Ethics Scenario #53: National Leukemia Research Society

53. Tori, who recently is in remission from leukemia, wants to start a nonprofit organization to help find a permanent cure for the disease. She is quite aware that there is a well-established organization, the National Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, that raises millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars for this cause already. However, that organization never responded to her request for a job interview. She decides that she wants to leave her job as a cashier for the local diner and raise money for the cause full-time, and serve as the executive director, providing herself with a modest salary (although somewhat better than what she receives from her current position) and benefits. She starts compiling a list of the tasks she must complete to incorporate, file for federal tax-exempt status, and file with the state charitable solicitation regulation bureau. She thinks she has the drive and motivation to raise lots of money, having successfully raised almost $20,000 to pay her doctor and hospital bills through her personal Facebook page. At first, she thought of calling her new organization “Tori’s Quest,” but thought this might not communicate what the organization would be about. So, to enhance the likelihood of getting donations, she decided to closely mimic the name of the established organization, perhaps hoping that this would help the new organization with its fundraising success. She decides to incorporate her new startup as “The National Leukemia Research Society, Inc.”, and hopes that if some donors contributed to her organization unintentionally, the money would still support the same cause.

a. Is Tori’s plan to use a name similar to that of the existing organization ethical?