CVA - Certified Volunteer Administrator Professional Ethics and Conduct Questions and Answers

Question 1

A Certified Volunteer Administrator (CVA) is on the selection committee for a 'Volunteer of the Year' award, which includes a significant cash prize.
The CVA's close personal friend, who is also a dedicated volunteer, is a top nominee.
What is the MOST appropriate ethical action for the CVA to take?

Accepted Answer

Disclose the relationship to the committee and recuse themselves from the discussion and vote regarding their friend.

Answer

Advocate strongly for their friend, since they know their work ethic better than anyone.

Answer

Ask their friend to withdraw the nomination to protect the integrity of the award process.

Answer

Resign from the selection committee entirely to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.

Question 2

Which of the following best defines the ethical principle of 'dual relationships' in the context of volunteer administration?

Accepted Answer

A volunteer manager having a pre-existing personal relationship (e.g., friend, family) with a volunteer they supervise.

Answer

A volunteer holding two different, unrelated roles within the same organization.

Answer

A volunteer reporting to two different staff supervisors for separate tasks.

Answer

An organization partnering with another nonprofit on a joint volunteer project.

Question 3

During a private conversation, a volunteer shares sensitive health information with the CVA. The next day, a staff member who works with the volunteer asks the CVA why the volunteer seems 'off' recently. What is the CVA's most ethical response?

Accepted Answer

Inform the staff member that the conversation was confidential, but offer to discuss potential task modifications with the volunteer's permission.

Answer

Share the health information with the staff member so they can be more understanding and accommodating.

Answer

Suggest the staff member talk directly to the volunteer about any performance concerns they may have.

Answer

Immediately report the volunteer's health issue to Human Resources to ensure proper documentation is on file.

Question 4

A CVA is reviewing the organization's volunteer application form to ensure it aligns with ethical principles of equity and inclusion. Which of the following questions is MOST likely to introduce bias and should be removed?

Accepted Answer

What year did you graduate from high school?

Answer

Have you ever been convicted of a crime relevant to this volunteer role?

Answer

Are you able to perform the essential duties of this role with or without reasonable accommodation?

Answer

What languages are you fluent in?

Question 5

A long-serving and dedicated volunteer frequently gives the CVA expensive, personal gifts for holidays and birthdays. The CVA is becoming uncomfortable with this practice. This situation primarily represents a challenge related to which ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

Professional Boundaries

Answer

Stewardship of Resources

Answer

Confidentiality

Answer

Conflict of Interest

Question 6

A CVA spends time presenting at local universities and writing articles for a professional journal about the impact of effective volunteer engagement. According to professional codes of conduct, this activity primarily fulfills which ethical responsibility?

Accepted Answer

Responsibility to society and the profession.

Answer

Responsibility to the organization's clients.

Answer

Responsibility to the organization's funders.

Answer

Responsibility to the volunteers.