Professional Ethics and Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real Grant Writing practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Ethics and Standards flashcards as text
An organization wants to apply for a capacity-building grant but asks the grant writer to frame a long-standing organizational weakness as a 'planned improvement area.' This is:
Answer: Potentially misleading if it downplays a chronic problem the organization has not addressed
Framing chronic unaddressed weaknesses as planned improvements misrepresents the organization's true state to funders and crosses into deceptive communication.
Under what circumstance is it ethical for a grant writer to use client testimonials or case studies in a proposal?
Answer: When clients have given informed consent for their stories to be used in fundraising
Using client testimonials or case studies requires explicit informed consent from the individuals involved; composite or altered versions without consent still raise ethical concerns about accuracy.
What is the ethical obligation of a grant writer when a funder asks them to certify compliance with requirements they have not verified?
Answer: Investigate compliance before signing any certification statements
Signing certifications without verifying the underlying facts makes the grant writer personally responsible for false statements; due diligence before signing is an ethical and legal obligation.
A grant writer suspects a government contract officer is soliciting gifts in exchange for favorable scoring. The most ethical response is to:
Answer: Refuse any gift exchange and report the solicitation to appropriate oversight authorities
Soliciting gifts related to federal contracts is a form of corruption; the ethical and legal obligation is to refuse and report the conduct to the appropriate inspector general or ethics office.
Which statement best describes the ethical responsibility of grant writers regarding communities described in proposals but not included in the writing process?
Answer: Grant writers should advocate for community participation in proposal development and accurate representation
Ethical grant writing includes advocating for community voice in the proposal process and ensuring that narratives accurately reflect community priorities rather than organizational assumptions.
A grant writer finishes a contract and wants to include the funded proposal in their professional portfolio. What is the ethical requirement before doing so?
Answer: Obtain written permission from the client organization before sharing the proposal
Grant proposals created for clients are typically the client's intellectual property; using them in a portfolio requires explicit written permission from the organization.
What is the core ethical distinction between 'advocacy' and 'lobbying' that grant writers must understand when writing federal grants?
Answer: Advocacy for a cause is generally permissible, while lobbying to influence specific legislation with federal funds is prohibited
Federal regulations allow education and advocacy activities while prohibiting the use of federal funds to directly lobby legislators to support or oppose specific legislation.