Write a 250 word reply What do you consider to be the three most important conce

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Write a 250 word reply

What do you consider to be the three most important concepts that the organization should consider?

            As an organization that seeks to function in accordance to Scriptural principles, the following three concepts are crucial to the success of World Vision International as a nonprofit organization: (1) Stewarding the Gift and the Relationship, (2) Staff Performance and Accountability, and (3) Ethics and Professional Standards.

(1) Stewarding the Gift and the Relationship (Worth, 2014, p. 281)

This concept is specifically in regards to fund raising and donors, and is best understood if one considers donors as a resource—one that needs to be carefully sought after, maintained, and taken care of. Worth writes, “Experience suggests that donors are the best prospects for future gifts, and it is therefore important to continue building their relationship with the organization after a gift has been made” (2014). Here, Worth speaks to the heart of this concept—it is crucial for nonprofits that rely on donor-funds to be good stewards of that resource. Good stewardship of donors and donor-funds can be accomplished in many ways, but Worth suggests the following: keeping the donor informed and engaged, and managing the donor’s gift according to the donor’s intention (2014).

(2) Staff Performance and Accountability (Worth, 2014, p. 290)

Worth introduces this concept in the following manner: “An important question…is how to evaluate the performance of individual fund-raising professionals” (2014). Essentially, it is valuable for organizations to understand how to evaluate performance and hold employees accountable to performance standards. It should be noted that “the best method for evaluating and rewarding professional staff is a topic of current discussion and debate” (Worth, 2014); however, finding a method of evaluating the performance of employees and holding employees accountable to the standards set forth for them is crucial to the success of the organization.

(3) Ethics and Professional Standards (Worth, 2014, p. 291)

This particular concept refers specifically to the manner in which the organization, and agents of the organization—that is, employees, etc.—conduct themselves. Specifically in regards to fund raising staff, Worth notes, “Most ethical questions that arise in fund-raising can be placed into one of four principal categories” (2014). These are primarily related to the interaction with donors—that is, how the agent of the organization acts toward potential donors, who the donors are that the organization accepts funds from, whether or not the organization should refuse a gift, and if accepting the gift will provide the donor inappropriate control over the organization. Each organization must choose to act in an ethically acceptable manner and in a way that conforms to professional standards in regards to these issues.

How will the organization benefit from considering these concepts?

(1) Stewarding the Gift and the Relationship

Being a good steward of donors and donor-funds has one primary benefit to an organization: increasing the likelihood that donors will continue to gift to the organization in the future. Keeping donors informed and using their funds in a manner according to the will of the donors, as well as treating the donors as well as possible encourages them to maintain involvement with the organization, and often to pledge regular contributions to the organization. In this way, the nonprofit will cultivate a reliable source of funding.

(2) Staff Performance and Accountability

The primary benefit of staff performance and accountability is to increasing performance of employees and efficiency of the organization. In designing a system for evaluation of employees, the organization can determine who is underperforming and take necessary measures to improve their performance, as well as utilize the information to create incentives that will motivate higher performance—something that goes hand-in-hand with increasing the overall efficiency of an organization.

(3) Ethics and Professional Standards

Operating in a manner that is in accordance with appropriate ethics and with professional standards has tremendous benefit to an organization—specifically in a preventative capacity. If an organization were to operate in a manner that is unethical, it opens itself up to legal scrutiny, disapproval of donors, and many other unwanted problems. This is especially true of an organization operating in accordance to scriptural principle, as World Vision International does. Adhering to appropriate ethics and professional standards prevents these potential issues from harming the organization.

How does the application of these topics reflect God’s purpose or design?

Each of these three concepts reflect a scriptural principle: good stewardship, accountability, and standards of behavior, respectively. We see these principles in a number of passages.

            First, good stewardship. One of the most notable passages in support of this principle is the parable of the talents, from which the following is taken: “And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’” (Matthew 25:20-21, ESV). Good stewardship is essentially being faithful with the resources one has been given. Thus, this passage is an example of a good steward.

            Second, accountability. One sees accountability in a variety of places throughout Scripture, perhaps most notably in Romans 14:12 (ESV), where it is written, “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Here, Paul refers to God’s method of holding his people accountable to his standards.

            Finally, standards of behavior. Standards of behavior are most prominently noticed when considering Scripture as a whole. God has given Scripture to man as a manner of communicating his standards of behavior for creation—thus, in reading Scripture, one finds that there are many standards set forth for man, Christians, etc.

References:

The Bible, ESV.

Worth, M. J. (2014). Nonprofit Management: Principles and Practice. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications Incorporated.

Explanation / Answer

The mentioned concepts are very crucial for the sustainable development of a non-profit organization. The non-profit organizations should use the core Scriptural principles of good stewardship, accountability, and ethics and professional standards in their organizational culture. These concepts reflect the God’s purpose or design to serve the mankind. Organizations would simultaneously get several benefits from utilizing the concept.

Stewarding the donors as well as the funds allotted by them would encourage the donors to remain associated with the organization for a long term. It would also motivate them to donate more funds that is crucial for the sustainability of the organization.

Furthermore, staff performance and benefit would encourage the employees for fund-raising. It would further help to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. Maintaining ethics and professional standards are also very important for a firm as it helps them to gain the trust of donors, fund-raisers and other stakeholders of the organization. Besides this, it also saves them for any legal consequences. Hence, it is concluded that the mentioned guiding principles are very crucial for successful operation of a non-profit organization.

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