Policies & governance
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
How the Foundation identifies, discloses, and manages conflicts of interest in assistance decisions.
Why this matters here
The Foundation was founded by a family with direct personal experience of adoption, custody proceedings, kinship, and foster care. Because the people making funding decisions are related to one another, conflicts are identified and managed as a matter of routine rather than as an exception.
Annual disclosure
All board members sign a conflict of interest form annually. Signed forms are retained with the organization’s records.
Duty to disclose
Beyond the annual form, directors, officers, and volunteers are expected to disclose any financial interest, family relationship, or other circumstance that could reasonably appear to affect their judgment in a matter before the Foundation, as soon as it arises.
Managing a conflict
A person with a conflict does not participate in the review, discussion, or approval of the affected matter. The conflict and its handling are recorded.
Related parties
The Foundation does not provide assistance to a director, officer, or member of their immediate family, and does not accept a designated gift intended to benefit any specific individual.
Review
Conflict review is a standing part of the assistance review process, not an exception to it.