Care
Integrity
Trust
Partnership

II.   Integrity

All board members, staff and volunteers will act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the organization. The organization will promote a working environment that values respect, fairness and integrity and builds trust and partnership.

III.    Mission

The Board of Directors is responsible to ensure that the mission of the organization is responsive to the needs of the community. The Board regularly reviews the mission statement as part of its visioning and strategic planning process. The Board and the staff regularly evaluate the administrative and programmatic activities of the organization to ensure alignment and compliance with the mission. Board members, staff and volunteers are expected to understand and advance the mission as part of their duty of loyalty to ChildServe.

IV.    Governance

The Board of Directors is the governing authority of ChildServe, Inc. and its subsidiary companies. The Board sets the mission and strategic direction of the organization and provides oversight of all administrative and programmatic activities.  The Board operates under a specific set of governance principles. 

V.     Legal Compliance

The organization will be knowledgeable of and comply with all laws, regulations and applicable outside standards of conduct. The organization will consider compliance with such laws, regulations, and standards to constitute the minimum acceptable standards of conduct and will strive to exceed such requirements in the pursuit of its own standards of quality and excellence.

VI.    Stewardship

The organization will manage its funds responsibly and prudently.  Administrative spending will be sufficient to allow for adequate controls while maintaining a large percentage of the organization’s annual budget to be spent on programs in pursuance of the ChildServe mission.  Good stewardship will be demonstrated by following a specific list of stewardship principles.

VII.    Openness & Disclosure

The organization will provide comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders and be responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information. All information about the organization will fully and honestly reflect the policies and practices of the organization. Basic informational data about the organization, such as the Form 990, reviews and compilations, and audited financial statements will be posted on the organization’s website or be otherwise made available to the public upon request.  All solicitation materials will accurately represent the organization’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.

VIII. Continuous Improvement and Quality

The organization will conduct regularly scheduled reviews of program effectiveness and maintain mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. The organization will be committed to continuous improvement of its administrative and program effectiveness and will develop mechanisms to promote learning from its activities in its field. The organization will stay responsive to changes in its field of activity and be responsive to the needs of its constituencies.  The organization will strive to show quality leadership in all areas of its Mission as demonstrated by comparison to industry benchmarks and best practices.

IX.    Inclusiveness & Diversity

The organization will promote, as a matter of policy, inclusiveness in its staff, board and volunteers and will make efforts to create a diverse environment in order to enrich its programmatic effectiveness. The organization will take meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and constituencies served.

X.    Partnerships & Relationships

Board members and the organization’s senior leaders will ensure that relationships and partnerships are free from conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof. In cases where duality of interest exists, they must be appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal or other appropriate means. Staff partnerships with families and relationships with children will be free of conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof. Specific guidance on the management of potential conflicts in these relationships is provided by policy. 

XI.    Fundraising

The organization will be truthful in its solicitation materials. The organization will respect the privacy concerns of individual donors and expend funds consistent with donor intent. The organization will disclose important and relevant material information to potential donors upon request, including, but not limited to, what portion of the organization’s expenses are allocated to programs, administration and fund-raising activities.  ChildServe will protect its benefactors and stakeholders by adhering to a Donor Bill of Rights.

XII. Violations of the Standards of Conduct.

The organization will provide safe, confidential and open means of communication for any interested person to report violations of the Standards of Conduct. The organization will assure that no retaliation or adverse impact is felt by any person making a report of such violations. The organization will conduct prompt and timely investigations of any alleged violations and shall do so in a manner that protects the integrity and confidentiality of the investigation process.  Persons found to be in violation of the Standards of Conduct will be subject to progressive discipline consistent with the policies of the organization, up to and including termination of their employment or appointment.