Why you need to consider ethical issues and risks 

Making ethical decisions is crucial to protecting the values that underpin your vision and mission. It also builds and maintains trust with your stakeholders.  

Artists and arts or cultural organisations need to protect their: 

• reputation 
• integrity 
• future opportunities. 

Before entering a business partnership, consider any ethical issues and risks. For example, is the business making money in a way that you or your stakeholders disagree with? Not every partnership is worth pursuing. Assess each opportunity case by case. 

Guiding principles for a good partnership 

• Your values, beliefs and goals align. 
• The agreement is ethical and collaborative. 
• The partnership supports your purpose. 
• You’ve considered the views of any collaborating artists, audiences or other third parties. 
• You can deliver the partnership without unreasonable cost or operational pressure. 
• The partnership would not create legal, governance or deductible gift recipient (DGR) risks. 
• You would be comfortable explaining the partnership to others and the wider public. 

Considerations about the business 

• What does the business do? 
• How does it make its money? 
• Has it been involved in any recent controversies? 
• Is there broad community concern about the business or industry? 

Considerations about potential impacts  

• Could the partnership affect trust in you, your staff or the community? 
• Could it compromise your program or operations? 
• Could it affect your artistic or creative independence? 
• Could it create conflicts with your artists, audiences or existing partners? 
• Could it create privacy, data or safeguarding risks? 
• Could it limit your future choices or opportunities? 
• What would happen if the partnership attracted media attention? 

Develop an ethical decision-making policy 

A clear policy can help your organisation navigate ethical decision-making. It provides a framework to ensure decisions, including whether to pursue business partnerships, align with your organisation’s values and stakeholder expectations.