View our document below for detail information.

Code of Ethical Conduct

I. Personal and Professional Integrity

All staff, board members, and volunteers of Shaw Pit Bull Rescue, Inc. (SPBR) act with honesty, integrity, and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the organization. The organization promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness, and integrity.

II. Mission

SPBR has a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the board, 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.

III. Governance

SPBR has an active governing body, the board, which is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and oversight of the finances, operations, and policies of SPBR. The board

• Ensures that its members have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all members understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of SPBR 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
• Has a statement of personal commitment that provides attestation to the commitment to SPBR’s goals and values
• Is responsible for the hiring, firing, and regular review of the performance of its chief executive, and ensures that the compensation of the chief executive, the chief financial officer, and other senior management positions as the board deems appropriate is reasonable
• Ensures that the chief executive and appropriate staff provide the board with timely and comprehensive information so that the board can effectively carry out its duties
• Ensures that SPBR conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty
• Ensures that SPBR promotes working relationships with board members, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness, and openness
• Ensures that the organization is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all board, staff, and volunteer positions
• Ensures that policies of SPBR are in writing, clearly articulated, and officially adopted
• Ensures that the resources of SPBR are responsibly and prudently managed
• Ensures that SPBR has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively

IV. Responsible Stewardship

SPBR manages its funds responsibly and prudently. This should include the following considerations:

• Spends an adequate amount on administrative expenses to ensure effective accounting systems, internal controls, competent staff, and other expenditures critical to professional management
• Compensates staff, and any others who may receive compensation, reasonably and appropriately
• Knows that solicitation of funds has reasonable fundraising costs, recognizing the variety of factors that affect fundraising costs
• Does not accumulate operating funds excessively
• Ensures that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable, and appropriate to fulfill the mission of SPBR
• Ensures that all financial reports are factually accurate and complete in all material respects

V. Openness and Disclosure

SPBR 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 SPBR will fully and honestly reflect the policies and practices of the organization. Basic informational data about SPBR, such as the Form 990, will be posted online or otherwise made available to the public. All solicitation materials accurately represent SPBR’s policies and practices and will reflect the dignity of program beneficiaries. All financial, organizational, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects.

VI. Legal Compliance

SPBR is knowledgeable of, and complies with, laws and regulations.

VII. Program Evaluation

SPBR regularly reviews program effectiveness and has mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. The organization is committed to improving program and organizational effectiveness and develops mechanisms to promote learning from its activities and the field.

VIII. Inclusiveness and Diversity

SPBR has a policy of promoting inclusiveness and its staff, board, and volunteers reflect diversity in order to enrich its programmatic effectiveness. SPBR takes meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment, and constituencies served.

IX. Fundraising

SPBR solicitation of funds from the public or from donor institutions uses material that is truthful about the organization. SPBR respects the privacy concerns of individual donors and expends funds consistent with donor intent. SPBR discloses important and relevant information to potential donors.

In raising funds from the public, SPBR will respect the rights of donors, as follows:

Donors will be informed of the mission of SPBR, the way the resources will be used, and their capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purpose. Further, they will

• Be informed of the identity of those serving on SPBR’s governing board and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities
• Have access to SPBR’s most recent financial reports
• Be assured their gifts will be used for purposes for which they are given
• Receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition
• Be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law
• Be approached in a professional manner
• Be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of SPBR, or hired solicitors
• Have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that SPBR may intend to share
• Be encouraged to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers.

Reporting Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all directors, officers, and employees to comply with the code of ethical conduct and to report violations or suspected violations to the compliance officer ([secretary/treasurer]) in accordance with the whistleblower policy. The compliance officer will notify the sender and acknowledge receipt of the reported violation or suspected violation within five business days, unless the submission of the violation is anonymous. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken if warranted by the investigation.