Understanding ethics, values, norms and motivations in philanthropy. (PUL 6; PUL 2)

a) Defining the meanings of philanthropy. b) Explaining key concepts (e.g., common good, donor intent, moral imagination, reciprocity, stewardship, tolerance, trustee, voluntary action) in philanthropy.

c) Explaining the critiques of philanthropy (e.g., philanthropy as social control, tainted money, fundraising fraud and abuses, philanthropy as cultural imperialism).

d) Interpreting ethical schools of thought to understand philanthropic activity.

e) Clarifying ethical principles in decision making.

f) Comparing and contrasting diverse perspectives, motivations, and goals in philanthropy.

People are philanthropic for an infinite amount of reasons. Those reasons can be clustered into groups in many different ways but it is usually a very personal decision on why someone gives and to which cause they give. There are also ethical dilemmas involved in philanthropy for many different reasons. Philanthropy is multidimensional and complex. My Reflection 9 for PHST 375 was a look into why I feel called to do what I do. I was able to explain my religious reasonings for why I feel called to help others while also looking at how others might think one should go about their career and what they do with their lives based on talents and suggestions from other people. While reviewing a decision that World Vision made over their employment policies, I was able to compare and contrast multiple perspectives on an issue as well as look at the ethics of the decision in regard to religious values and societal norms. My portfolio of Philanthropy, Calling, and Community is a display of how I was able to define philanthropy in my own life. I was able to learn from many diverse perspectives of my fellow students which strengthened my own understanding of philanthropy. My ethical dilemma project from Ethics in Philanthropy displays my mastering of this learning outcome. I chose to evaluate the ethics behind physician involvement in hospital fundraising. I realized that ethics are complex and there is not always a right and wrong. In the paper, I reference the different perspectives of donors, physicians, patients, and outsiders while sorting through the ethics of the situation and making a decision based on that. Understanding ethics, values, norms and motivations in philanthropy is important because it allows one to understand how they can apporach philanthropic topics and understand the way of others.