ethical audit
I chose to do an ethical audit on an organization with whom I have had a brief, yet rich experience when I was recently abroad in Israel with Eastern University and BuildaBridge International. While helping to run an eco-arts camp for children in a nearby Bedouin village through a collaboration with BuildaBridge and Reinventing Roots, my travel mates and I visited Sidreh’s new location for workshops and a retail shop for three hot hours one afternoon.
Sidreh was established in 1998 in the Negev area of Southern Israel. Sidreh is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the Palestinian-Arab woman in the Negev. They seek to promote women’s rights and the rights of their Bedouin community members, allowing them to reach their greatest potential. An important enterprise within Sidreh, the Lakiya Weaving Initiative, existing since 1991, is a successful locally based social enterprise managed by Bedouin women, which “creates high-quality handmade products, championing traditional Palestinian Bedouin heritage, empowering and inspiring women in the Negev, and promoting economic development while advocating for the local community” (Lakiya Negev Weaving, n.d.).
I was able to find minimal updated information on their website, but found an Annual Report from 2013 that was a trove of valuable information about the organization and its mission. Before I delved deeper into the report for insights into evaluating the non-profit, I revisited the list of questions presented by the firm Zimmerman Lehman to see how Sidreh “measured up.” The site recommended investigating the following important topics as they relate to accountability, transparency, and ethics: mission and program evaluation, governance and financials, ethics and conflicts, transparency, and fundraising (Accountability, Transparency & Ethics: Quiz for Nonprofits, 2009).
Even though it was not obviously posted on their website, I was able to find through the 2013 Annual Report that Sidreh’s had clear and defined positions on topics such as their organization’s values, vision and goals, strategies for achieving expected outcomes, and specific methods for evaluating their programs and effectiveness. A section on ‘Organizational Development’ outlined the steps taken over two years in their transformational “process of professionalization” (Annual Report, January – December 2013). Sidreh/Lakiya has built organizational capacity from their resources and from within their staff and has increased their overall effectiveness. They have focused on redefining the organizational structure of the staff and administration, created a diverse ‘Decision Making Team,’ led internal financial training workshops for greater financial management, and committed to increasing monitoring and evaluation.
Sidreh was established in 1998 in the Negev area of Southern Israel. Sidreh is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the Palestinian-Arab woman in the Negev. They seek to promote women’s rights and the rights of their Bedouin community members, allowing them to reach their greatest potential. An important enterprise within Sidreh, the Lakiya Weaving Initiative, existing since 1991, is a successful locally based social enterprise managed by Bedouin women, which “creates high-quality handmade products, championing traditional Palestinian Bedouin heritage, empowering and inspiring women in the Negev, and promoting economic development while advocating for the local community” (Lakiya Negev Weaving, n.d.).
I was able to find minimal updated information on their website, but found an Annual Report from 2013 that was a trove of valuable information about the organization and its mission. Before I delved deeper into the report for insights into evaluating the non-profit, I revisited the list of questions presented by the firm Zimmerman Lehman to see how Sidreh “measured up.” The site recommended investigating the following important topics as they relate to accountability, transparency, and ethics: mission and program evaluation, governance and financials, ethics and conflicts, transparency, and fundraising (Accountability, Transparency & Ethics: Quiz for Nonprofits, 2009).
Even though it was not obviously posted on their website, I was able to find through the 2013 Annual Report that Sidreh’s had clear and defined positions on topics such as their organization’s values, vision and goals, strategies for achieving expected outcomes, and specific methods for evaluating their programs and effectiveness. A section on ‘Organizational Development’ outlined the steps taken over two years in their transformational “process of professionalization” (Annual Report, January – December 2013). Sidreh/Lakiya has built organizational capacity from their resources and from within their staff and has increased their overall effectiveness. They have focused on redefining the organizational structure of the staff and administration, created a diverse ‘Decision Making Team,’ led internal financial training workshops for greater financial management, and committed to increasing monitoring and evaluation.
Recommendations
The following is a letter to the organization with my personal recommendations to increase Sidreh/Lakiya's accountability, transparency, and ethical integrity:
Greetings Tilal!
It was a great pleasure meeting you and two Bedouin weavers a few weeks ago. I was grateful for their gracious offering of their time and talents to provide such a fun and interesting afternoon at Lakiya. I am thrilled that a grassroots organization such as Lakiya exists to empower women like them. I am impressed that Lakiya has grown to be such a successful and mission-oriented organization that provides tangible support to the local Bedouin community. I have reviewed the most recent Annual Report, a report that dates back to 2013, and have again been quite impressed with the organization’s structure, mission, operations, programming, and evaluation.
Despite an overly positive review of Sidreh and Lakiya Weaving, there is room for improvement, specifically regarding financial transparency. To ensure even greater trust from your stakeholders and supporters (domestically and internationally), I would suggest making public on your website any financial documents that clearly show how funds and donations are being used. It is in the best interest of the community that you serve that your organization remain financially healthy and transparent. By making your finances easily available you demonstrate great organizational integrity.
Additionally, since your mission is oriented toward older Bedouin women, -- a population that has faced oppression, discrimination, and limited opportunities for most of their lives -- a special focus and sensitivity on ethical practices would be recommended. It is clear that Sidreh and its weaving initiative work honestly and for the sole benefit of empowering and educating Bedouin women, however, it would be favorable to make your commitment to ethical actions and treatment of Bedouin women explicit in a Code of Ethics or Code of Practices document.
I would also recommend best practices such as following up on any uncovered ethical violations, perhaps specifically with someone who is trained in enforcing ethics internally, such as a compliance person (Creating a code of ethics for your organization, 2011). Ethics violations ought to be addressed in training sessions with all staff and volunteers of the organization. Again, this would further bolster trust in all parties directly and indirectly involved with Sidreh/Lakiya.
Thank you again for a wonderful experience in the weaving workshop. I appreciate your willingness to hear my suggestions for making Sidreh and the Bedouin women it serves even stronger!
Sincerely,
Lauren Todd
Greetings Tilal!
It was a great pleasure meeting you and two Bedouin weavers a few weeks ago. I was grateful for their gracious offering of their time and talents to provide such a fun and interesting afternoon at Lakiya. I am thrilled that a grassroots organization such as Lakiya exists to empower women like them. I am impressed that Lakiya has grown to be such a successful and mission-oriented organization that provides tangible support to the local Bedouin community. I have reviewed the most recent Annual Report, a report that dates back to 2013, and have again been quite impressed with the organization’s structure, mission, operations, programming, and evaluation.
Despite an overly positive review of Sidreh and Lakiya Weaving, there is room for improvement, specifically regarding financial transparency. To ensure even greater trust from your stakeholders and supporters (domestically and internationally), I would suggest making public on your website any financial documents that clearly show how funds and donations are being used. It is in the best interest of the community that you serve that your organization remain financially healthy and transparent. By making your finances easily available you demonstrate great organizational integrity.
Additionally, since your mission is oriented toward older Bedouin women, -- a population that has faced oppression, discrimination, and limited opportunities for most of their lives -- a special focus and sensitivity on ethical practices would be recommended. It is clear that Sidreh and its weaving initiative work honestly and for the sole benefit of empowering and educating Bedouin women, however, it would be favorable to make your commitment to ethical actions and treatment of Bedouin women explicit in a Code of Ethics or Code of Practices document.
I would also recommend best practices such as following up on any uncovered ethical violations, perhaps specifically with someone who is trained in enforcing ethics internally, such as a compliance person (Creating a code of ethics for your organization, 2011). Ethics violations ought to be addressed in training sessions with all staff and volunteers of the organization. Again, this would further bolster trust in all parties directly and indirectly involved with Sidreh/Lakiya.
Thank you again for a wonderful experience in the weaving workshop. I appreciate your willingness to hear my suggestions for making Sidreh and the Bedouin women it serves even stronger!
Sincerely,
Lauren Todd
references
Accountability, Transparency & Ethics: Quiz for Nonprofits. (2009). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from http://www.zimmerman-lehman.com/transparency.htm
Annual Report January – December 2013. (2013). Retrieved from August 17, 2015, from file:///C:/Users/Lauren%20E%20Todd/Downloads/Sidreh%20-%20Annual%20Report%202013%20-%20Final.pdf
Creating a code of ethics for your organization. (2011). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from http://gogreenplus.org/nuts-and-bolts-guide/people-nuts-and-bolts-guide/human-resources-employee-effectiveness/code-of-ethicsconduct/
Lakiya Weaving Negev. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from http://www.lakiya.org/#/lakiya-weaving/4556000146
Annual Report January – December 2013. (2013). Retrieved from August 17, 2015, from file:///C:/Users/Lauren%20E%20Todd/Downloads/Sidreh%20-%20Annual%20Report%202013%20-%20Final.pdf
Creating a code of ethics for your organization. (2011). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from http://gogreenplus.org/nuts-and-bolts-guide/people-nuts-and-bolts-guide/human-resources-employee-effectiveness/code-of-ethicsconduct/
Lakiya Weaving Negev. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from http://www.lakiya.org/#/lakiya-weaving/4556000146