Other forms of assistance, such as an ethics support fund, are being considered. The benefit to immediate recipients of such aid is clear. Less obvious, but perhaps even more important, are benefits to others. That a prestigious organization such as the IEEE may intervene, even in a low key manner, to support ethical behavior may deter some individuals or organizations from trying to bully engineers such as Tom Robinson. This group of course includes all IEEE members.
Engineering managers are themselves often targets of the kinds of pressures discussed here.
Thus they may be direct recipients of IEEE support, and they profit indirectly through the deterrent effects of such support. For example, when pressured by their managers to order subordinates to cut corners improperly, they can point out that this could trigger IEEE involvement. Most employers of engineers, including top level people in all kinds of organizations, whether or not they themselves are engineers, do not want to harm people or to behave dishonestly. But sometimes they feel pressure from unscrupulous competitors to behave improperly. Thus, to the extent that IEEE ethics support raises the level of moral behavior in general, they benefit through a reduction in this pressure.