As the last guest speaker of the lecture series for doctoral students, which was held as part of the course "Ethics and Society", Priv.-Doz. Dr. Sandra Stötzer from the Institute of Public and Nonprofit Management lectured on Wednesday, June 7th, on the subject of "Ethics and transparency in donations".

The introduction to this was designed with a media overview of the major donation scandals of recent years and decades, which allowed the participants to establish a direct connection to the topic right from the start and ensured a stimulating exchange of ideas. In the further course, Priv.-Doz. Dr. Stötzer thematized the different types of non-profit organizations (NPO), the amount of donations in Austria (surprisingly high for many participants) and the question of how NPOs can build trust in donors. The latter was illustrated by Priv.-Doz. Dr. Stötzer using the example of various seals of approval in the fundraising sector. Various important certifications were presented and their claim compared to the effects of such seals in reality. Ultimately, the question was raised as to what extent the costs and effort involved in the certification measures justify the benefits for both the NPO and the donors.