Discussion Question
Case Study: Nonprofit Organization for an Impoverished Neighborhood
Suppose you are the director of the food distribution program in a nonprofit organization. The nonprofit organization serves a rural Hmong community that is largely organized around the church. The church is not well funded, but the nonprofit organization receives funds from the state, allowing it ample staffing support.
Members of the community rely on the church pastor and believe that the church should be providing food support to members of the community who are unable to feed themselves, since there are very few jobs in the community that pay a living wage. The community is thankful for the food distribution program you direct, but they want the church to control distribution, especially of the foods they prefer. Your program relies on an outside charitable warehouse for foods that are generally available to commercial outlets, but mainly canned foods and packaged foods. The community wants fresh food and the pastor agrees they should have fresh foods, including greens and fresh meat.
You are responsible to the state for providing food to this impoverished rural community; however, the community does not want to rely on your organization, but the church instead. You must make an ethical and programmatic decision that satisfies both the community and its church, as well as the state authorities providing the money.
Explain your decision, based on ethical principles. Assess the ethical obligations you have to the state versus those obligations to the community.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.