Code of Ethics
Personal and Professional Intergrity
All staff, board members and volunteers of the Fund act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the Fund. The Fund promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness and integrity.
Mission
The PEACE Fund has a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the board of directors, in pursuit of the public good. All of its programs support that mission and all who work for or on behalf of the organization understand and are loyal to that mission and purpose. The mission is responsive to the constituency and communities served by the Fund and of value to the society at large.
Governance
The PEACE Fund has an active governing body that is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and oversight of its finances, operations, and policies. The governing body:
- Ensures that its board members or trustees have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all members understand and fulfil their governance duties acting for the benefit of the organization and its public purpose;
- Has a conflict of interest policy that ensures that any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal or other means; and
- Is responsible for the performance of the chief executive officer.
- Ensures that the CEO and appropriate advisers provide the governing body with timely and comprehensive information so that the governing body can effectively carry out its duties;
- Ensures that the Fund conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty;
- Ensures that the Fund promotes working relationships with board members, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness;
- Ensures that the Fund is fair and inclusive in its promotion policies and practices for all board, and volunteer positions;
- Ensures that policies of the Fund are in writing, clearly articulated and officially adopted;
- Ensures that the resources of the Fund are responsibly and prudently managed; and,
- Ensures that the Fund has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.
Legal Compliance
The Fund is knowledgeable of and complies with all laws, regulations and applicable international conventions.
Responsible Stewardship
The organization and its subsidiaries manage their funds responsibly and prudently. This includes the following considerations:
- The Fund spends the minimum amount possible on administrative expenses to ensure effective accounting systems, internal controls, and other expenditures critical to professional management;
- The Fund ensures that all reimbursements for fundraising costs are clearly documented and transparent, recognizing the variety of factors that affect fundraising costs;
- The Fund exercises appropriate due diligence and ensures that its funds are allocated to appropriate recipients in a timely manner;
- The Fund ensures that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable and appropriate to fulfil the mission of the organization; and,
- All financial reports are factually accurate and complete in all material respects.
Openness and Disclosure
The Fund provides comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders and is responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information. All information about the Fund will fully and honestly reflect the policies and practices of the Fund.
Program Evaluation
The Fund regularly reviews program effectiveness and has mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. It is committed to improving program and organizational effectiveness and develops mechanisms to promote learning from its activities and the field. The Fund is responsive to changes in its field of activity and is responsive to the needs of its constituencies.
Inclusiveness and Diversity
The Fund has a policy of promoting inclusiveness and its staff, board and volunteers reflect diversity in order to enrich its programmatic effectiveness. The Fund takes meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in all of its activities.
Fundraising
The Fund is truthful in its solicitation materials. It respects the privacy concerns of individual donors and expends funds consistent with donor intent. Important and relevant information to potential donors is disclosed.
The PEACE Fund's Code of Ethics draws on The Statement of Values and Code of Ethics for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Organizations, drafted by a subcommittee of the Independent Sector Ethics and Accountability Committee. Its members (with affiliations at the time of their service on the subcommittee) included;
- Cass Wheeler, president and CEO, American Heart Association, chair
- Ed Able, president and CEO, American Associations of Museums;
- Angela Glover Blackwell, president, Policy Link;
- The Reverend J. Bryan Hehir, president, Catholic Charities USA;
- Graham Phaup, executive director, Institute for Global Ethics;
- H. Art Taylor, president and CEO, BBB Wise Giving Alliance; and
- Bill Trueheart, president and CEO, The Pittsburgh Foundation.