This document was drafted by the Board of Directors and staff of the Oswego Maritime Foundation (OMF), with the assistive resources of Independent Sector and the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. It is to be available for the OMF membership and supporters for review and comment from April to June 2005, and then approved by the Board of Directors at the July 2005 meeting. It constitutes the Statement of Values and Code of Ethics that OMF will use for its work in carrying out the mission and purpose of the foundation.

Introduction

As a matter of fundamental principle, the Oswego Maritime Foundation shall adhere to the highest ethical standards of non-profit, philanthropic and business conduct because it is the right thing to do. The trust the public, our members and supporters, and those we serve have in our performance is the bedrock of our legitimacy.

The Board of Directors and staff of the OMF pledge themselves to carry out the OMF mission, to be good stewards of OMF resources, and to uphold rigorous standards of conduct. OMF must earn this trust every day and in every possible way. At its core, OMF is people, and it is up to the people of the foundation - board members, executive leaders, staff, and volunteers - to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to the core values of integrity, honesty, fairness, openness, respect, and responsibility.

At OMF, adherence to the law is the minimum standard of expected behavior. We will do more, however, than simply obey the law. We will embrace the spirit of the law, often going beyond legal requirements and making sure that what we do is matched by what the public understands about what we do. Transparency, openness and responsiveness to public concerns shall be integral to our behavior.

Statement of Values

The values of the Oswego Maritime Foundation include:

• Adherence to law;
• Commitment beyond the law;
• Commitment to the public good;
• Commitment to maritime safety in education and practices;
• Accountability to the public, our membership, and supporters;
• Respect for the worth, dignity, and inclusion of all individuals;
• Respect for pluralism and diversity
• Transparency, integrity and honesty;
• Responsible stewardship of the resources and heritage of OMF and the Great Lakes; and,
• Commitment to excellence and to maintaining the public trust.

The Code of Ethics

I. Personal and Professional Integrity
All staff, board members and volunteers of the Oswego Maritime Foundation act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the organization. The organization promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness and integrity.

II. Mission
OMF has a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the board of directors, in pursuit of the public good. All OMF programs support the mission and all who work for or on behalf of the organization understand and are loyal to the mission and purpose. The mission is:

OMF is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to public service through maritime-related education, recreation, and research. The basic purposes of the foundation are to:

• Encourage, sponsor, and coordinate a variety of maritime-related programs and activities.
• Promote increased knowledge of, and respect for, skills regarding appropriate utilization of maritime resources.
• Work with other established organizations devoted to meaningful maritime activities.

III. Governance
OMF has an active governing body in the Board of Directors, which meets monthly, and is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the foundation and oversight of the finances, operations, and policies of the foundation. The Board of Directors:

• Operates within the parameters OMF's establishing document, by-laws, and Robert Rules of Order.
• Ensures that its board members or trustees have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all members understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of the organization and its public purpose;
• Has a conflict of interest policy that ensures that any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal or other means; and
• Is responsible for the hiring, firing, and regular review of the performance of the staff, and ensures that the compensation of the staff is reasonable and appropriate;
• Ensures that the staff provide the board with timely and comprehensive information so that the board can effectively carry out its duties;
• Ensures that the foundation conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty;
• Ensures that the foundation promotes working relationships with board members, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness;
• Ensures that the foundation is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all board, staff and volunteer positions;
• Ensures that policies of the foundation are in writing, clearly articulated and officially adopted;
• Ensures that the resources of the foundation are responsibly and prudently managed; and,
• Ensures that the foundation has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.

IV. Legal Compliance
OMF is knowledgeable of and complies with all laws, regulations and applicable international conventions.

V. Responsible Stewardship
OMF manages its funds responsibly and prudently. OMF:

• Spends no less than 65% of its annual budget on programs in pursuance of its mission; (Note: this is a Better Business Bureau recommendation for 501 (c)(3) organizations. OMF achieved a 78% mark in 2003)
• Spends an adequate amount on administrative expenses to ensure effective accounting systems, internal controls, competent staff, and other expenditures critical to professional management;
• Compensates staff reasonably and appropriately;
• Must engage in fundraising to operate. OMF keeps fundraising costs reasonable, and fundraising expenditures will not exceed 35% of related contributions (Note: this is a Better Business Bureau recommendation for 501 (c)(3) organizations.);
• Does not accumulate operating funds excessively;
• Will prudently draw from any endowment funds or special funds consistent with donor intent and to support the public purpose of the organization;
• Ensures that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable and appropriate to fulfill the mission of the organization;
• Promises that all financial reports are factually accurate and complete in all material respects; and,
• Operates the Boating Education Center, conducts all courses, and hosts, sponsors or participates in public events, with a commitment to safety and professionalism.
• Does not sell its mailing lists to other entities, and will only share its mailing lists with other entities for a one-time collaborative use that benefits OMF's public service programs.

VI. Openness and Disclosure
OMF provides comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders and is responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information. All information about the foundation will fully and honestly reflect the policies and practices of the OMF. Basic informational data about the foundation, such as IRS Form 990, will be posted on the organization's website (www.oswegomaritime.org) or otherwise be available to the public. All solicitation materials accurately represent the OMF's policies and practices and will reflect the dignity of program beneficiaries. All financial, organizational, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects.

VII. Program Evaluation
The OMF Board of Directors regularly reviews program effectiveness and has mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. OMF is committed to improving program and organizational effectiveness and develops mechanisms to promote learning from its activities. OMF is responsive to changes in its field of activity and is responsive to the needs of its constituencies and stakeholders.

VIII. Inclusiveness and Diversity
OMF has a policy of promoting inclusiveness. Its staff, board and volunteers reflect the community's diversity in order to enrich its programmatic effectiveness. OMF takes meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and constituencies served.

IX. Fundraising
OMF is truthful in its solicitation materials. OMF respects the privacy concerns individual donors may have and expends funds consistent with donor intent. OMF discloses important and relevant information to potential donors.

OMF Donor Rights

In raising funds, OMF will respect these rights of donors:

• To be informed of the mission of OMF, the way the resources will be used, and the capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes;
• To be informed of the identity of those serving on OMF's Board of Directors and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities;
• To have access to OMF's most recent financial reports;
• To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given;
• To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition, if desired;
• To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by the law;
• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature;
• To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, OMF employees, hired solicitors, or members of the board;
• To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists; and,
• To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

Send your comments about this document to OMF.

Copyright © 2002 Oswego Maritime Foundation