FOUNDATION FOR VIRGINIA'S NATURAL RESOURCES
Code of Ethics and Accountability

A. Personal and Professional Integrity

The Foundation for Virginia’s Natural Resources Board members, staff and volunteers shall act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the Foundation. The Foundation promotes a working atmosphere that values respect, fairness, and integrity.

B. Mission

The Foundation shall have a clearly stated mission and vision, approved by the Board of Trustees, in pursuit of the public good. The Foundation’s mission statement is “A Natural Resources Philanthropy for Virginia.” The Foundation's vision is “Enhanced natural resources conservation for the Commonwealth of Virginia through complementary efforts by diverse sectors and collaboration through a strategic, watershed-based approach.”

All Foundation programs shall support its mission and vision. All who work for or on behalf of the Foundation will understand and be loyal to that mission and vision. The mission shall be responsive to the constituencies and communities served by the Foundation and of value to the Commonwealth at large.

C. Board of Trustees

The Foundation shall have an active governing body, a Board of Trustees, which is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organization and oversight of its policies, finances, and operations. The Board of Trustees is responsible to ensure that the highest standards of personal and professional ethics remain a core value of the Foundation. Specifically, the Board shall:

Ensure that the Foundation strictly follows the Code of Virginia, for which it was established, including submitting to the Governor and General Assembly a biennial executive summary of its activity and work.
Ensure that the proper ethical tone is present in all dealings with stakeholders and constituents of the Foundation.
Ensure that the resources of the Foundation are responsibly and prudently managed.
Ensure that any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure or other means, and that this policy is reviewed with the Board on an annual basis. This will be accomplished by ensuring that each Board member and staff adheres to the Commonwealth Conflict of Interest Act (§§ 2.2–3100 to 3131 of the Code of Virginia).
Ensure that the Foundation conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty;
Ensure that the Foundation promotes working relationships with Board members, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness;
Requires that the Foundation is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all Board, staff and volunteer positions; and,
Ensure that all meetings, business, and policy decisions are guided by the Bylaws of the Foundation.

D. Legal Compliance

The Foundation will be vigilant in compliance with laws and regulations.

E. Responsible Financial Stewardship

The Foundation shall manage its funds responsibly and prudently. This would include the following considerations:
Maintain a policy of effective internal controls and has an independent financial review performed each year;
Ensure that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable and appropriate to fulfill the mission of the organization.
All financial reports will be timely, factually accurate and complete.

F. Openness and Disclosure

The Foundation shall provide comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders. The Foundation shall timely respond to reasonable requests for information, ensuring that:

All information about the Foundation fully and honestly reflects its policies and practices.
All solicitation materials accurately represent the Foundation's policies and practices.
All financial, organizational, and program reports will be complete and accurate.
All financial records, reports and other data are open to public review.

G. Inclusiveness and Diversity

The Foundation shall promote inclusiveness and endeavor through its staff, Board and volunteers to reflect the cultural and economic diversity of the Commonwealth of Virginia in order to enrich its programmatic effectiveness.

H. Fundraising

The Foundation shall raise funds from the public and from private businesses and be truthful in solicitation materials. The Foundation will respect the privacy concerns of donors and will expend funds consistent with their intent. The Foundation shall disclose relevant information about its programs to potential donors.

In raising funds, the Foundation will maintain a gift solicitation and acceptance policy to respect the rights of donors. Donors have the rights:

To be informed of the Foundation’s mission, the way the resources will be used and their capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes;
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the Foundation Board of Trustees and to expect the Board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities;
To have access to the most recent Foundation financial reports;
To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given;
To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition;
To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality;
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature;
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, Foundation employees or hired solicitors;
To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from lists that the Foundation may intend to share; and,
To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

I. Grant Funding Guidance

Funding for programs/projects shall meet the mission, goals and laws of the Foundation.
Applicants must strictly follow the established guidelines for grant funding as published on the Foundation website.
The Foundation Grants Committee will develop and follow grant making protocols that includes protocols and evaluation criteria adopted by the Board.
Successful applicants will be held accountable for agreed upon outcomes, completion data and reporting processes.

Last modified: Friday, 07-Mar-2008 14:13:13 EST

FOUNDATION FOR VIRGINIA'S NATURAL RESOURCES Code of Ethics and Accountability