ÀÏ·ò×Ó´«Ã½

PRINCIPLES, VALUES & POLICIES

CLEAR & TRANSPARENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

In order to ensure the proper, efficient and effective use of resources in support of ÀÏ·ò×Ó´«Ã½ (JPR) and to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility, the JPRF Board of Directors will:

• Ensure that there are proper policies in place for ethics, conflict of interest, disclosure, and identification of fraud, records retention, and whistleblower protection.
• Review all financial statements and ensure that they are clear, understandable and communicate proper information for adequate stewardship as well as budget comparisons and expense analysis.
• Ensure that the Treasurer and JPRF Finance Committee review and approve the annual Balance Sheet, Operating Statement, and Cash Flow Statement for all JPRF activities.
• Review procedures for internal financial controls to ensure that they safeguard and protect the assets of the JPRF.
• Review compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and compliance with internal policies and procedures.

ETHICS POLICY

Not-for-profit institutions must take every step possible to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to the core values of integrity, honesty, openness, and responsibility.  But institutions are composed of people, and it is up to the people - governing board members, management, staff, and volunteers - to live this commitment through their actions and business practices.

1. Personal and Professional Integrity:  All members of the Board of Directors, management, and staff shall act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of theJPRF. Each member of the Board of Directors, management, staff, and volunteers are expected to comply with all applicable provisions of this Ethics Policy.

2.  Governance: The administrative management, staff, and volunteers shall:

• Provide the Board of Directors with accurate, timely, comprehensive and sufficiently detailed information so that the Board of Directors can effectively carry out its responsibilities, to include budget proposals, expense reports and program evaluations.
• Ensure that all financial transactions are properly documented with documents retained in accordance with the organization's Document Retention Policy.
• Ensure that operating policies and procedures (including approval of expenditures and disbursements) are in writing, clearly articulated, and officially adopted.
• Ensure that full and complete cooperation is given to internal and external auditors.
• Ensure that violations of this Ethics Policy are brought to the attention of management and, where appropriate, to the Board of Directors.

3.  Legal and Regulatory Compliance:  The administrative management, staff, and volunteers are to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

4.  Responsible Stewardship:  The administrative organization and departments are to manage their funds responsibly and prudently. This shall include the following considerations:

• The administration budgets and expends funds to ensure effective accounting systems,internal controls, competent staff, and other expenditures critical to proper management.
• The administration prudently draws from endowment funds consistent with donor intent and in accordance with the budget and finance plans as approved by the Board of Directors.
• The administration ensures that special collection funds are disbursed in accordance with donor intent.
• The administration ensures that all spending practices and policies (for both the central administration and the various departments) are documented and consistent with the officially adopted budget of the JPRF.
• The administration ensures that all financial reports are sufficiently detailed, factually accurate, and complete in all material respects.
• The administration regularly reviews the effectiveness of the various programs of the JPRF and reports the results of those reviews together with recommendations to the Board of Directors.

5.  Openness and Disclosure:  AllJPRFaudited financial statements are made available to the public. All financial, organizational, and program reports shall be complete and accurate in all material respects.

6.  Fundraising:  

• The administration is truthful in their solicitation materials.
• The administration respects the privacy concerns of individual donors and expends funds consistent with donor intent.
• The administration discloses important and relevant information to potential donors.
• Donors shall be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given and information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

7.  Exceptions and Amendments:  No individual on the Board of Directors or administrative management has authority to dispense with or grant any exception regarding any of these policy requirements. Any desired exception is required to be brought for review to the entire Board of Directors. This Policy shall be reviewed by the Board of Directors every three years. Any amendment to the Policy requires endorsement by the Board of Directors.

DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS

All donors to the JPRF should expect:

• To be informed of the mission of the JPRF, of the way the JPRF intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
• To be informed of the identity of those serving on the Board of Directors, the Finance Committee, and the administration of the JPRF, and to expect those responsible to exercise prudent judgment in their stewardship responsibilities.
• To be provided with a copy, upon request, of the most recent financial statements of the JPRF.
• To be assured their gifts shall 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 the extent provided by law.
• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing the JPRF to the donor shall be professional.
• To be informed about those individuals who are seeking donations and their relationship to the administration of the JPRF.
• To have assurance that mailing lists will not be shared with any organization outside of the JPRF.
• To have the right to ask pertinent questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers.