Faith in Philanthropy: From Ethical Guidelines to Professional Standards

Faith in Philanthropy: From Ethical Guidelines to Professional Standards

1 June, 11:00–12:15

Over the last 20 years, the charitable sector in Russia has changed and grown significantly, now generating a couple of hundred billion roubles. And, like any other sector, the level of professionalism is increasing. According to polls, people are not yet willing to support this trend towards professionalization. The general public is extremely wary of contributing to administrative overheads, and salaries at market rates are unacceptable in this sector, as is expenditure on marketing. And there is no room for mistakes. The defining feature of the public mood is a lack of trust in charitable foundations. One of the reasons for this is insufficient transparency in the sector itself, the absence of any clear, well-understood and, most importantly, generally accepted standards. Does the sector need its own specific professional standards? Which good practices could be borrowed from other sectors, and in particular from the world of business? How could such standards be promoted? How could work to influence public opinion be taken forward?
















Broadcast

Key moments

This area does not need any standardization; the realm of charity should be allowed to develop and the notion of reputation should be posited as the key social institution.
Irina Prokhorova
Co-Founder, Mikhail Prokhorov Foundation (The Charitable Foundation for Cultural Initiatives)
We believe that foundations should come together. Only a professional approach and absolute transparency can win society’s trust, and that is the principal condition for accumulating social capital.
Ekaterina Kruglova
Executive Director, Memory of Generations Charitable Foundation
Foundations need to work professionally, to build up their reputation in order to win trust and have the desired influence on development of the social sphere; they should also be able to speak the same language as the businesses that donate resources to them.
Elena Chernyshkova
President, Chairman, Sistema Charitable Foundation
We are competing for financial resources with other charitable foundations. The more precise the description of our stance for potential donors, the more effective our work will be. When we compete, we create a quality service.
Yulia Matveeva
President, Vera Charitable Foundation for Hospice Care
Expenses incurred by the state, private individuals and businesses engaged in charity work are recouped with the most precious thing ever: with human life, health and safety.
Davron Mukhamadiev
Head of Regional Representation in the Russian Federation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Each foundation should have principles and ethical standards, that is, convergence points for all foundations; they should have a common glossary, a common vision. Without them, foundations place themselves at a high risk.
Tatyana Tulchinskaya
Chairman of the Council, All Together Charity Gathering Association of Socially Oriented Non-Profit Organizations
The state is ready to accommodate charity because, from the state’s point of view, it is an extremely valuable form of collaboration with people, it advances people’s interests and the search for problem points.
Alexandra Levitskaya
Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation