Independent Sector Announces Accountability Initiative
PND - Independent Sector Announces Accountability Initiative
Independent Sector, a national membership organization that works to strengthen the philanthropic sector, has announced a new accountability initiative to help the boards and staff of nonprofit organizations develop clear standards and procedures for ethical behavior.
To that end, the organization has issued a call for all nonprofits to adopt and follow a code of ethics; released a revised edition of Obedience to the Unenforceable: Ethics and the Nation's Voluntary and Philanthropic Community (28 pages, PDF), its original 1991 statement on ethics; and created an online compendium of the standards of more than sixty nonprofits, including charity watchdog groups, nonprofit associations, and foundations. The Web-based compilation is organized by subsector and will be updated on a regular basis.
In addition, IS has issued an updated version of Intermediate Sanctions: What You Need to Know about the IRS Regulations (32 pages, PDF), a guide for nonprofits that defines key IRS terms and details situations that could result in sanctions being imposed on an individual or organization, and will convene an Ethics and Accountability Committee, to be chaired by Independent Sector board member William R. Trueheart, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Foundation, to oversee its efforts.
"Public trust is the sine qua non of the nonprofit sector," said Independent Sector president and CEO Sara E. Meléndez. "During this time of economic uncertainty, the sector's organizations will be increasingly challenged to do more with less, but it will be impossible to meet the challenge without the financial support and volunteer efforts of our fellow citizens. It is critical that nonprofits and foundations continuously strengthen their accountability systems to assure the public — especially contributors and volunteers — that the trust they have placed in the sector is well-deserved."
“Independent Sector Announces Multi-Tiered Accountability Initiative.”
Independent Sector Press Release
11/07/02.
Primary Subject: Philanthropy and Voluntarism
FC005319
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