Following is a flowchart for steering oneself through the process of seeking and securing gifts for academic endeavors in an ethically justifiable manner. The flowchart is constructed as a series of questions and answers that highlight key ethical concerns for the parties involved. Clicking on the appropriate answer takes you to the next step along the chart, to the point where either the gift can be accepted or must be declined. There are four key queries, but multiple sub-levels and possible permutations.
The flowchart is relatively open-ended. That is, it neither purports nor attempts to provide detailed ethical or pragmatic analyses of particular philanthropic matters. Rather, the purpose is to identify key questions that should be asked and to highlight intentions or motivations requiring ethical justification in context. A forthcoming essay will provide the necessary meta-analysis supporting the structure of the flowchart presented here and the ethical claims it embodies.