STANDARDS AND ETHICS - INTRODUCTORY PAGE

This section is intended as a resource and guide for members - an example of best practice in the field of volunteer management.

The ethics and standards outlined here are the values that Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada (“VMPC”) encourage all members to adopt and follow.  We, ourselves, strive to uphold these values in our work with volunteers.

For the purpose of this section, the following definitions apply.

Ethics - As defined by “The Free Dictionary”, “a set of principles of right conduct” and a “theory or a system of moral values”.  (a particular code of values)

Standards - “serving as or conforming to an established or accepted measurement or value” and “widely recognized or employed as a model of authority or excellence”.  (particular methods of practice)

Values - As defined by “Wikipedia”, Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes.  As such, values reflect a person's sense of right and wrong or what "ought" to be.  Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior.  (core beliefs that guide actions)

Standards of Practice - As co-author of the original 2006 and the revised 2012 and 2017 Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement, VMPC encourages all member organizations to follow the Code.  VMPC has adopted the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement.  The Code is how organizations involve volunteers and helps organizations ensure they are using these valuable resources effectively and efficiently. 

Code of Ethics - Here you will find VMPC’s Code of Ethics - the full version and a poster version for easy access.  Codes of Ethics outline how we, as professionals, behave and act in our role.  They help us consider and address issues such as volunteers performing what should be paid work, and inclusiveness and diversity within the communities we serve.

National Occupational Standards - VMPC partnered with the HR Council for the Non-Profit Sector to create an in-depth look at the role of a Volunteer Manager - the skills, resources, and supports needed for the manager and for the organization.  This became the National Occupational Standards (“NOS”).  Note that when the Council was disbanded in 2012, the NOS was transferred to the Community Foundations of Canada (“CFC”) for maintenance and updating.