Grant Writing Professional Ethics and Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A grant writer discovers mid-project that the organization's program data used in the proposal was cherry-picked to hide poor outcomes. What is the ethical obligation?
- Submit the proposal as written since the data is technically accurate
- Inform the funder immediately and correct the misrepresentation (Correct answer)
- Ask the program director to provide better data before submission
- Withdraw from the project without notifying the funder
Correct answer: Inform the funder immediately and correct the misrepresentation
Grant writers must ensure funders receive accurate, complete information and are obligated to correct misrepresentations even if it means delaying or withdrawing the proposal.
Question 2: Which practice best reflects the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Code of Ethics regarding compensation?
- Charging a percentage of the grant award as the primary fee structure
- Using a flat project fee or hourly rate unrelated to award outcome (Correct answer)
- Accepting bonuses tied to grant approval as a performance incentive
- Negotiating a lower base rate with a large success bonus
Correct answer: Using a flat project fee or hourly rate unrelated to award outcome
The GPA Code of Ethics prohibits contingency fees where compensation is tied to grant award outcomes, as this creates a conflict of interest.
Question 3: When a grant writer is asked to serve on a funder's review panel for grants in their specialty area, they should:
- Participate fully since their expertise benefits the review process
- Recuse themselves from reviewing any applications from organizations they work with (Correct answer)
- Decline entirely to avoid any appearance of conflict
- Review all applications but disclose their professional relationships afterward
Correct answer: Recuse themselves from reviewing any applications from organizations they work with
Serving on review panels is acceptable, but grant professionals must recuse themselves from reviewing applications where a conflict of interest exists.
Question 4: A foundation program officer informally tells a grant writer that their organization's application is likely to be funded. The grant writer should:
- Share this information with the board to begin spending plans
- Treat the information as preliminary and wait for official notification (Correct answer)
- Announce the anticipated award to donors to leverage additional gifts
- Ask the program officer to put the commitment in writing
Correct answer: Treat the information as preliminary and wait for official notification
Informal funding indications should never be treated as commitments; only official award notifications are authoritative and should trigger spending or announcements.
Question 5: What does 'stewardship' mean in the context of grant writing ethics?
- Accurately tracking and reporting how grant funds are used after the award (Correct answer)
- Building relationships with funders before submitting proposals
- Ensuring all staff are trained in grant compliance requirements
- Writing thorough evaluation plans within grant proposals
Correct answer: Accurately tracking and reporting how grant funds are used after the award
Stewardship refers to the ethical obligation to use grant funds as promised, track outcomes, and report honestly to funders on how resources were deployed.
Question 6: A nonprofit asks a grant writer to describe a new program as 'established' even though it launched only three weeks ago. This request is:
- Acceptable if the program has already served at least one client
- Unethical because it misrepresents the program's track record to funders (Correct answer)
- Acceptable if the grant writer notes the launch date elsewhere in the proposal
- Standard practice since funders prefer proven programs
Correct answer: Unethical because it misrepresents the program's track record to funders
Describing a newly launched program as 'established' creates a false impression of proven track record and violates the ethical obligation to present accurate information.
Question 7: Which action violates confidentiality obligations in grant writing?
- Sharing a funded proposal publicly after the funder publishes it in their grants database
- Using a client's confidential budget data to benchmark another client's proposal (Correct answer)
- Discussing general grant writing strategies at a professional conference
- Referencing publicly available funder guidelines when advising a new client
Correct answer: Using a client's confidential budget data to benchmark another client's proposal
Using one client's confidential financial information to benefit another client is a serious breach of confidentiality and professional ethics.
Grant Writing Professional Ethics and Standards 2
A grant writer discovers mid-project that the organization's program data used in the proposal was cherry-picked to hide poor outcomes.
What is the ethical obligation?