and/or team goals Align with the organization’s mission and department’s mission Gather input Be specific and realistic. It is OK to set “stretch goals” if you have a plan for accomplishing them! Communicate goals Revisit progress toward goals Document metrics and progress Keep the metrics and progress for historical purposes, benchmarking and accountability Promote your results. Data speaks volumes! Fun fact: UMUC’s President hails from the Institutional Research department.

Higher Education Special Cases Campaign Planning and Campaigns Campaign Consultants Interviews with Potential Donors Record keeping and reporting out Specific campaign-related agreements and policies Naming Opportunities, anonymous donors Special Events Auctions, ticket purchases and donations, oh my! Record keeping and reporting out Know the rules and policies and the expectations

Ethics Benchmarking Benchmarking builds trust Should be multi-faceted: quality, quantity, pace, performance Compare against others Consider the relevance and importance Consider short-term and long-range impacts Specify desired outcomes Remain consistent Examples

Ethics Accountability synonyms: responsibilityresponsibility, liability, answerability "there must be accountability for the expenditure of every public cent"liabilityanswerability ac·count·a·bil·i·ty ə ˌ koun(t)ə ˈ bilədē/ noun noun: accountability 1.the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility. "their lack of accountability has corroded public respect"

Accountability Why? Why is it Important? Organizational integrity, trust Speaks to the mission Trust with donors and constituencies Trust in the public eye Personal integrity Your rep is at stake Your career is at stake Why not? Short-term and long-term impacts of unclear accountability

Accountability How? Decision-making Have clearly defined roles and responsibilities Have a basis for decisions Look at short-term and long-term impacts. Documentation External CASE Reporting Standards & Management Guidelines AASP best practices Internal Core data best practices Document management policies Departmental project plans Consistency Reliable work flow and communications channels Reliable data, benchmarking and metrics (again!)

Accountability Example Higher Education is being scrutinized across the nation and asked to justify or prove their value. Gainful employment is a key factor Get ahead of this “new” accountability standard Analyze your existing data for support Prepare your database for new measurements Discuss with your department and across departments Familiarize all staff with the issues at hand and keep an open discussion. Get your staff involved!

Ethics in Advancement Services In Summary Ethical decision-making is important at all levels across all organizations. Everyone plays a role Strategic management and transparency are key Understand the significance of accountability and the part you play; guide your own moral compass.

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