Home
Photo Gallery
Agencies
AGENCIAS EN ESPANOL
Code of Ethics
Calendar
Directors List
Major Donors
Pledge Form
Payroll Form
2007 Allocations
2007 Operating Budget


Contact Webmaster

Other United Way Offices

• Metro Tarrant

• Metro Dallas

• Parker County

• Denton County

• United Way Texas

• United Way America

• Wichita Falls

The Wise County Resource Book may be opened in pdf format. You may then print the file or save it to your computer.

United Way of Wise County
Wise County Courthouse
P.O. Box 213
Decatur, TX 76234

United Way of Wise County (UWWC)

Code of Ethics

For Volunteers, Representatives and Employees

 Approved by the United Way of Wise County Board of Directors on January 20, 2006 in a meeting in which a quorum was present.

References:

(1)   Articles of Incorporation of UWWC

(2)   Bylaws of UWWC

The United Way of Wise County volunteers (including Directors), representatives and employees are committed to ensuring the highest ethical standards within the organization and the community.  The success of United Way of Wise County and the reputation it maintains depend upon the ethical conduct of everyone affiliated with the organization.  Volunteers, staff and representatives set an example for each other and for all community organizations by their pursuit of excellence in high standards of performance, professionalism and ethical conduct.

While no one document can cover all of the challenges that may arise, this Code of Ethics (Code) communicates key guidelines and will assist volunteers, staff and representatives in making good decisions that are ethical and in accordance with applicable legal requirements. 

I.                Personal and Professional Integrity

A personal commitment to integrity in all circumstances benefits each individual as well as the organization. We therefore:

A.     Strive to meet the highest standards of performance, quality, service and achievement in working towards the United Way of Wise County mission.

B.     Communicate honestly and openly and avoid misrepresentation.

C.     Promote a working environment where honesty, open communication and minority opinions are valued.

D.    Exhibit respect and fairness toward all those with whom we come into contact.

II.              Accountability

United Way of Wise County is responsible to its stakeholders, which include member organizations, donors and others who have placed faith in our organization.  To uphold this trust, we:

A.     Promote good stewardship of all United Way resources, including time, talent and treasure.  This includes contributions, fees, grants and pass-through money as well as physical resources and the gift of time that is given to United Way of Wise County.

B.     Refrain from using organizational resources for non-United Way purposes.

C.     Observe and comply with all laws and regulations affecting United Way of Wise County.

III.            Solicitations and Voluntary Giving

The most responsive contributors are those who have the opportunity to become informed and involved.  We therefore:

A.     Promote voluntary giving with donors and vendors 

B.     Refrain from any use of coercion in fundraising activities.

IV.            Diversity and Equal Opportunity

UWWC will act as an inclusive organization that respects the dignity, uniqueness and intrinsic worth of every individual in the community. UWWC is committed to the principle of diversity. UWWC recognizes that cultural differences among people provide perspectives that create vitality, new ways of thinking and growth in the organization, and they are valued in UWWC’s employment and volunteer recruitment practices. UWWC is an equal opportunity employer and will take steps necessary to insure that its governing board, volunteers and staff reflect the diversity of the Wise County community. Therefore, we will:

A.     Value, champion and embrace diversity in all aspects of UWWC activities and respect others without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin or ancestry, veteran status, or status as a qualified disabled or handicapped individual.

B.     Refuse to engage in or tolerate any form of harassment.

V.              Conflicts of Interest

To successfully accomplish its mission as stated in Reference (1) above, UWWC must secure the highest levels of public trust and credibility. Therefore, it is necessary to establish and maintain a policy of avoiding conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof at all times. To this end it is the policy of this organization that all volunteers, staff and representatives (including members of the Board of Directors) will be advised of and adhere to the following:

A.     Per Article III, Section 5 of Reference (1), “no part of the net earnings of this corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes” of the corporation, i.e. distributing funds raised to qualifying charities.

B.     Per Article III, Section 6 of Reference (1), “no member of the corporation shall have any individual proprietary right or interest in any of the property of the corporation.”

C.     Per Article VI, Sections 1 and 2 of Reference (1), the Directors of this corporation “shall be volunteers and neither paid personnel of this corporation nor of any organization receiving financial support from this corporation” and “shall receive no compensation for their services as members of the Board of Directors.”

D.    Avoid any activity or outside interest which conflicts or appears to conflict with the best interest of UWWC, including involvement with a current or potential vendor, grantee, potential grantee or competing organization unless disclosed to and not deemed to be inappropriate by the UWWC Executive Committee.

E.     Ensure that outside employment and other activities do not adversely affect the performance of UWWC duties or the achievement of UWWC’s mission.

F.     Ensure that travel, entertainment and related expenses are incurred on a basis consistent with the mission of UWWC and not for personal gain or interests.

G.    Decline any gift, gratuity or favor in the performance of UWWC duties except for promotional items of nominal value and any food, transportation, lodging or entertainment unless directly related to UWWC business.

H.    Refrain from influencing the selection of staff, consultants or vendors who are relatives or personal friends or affiliated with, employ, or are employed by a person with whom the person has a relationship that adversely affects the appearance of impartiality.

I.       Refrain from influencing the selection of agencies for membership, funding or favor with which the person has a relationship that adversely affects the appearance of impartiality.

J.      Volunteers shall not knowingly take any action, or make any statement, intended to influence the conduct of UWWC in such a way as to confer any financial benefit on themselves, their immediate family members or any organization in which they or their immediate family members have a significant financial interest as stakeholders, directors or officers.

K.    Disclose all known conflicts or potential conflicts of interest in any matter before the Board of Directors, if they are Board members, or any committee upon which they serve, and withdraw from the meeting room during any discussion, review and voting in connection with such matter.

L.     UWWC staff will refrain from serving on any Board or Advisory Board that receives or might request funding from UWWC.

All staff and members of the Board of Directors shall annually file with the Executive Committee a disclosure statement of all known potential conflicts of interest.

All matters and allegations concerning potential conflicts of interest shall be referred first to the Executive Committee for consideration. If the Executive Committee finds that a conflict exists they may take whatever action is appropriate and necessary to resolve the conflict, up to and including termination of staff and, in the case of Directors, recommendation to the Board of termination of a Director’s remaining term.

VI.            Confidentiality and Privacy

Confidentiality is a hallmark of professionalism.  We therefore will:

A.     Ensure that all information, which is confidential, privileged or nonpublic, is not disclosed inappropriately.

B.     Respect the privacy rights of all individuals in the performance of their United Way duties.

VII.          Political Contributions

United Way of Wise County encourages individual participation in civic affairs.  As a charitable organization, United Way of Wise County may not make contributions to any candidate for public office or political committee and may not intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.  We therefore:

A.     Refrain from making any contributions to any candidate for public office or political committee on behalf of United Way.

B.     Refrain from making any contributions to any candidate for public office or political committee in a manner that may create the appearance that the contribution is on behalf of United Way.

C.     Refrain from using any organizational financial resources, facilities or personnel to endorse or oppose a candidate for public office.

D.    Clearly communicate that we are not acting on behalf of the organization, if identified as an official of United Way, while engaging in political activities in an individual capacity.

E.     Refrain from engaging in political activities in a manner that may create the appearance that such activity is by or on behalf of United Way.

VIII.       Guidance and Disclosure

Volunteers, staff and representatives are encouraged to seek guidance for the Executive Committee concerning the interpretation or application of this Code of Ethics.  Any known or possible breaches of the Code of Ethics should be disclosed to the President and/or Executive Director. Reports of possible breaches will be handled in the following manner;

A.     All reports of possible breaches will be treated in confidence as much as the organization’s duty to investigate and the law allow.  If confidentiality cannot be maintained, the individual disclosing the possible breach will be notified.

B.     All reports of breaches will be investigated and, if needed, appropriate action taken based upon the policies of the organization.

C.     Retaliation against a person who suspects and reports a breach in good faith will be treated as an independent breach of the Code.

D.    United Way affirms prompt and fair resolution of all reported breaches.

NOTE: All Directors, Volunteers, Representatives and Employees shall be provided a copy of this Code and will provide written acknowledgement to the UWWC Executive Office of their agreement to abide by the Code during their tenure with UWWC, including disclosure of any known or potential conflicts of interest, in the manner prescribed by the Executive Committee.

This Code was approved and adopted by the UWWC Board of Directors on January 20, 2006.

 what matters. ^TM