I would encourage people to begin where they are, which is to say if you think about ethics within an existing framework. When I was at guide star, we laid down our organizational values as compassion, clarity, collaboration, and courage. And that sort of exercise can be a kind of ethical whitewashing if you're not careful. But it also, if it's repeated enough, can become a sort of cadence in the culture of an organization or the culture of a family.
From corporate social responsibility to ESG, an increasing number of for-profit organizations are pursuing positive social impact. But to “do well by doing good,” Jacob Harold (cofounder of Candid; former CEO of Guidestar) tells HBR IdeaCast host Curt Nickisch that you need a good
strategy. Otherwise, things can go very wrong.