Accountability, Transparency & Legal Compliance
Bluffton Self Help exists to serve the public good. We have a legal and ethical obligation to conduct our activities in a way that ensures our accountability and is transparent, or clearly evident, to the public. Communication to constituents and the public about the mission, activities, and decision-making is open, honest, and ongoing. Information that is easily accessible promotes external visibility, public understanding, and trust.
Best Practices
- Board and staff know about and adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and fiduciary responsibilities. Bluffton Self Help conducts a periodic internal review of compliance and provides a summary of results to the board and staff.
- Bluffton Self Help has adopted a code of ethics and makes it publicly available.
- Bluffton Self Help has a formal conflict of interest policy that meets minimum IRS standards and guidelines and ensures board and staff members adhere to this policy in all dealings.
- A “whistleblower” policy and system are in place that allows individuals to report misconduct confidentially and without negative consequences for doing so.
- Bluffton Self Help has the policy to respect and protect the confidentiality and privacy rights of clients, members, grantees, employees, donors, volunteers, evaluation participants, and others in the organization, consistent with applicable law. It does not release or disclose information about those individuals or organizations without their specific knowledge, understanding, and permission, except as required by law or appropriate standards of organizational transparency.
- Bluffton Self Help prepares and makes available to the public annually a report that includes information about the mission, programs, basic financial data, board and staff members, and volunteers.
