Manada Conservancy requires officers, Board members, other volunteers, and employees to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. Employees and representatives of the organization must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling their responsibilities and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. This Whistleblower Policy governs:
- The confidential and anonymous submission of concerns regarding questionable accounting, internal controls, auditing matters, or unethical behavior by employees, trustees, officers, and other stakeholders of the organization.
- The receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received by the organization regarding accounting, internal controls, auditing matters, or unethical behaviors.
- The protection from retaliatory actions directed toward individuals who report such complaints and concerns.
Reporting Responsibility
If any officer, Board member, employee, or volunteer reasonably believes that some policy, practice, or activity of Manada Conservancy violates a law or constitutes an improper ethical, accounting, internal control, or financial matter, then that individual should make an oral or written complaint to the President or the Executive Director. Manada Conservancy encourages the prompt submission of concerns so that rapid and constructive action can be taken to eliminate the potential ethical, accounting, internal control, or financial issue.
No Retaliation
This Whistleblower Policy is intended to encourage and enable officers, Board members, employees, and volunteers to raise good faith concerns within the organization for investigation and appropriate action. With this goal in mind, no individual who, in good faith, reports a concern shall be subject to retaliation or, in the case of an employee, adverse employment consequences. Moreover, a volunteer or employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a concern in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including dismissal from the volunteer position or termination of employment.
Acting in Good Faith
Anyone reporting a concern must act in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates an improper accounting or auditing practice, violation of law or regulation, or unethical behavior. Making allegations that are determined by Manada Conservancy to be malicious, reckless, or with the foreknowledge that the allegations are false, is a serious offense and may result in discipline, up to and including dismissal from the volunteer position or termination of employment. Such conduct may also give rise to other actions, including civil lawsuits.
Confidentiality
Reports of concerns, and investigations pertaining thereto, shall be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation and, as necessary, to allow due consideration by the Board.
Resolution of concern or allegation
The concern is to be brought to the attention of either the Executive Director or the President of the Board, each of whom will then inform the other. In the event that one of these two is the subject of the concern, then the Vice President of the Board will be the second conferee.
The two conferees will determine a course of action, which will include a timely investigation to determine the facts of the situation. This investigation will begin as soon as feasible and will proceed as quickly as possible to obtain, review, and carefully consider all relevant information. A summary of the investigation and pertinent findings will be permanently and securely maintained by Manada Conservancy as a confidential, non-personnel document. Conclusions of the investigation will be reported to the full Board.