Complex dilemmas are inevitable for organizations that aim to be open and inclusive. But GlobalGiving CEO Alix Guerrier knew that they needed an approach and mindset to help everyone make more confident decisions with integrity.

Guerrier:

GlobalGiving was designed to be open. We say we want people representing any legitimate nonprofit in any place to be able to use our online platform to raise money. To be able to use our tools, training, and support to become better at what they do. Everyone is welcome, we say. Until they’re not.

From the get-go, there are groups GlobalGiving doesn’t support; we won’t work with any person who engages in terrorist activities, for example. And although every nonprofit in our community is vetted to ensure that its work is charitable and legal, we don’t want to support everything that meets these standards, carte blanche. That includes hate speech and discrimination—but who gets to decide what falls into those categories?

We call this problem the Neutrality Paradox. The promise of the internet was to create open, democratic spaces online. But as an organization that powers an online platform, we have to take responsibility for how our platform and technology are used.

GlobalGiving came up with five principles centered on shared behavior. This constellation of principles became Ethos—both an approach and mindset to help everyone make more confident decisions with integrity. The principles are simple:

  1. Treat everyone with dignity.
  2. Minimize harm.
  3. Hold space for uncomfortable ideas.
  4. Seek healing; don’t judge.
  5. Be creative.

Read the full article about ethos and the neutrality paradox by Alix Guerrier at GlobalGiving.