Code of Ethics

Code of Ethis

We have made quality our habit. It’s not something that we strive for – we live by this principle every day.

While most things about the creative process will be forgotten, the excellence of our products and services will be remembered.

The purpose of this code is to articulate the values and ideals at the heart of our work and to unify board members, staff, volunteers, supporters, and community partners in adhering to these values and ideals as we work toward our goals of empowering all individuals to volunteer and help causes in their community, thereby creating a pervasive culture of community involvement.

Our Mission

LALOP has a clearly stated mission in pursuit of the public good, and all programs shall support that mission. All who work for and/or on behalf of LALOP will understand and be loyal to that mission and purpose. The mission shall remain responsive to the constituencies and communities served by LALOP and of value to society at large.

Governance

LALOP’s Board of Directors must have no material conflict of interest in their role on the board and will serve without compensation. The Board is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and shall approve and oversee the finances, operations, and policies of the organization.

The Board of Directors:

Ensures that its officers and directors have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all board members understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of LALOP and its public purpose.
Holds regular meetings and ensures a quorum is present at each board meeting.
Records minutes for each meeting which are approved by the Board within sixty days and retained in the organization’s records.
Adheres to a conflict of interest policy and ensures that any conflicts or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal, or other means.
Oversees and approves the hiring, firing, and review of the performance of any paid staff or contractor and ensures that the compensation is reasonable, fair, and appropriate.
Ensures staff employees, contractors, and volunteers provide timely and comprehensive information so that the governing body can effectively carry out its duties.
Ensures LALOP conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty.
Ensures LALOP promotes working relationships with contractors, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness, and openness.
Ensures LALOP is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all board, staff, contractor, and volunteer positions.
Ensures LALOP's policies are in writing, clearly articulated available, and enforced.
Ensures that the organization can carry out its programs effectively.

Personal and Professional Integrity

LALOP's working environment shall value respect, fairness, and integrity. Accordingly, LALOP's board of directors, volunteers, and staff shall act with honesty, integrity, and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the organization to all constituents served by its programs and projects.

Responsible Stewardship

LALOP shall manage organization funds responsibly and prudently. This should include the following considerations:

All financial practices and policies shall be fair, reasonable, and appropriate to further LALOP’s charitable mission.
The Board of Directors shall approve the organization’s annual budget and will receive regular financial reports that are factually accurate and complete in all material respects.
A reasonable percentage of public contributions shall be applied to programs and activities described in solicitations following donor expectations.
The organization shall strive to keep its administrative and fundraising costs low relative to its overall budget. An adequate amount shall be spent on administrative expenses to ensure effective accounting systems, internal controls, competent staff, and other expenditures critical to professional management.
LALOP shall compensate staff, contractors, and any others who may receive compensation appropriately. All compensation shall be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors. If decisions regarding compensation present a conflict of interest for a Board Member, that Board Member will recuse themselves from the vote.
Reasonable internal controls shall be in place to safeguard LALOP’s assets from theft or misuse and shall exercise adequate controls over expenditures and disbursements.
LALOP shall adopt a Whistleblower Policy. The policy will be distributed to the board, staff, and volunteers and shall be made available to the public on the organization’s website. Activate Good will take timely and appropriate action to address concerns brought forth following that policy.

Ethical Promotion & Accountability

Primary informational data about the organization, such as Form 990, will be posted on the LALOP Association website or otherwise made available to the public. All solicitation materials, financial records, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects. Further, LALOP Association shall provide comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders and promptly respond to reasonable requests for information.

Fundraising

LALOP shall raise funds from the public and donor institutions and be truthful in solicitation materials. LALOP will respect the privacy concerns of individual donors and expends funds consistent with donor intent. LALOP shall disclose important and relevant information to potential donors.

In raising funds, the LALOP Association will respect the rights of donors as follows:

To be informed of LALOP’s mission, how the resources will be used, and their capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the LALOP Board of Directors and to expect the Board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
To have access to the most recent LALOP financial reports according to State and Federal disclosure requirements applicable to tax-exempt organizations.
To be assured, their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional.
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, LALOP employees, or solicitors.
To have the opportunity to request exclusion from LALOP’s mailing list.
Feel free to ask questions when donating and to receive truthful and forthright answers.

Legal & Regulatory Compliance

LALOP will be vigilant in compliance with laws, regulations, and applicable conventions that govern and regulate tax-exempt organizations.

Inclusiveness & Diversity

LALOP shall promote inclusiveness and diversity. LALOP shall take meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and constituencies served in the community.