CVA Professional Ethics and Conduct 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A volunteer coordinator is offered a consulting contract by a vendor who also supplies services to their nonprofit. This situation represents:
- A standard business opportunity
- A conflict of interest that must be disclosed (Correct answer)
- An acceptable side income as long as it is not discussed
- A reward for good vendor relations
Correct answer: A conflict of interest that must be disclosed
Any financial relationship with a vendor doing business with your organization creates a conflict of interest requiring disclosure.
Question 2: The principle of 'informed consent' in volunteer management means:
- Volunteers must consent to every task assigned to them
- Volunteers are provided full information about their roles, risks, and organizational expectations before committing (Correct answer)
- Managers must get board approval before recruiting volunteers
- Clients must approve which volunteers serve them
Correct answer: Volunteers are provided full information about their roles, risks, and organizational expectations before committing
Informed consent requires that volunteers fully understand their roles, responsibilities, and any associated risks before agreeing to serve.
Question 3: When a volunteer administrator advocates publicly for a policy change that benefits volunteer programs, this is considered:
- An inappropriate use of their professional role
- A breach of organizational neutrality
- A legitimate professional responsibility aligned with the mission (Correct answer)
- Political activity prohibited under nonprofit law
Correct answer: A legitimate professional responsibility aligned with the mission
Advocacy for volunteer-friendly policies is a recognized professional responsibility of CVA practitioners when aligned with organizational mission.
Question 4: An experienced volunteer who has served for years begins performing poorly. Ethically, the volunteer administrator should:
- Continue ignoring the issue out of respect for long service
- Immediately remove them without conversation
- Have a private, respectful conversation to address the performance concerns (Correct answer)
- Reassign all their duties to newer volunteers
Correct answer: Have a private, respectful conversation to address the performance concerns
Ethical management includes addressing performance issues through respectful, private dialogue rather than avoidance or abrupt dismissal.
Question 5: Which ethical standard requires volunteer administrators to continuously improve their knowledge and skills?
- Accountability
- Professional competence (Correct answer)
- Transparency
- Loyalty
Correct answer: Professional competence
Professional competence requires ongoing learning and skill development to effectively serve volunteers, organizations, and the community.
Question 6: A volunteer asks their coordinator to falsify their volunteer hours for a court-ordered community service requirement. The coordinator should:
- Help the volunteer since it does not affect the organization
- Refuse and explain that falsifying records violates ethical and legal standards (Correct answer)
- Ask a supervisor to handle it to avoid responsibility
- Agree but make the volunteer sign a waiver
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that falsifying records violates ethical and legal standards
Falsifying records is both unethical and potentially illegal; a CVA practitioner must refuse and explain the reasons clearly.
Question 7: In volunteer administration, 'dual relationships' are considered ethically problematic primarily because they:
- Increase the workload of volunteer administrators
- Risk compromising objectivity and creating unfair advantages or conflicts (Correct answer)
- Are prohibited by all nonprofit regulations
- Reduce the diversity of the volunteer base
Correct answer: Risk compromising objectivity and creating unfair advantages or conflicts
Dual relationships—such as supervising a friend or family member—can impair objectivity and create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
CVA Professional Ethics and Conduct 3
A volunteer coordinator is offered a consulting contract by a vendor who also supplies services to their nonprofit.
This situation represents: