Conflict of Interest

Purpose

Charitable funds are held in trust for the foundation’s programs. A personal, family, or financial interest should not decide how those funds are spent, which vendor is hired, or which organization receives support.

Who this draft is meant to cover

Awaiting confirmation: the board still needs to name the roles covered by an adopted policy. This draft is written for directors, officers, employees, and volunteers who can approve a grant, purchase, or other foundation decision.

What should be disclosed

A person covered by this draft should tell the foundation, before a decision is made, when that person or an immediate family member:

• owns or is paid by an organization seeking foundation funds;
• would receive a personal financial benefit from the decision; or
• has another relationship that could reasonably affect the person’s judgment.

Stepping aside

After a disclosure, that person should not take part in the discussion or the decision. Someone without the interest should make the decision, and the disclosure should be kept with the foundation’s records. Awaiting confirmation: where those records are kept, who reviews them, and how often disclosures are renewed.

Gifts and outside offers

Awaiting confirmation: the foundation has not published a dollar limit for gifts, meals, or other offers from vendors, applicants, or recipient organizations. Until a limit is adopted, people covered by this draft should decline an offer that could reasonably affect a foundation decision, and should report the offer through the contact page.

Questions

Questions about this draft can be sent through the contact page. Please do not send payment card numbers or confidential beneficiary information through that form.