Ethics

DCRAC policy on ethics is that the DCRAC board, staff, and volunteers must always demonstrate a commitment to high ethical standards and in all interactions and transactions.

DCRAC’s Statement of Values and Code of Ethics was adapted from the model code of ethics for nonprofit organizations.

1. Personal and Professional Integrity

• All staff, board members and volunteers of DCRAC act with honesty, integrity, and openness whenever they represent the organization. DCRAC promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness, and integrity.

1. Mission

• DCRAC has a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the board of directors, in pursuit of the public good. All of its programs support that mission and all who work for or on behalf of DCRAC understand and are loyal to that mission and purpose. The mission is responsive to the constituency and communities served by DCRAC and of value to society at large.

1. Governance

• DCRAC has a board that is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and for oversight of the finances, operations, and policies.
• The board:

• Ensures that its members have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties, that all members understand and fulfill their governance duties by acting for the benefit of DCRAC and its public purpose, and that all members have specified terms of service.
• 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.
• Is responsible for the hiring, terminating, and regular review of the performance of the chief executive officer, and ensures that the compensation of the chief executive officer is reasonable and appropriate.
• Ensures that the executive director and appropriate staff provide the board with timely and comprehensive information so that the board can effectively carry out its duties.
• Ensures that DCRAC conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty.
• Ensures that DCRAC promotes working relationships with board members, staff, volunteers, members, and other stakeholders that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness.
• Ensures that DCRAC is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for board, staff and volunteer positions.
• Ensures that policies of DCRAC are in writing, clearly articulated and officially adopted.
• Ensures that the resources of DCRAC are responsibly and prudently managed; and
• Ensures that DCRAC has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.

1. Legal Compliance

• DCRAC is knowledgeable of and complies with all U.S. laws, regulations, and applicable international conventions.

1. Responsible Stewardship: DCRAC manages its funds responsibly and prudently:

• Spends a reasonable percentage of its annual budget on programs in pursuance of its mission.
• 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, and any others who may receive compensation, reasonably and appropriately.
• Has reasonable fundraising costs, recognizing the variety of factors that affect fundraising costs.
• Does not accumulate operating funds excessively.
• Prudently draws from reserve 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; and
• Ensures that all financial reports are factually accurate and complete in all material respects.

1. Openness and Disclosure

• DCRAC 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 DCRAC fully and honestly reflects its policies and practices. Basic informational data about DCRAC, such as the Form 990 and audited financial statements are posted on DCRAC’s website or otherwise available to the public. All solicitation materials accurately represent DCRAC’s policies, practices, and programs. All financial, organizational, and program reports are complete and accurate in all material respects.

1. Program Evaluation

• DCRAC regularly reviews program effectiveness and has mechanisms to incorporate lessons learned into future programs. DCRAC is committed to improving program and organizational effectiveness and developing mechanisms to promote learning from its activities and the field. DCRAC is responsive to changes in its field of activity and is responsive to the needs of its constituencies.

1. Inclusiveness and Diversity

• DCRAC is committed to inclusiveness and diversity in its staff, board, and volunteers. DCRAC takes meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and constituencies served.

1. Fundraising

• When raising funds, DCRAC is truthful in its solicitation materials. DCRAC respects the privacy concerns of individual donors, expends funds consistent with donor intent, and discloses important and relevant information to potential donors. In raising funds from the public, DCRAC respects the rights of donors:

• To be informed of the mission of DCRAC, the way the resources will be used and its capacity to use donations effectively for its intended purposes.
• To be informed of the identity of those serving on DCRAC’s board of directors and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
• To have access to DCRAC’s most recent audited financial report.
• To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
• To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
• To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by the law.
• To expect professional and respectful conduct from DCRAC’s staff.
• To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organizations or hired solicitors.
• To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that DCRAC may intend to share; and
• To feel free to ask questions when donating and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

We encourage DCRAC Staff, Board, Volunteers, and Stakeholders to  reach out to us for additional details

Policy #1: Mission Assurance
Founded for the public good, DCRAC policy is to conduct itself in all matters in a manner to accomplish its mission of ensuring equitable treatment and equal access to credit and capital through advocacy, education, legislation, and outreach.

Policy # 2: Program Integrity
Because DCRAC programs are the means to carry out DCRAC’s purpose, mission, goals, and objectives, it is DCRAC policy to ensure that each program is relevant, adequately resourced, and impactful on the individual and the community.

Policy # 3: Strategic Partnerships
Because DCRAC believes that equity requires partnerships and collaboration, DCRAC policy is to partner and collaborate with other stakeholders when it is in the best interest of DCRAC client and cause or promotes equity and equality in access o credit and capital.

Policy # 4: Self-Governance
DCRAC policy for its board requires the board to act solely in the interest of DCRAC by exhibiting Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty, and Duty of Obedience.

Policy # 5: Board & Executive Partnership
It is DCRAC policy that the Board provide strategic leadership, direction, and oversight to the Executive through partnership where appropriate and independence where warranted.

Policy # 6: Succession
Recognizing the unique role DCRAC plays in the lives of individuals and families, succession planning is critical, DCRAC policy requires a state of readiness in response to planned or unplanned departure of key board, staff, or volunteer.

Policy # 7: Board Independence
DCRAC policy to serve on the board requires its members to be totally independent, unrelated, un compensated, and reflective of the community served by DCRAC.

Policy # 8: Employment Practices
DCRAC policy on employment requires an Employee Manual that is legally compliant and provides the staff with clarity of its expectations AND the expectations DCRAC has of its employees.

Policy # 9: Sustainable Agenda
To position for success and continuity in meeting the needs of is program participants, DCRAC policy requires building up DCRAC’s adaptive capacity, leadership, management, and technical capacity that allows DCRAC to weather any uncertain events.

Policy #10: Volunteerism
DCRAC policy on volunteerism requires DCRAC to recruit from a diverse pool of experts on the needed subject matter, orient and train them on DCRAC Code of Ethics, and treat volunteers as the valuable asset they are to the organization.

Policy # 11: Cultural Competency
DCRAC policy on cultural competency requires DCRAC to achieve full inclusion and remove barriers to meaningful participation by all its stakeholders.

Policy # 12: Ethics & Compliance
Organized for public good, DCRAC policy requires the organization to fully and timely comply with ALL its legal and contractual obligations.

Policy # 13: Disclosures
DCRAC policy on Disclosures is full transparency to the extent permitted under various laws.

Policy # 14: Whistle-Blower Protection
DCRAC policy on whistle blower protection requires that staff and board understand that they have an obligation to report—in good faith, in confidence or anonymously--questionable matters. Further, DCRAC policy requires staff and board to know that those who report these questionable matters are protected from retaliation. The protections extend to DCRAC volunteers and stakeholders.

Policy # 15: Conflict of Interest
DCRAC policy on conflict is to always avoid in all interactions and transactions even the appearance of impropriety.

Policy # 16: Code of Ethics
DCRAC policy on ethics is that the DCRAC board, staff, and volunteers must always demonstrate a commitment to high ethical standards in all interactions and transactions.

Policy # 17: Professionalism
DCRAC policy on Professionalism requires DCRAC board, staff, and volunteers to be guided by DCRAC’s core tenet of ensuring equitable treatment and equal access.

Policy # 18: Financial Budgeting, Reporting, Monitoring
DCRAC policy on budget requires the board to annually and timely approve a realistic and viable budget, review periodic reports, monitor them for variances and always maintain a state of audit readiness.

Policy # 19: Financial Policies & Internal Controls
DCRAC Policy requires periodic review of risks and a plan to minimize those risks; to the extent feasible, maintain segregation of fiscal roles; abide by policies on Investment, Unrestricted Net Assets, Purchasing, and Internal Controls.
Investment Policy: It is DCRAC policy to invest its temporary surplus cash in short term (defined as a period of up to two years) fixed-income instruments to earn a market rate of interest without assuming undue risk to principal. The primary objectives of making such investments shall be, in their order of importance, preservation of capital, maintenance of liquidity and yield.
Unrestricted Net Assets Policy: It is DCRAC policy to maintain unrestricted current net assets for at least a 90-day period.
Purchasing Policy: It is DCRAC policy to maximize available resources that include funds, personnel, and time when making purchasing decisions.
Internal Controls Policy: It is DCRAC policy to authorize developing internal control procedures to the Executive Director and authorizing the Board to engage an auditing firm to perform an annual financial audit of the organizations and produce audited financial statements.

Policy # 20: Administrative Policies
It is DCRAC policy to delegate the drafting of administrative policies (such as telecommuting, crisis management, information technology, communications policy, mileage policy, COVID policy, etc.) to the Executive. DCRAC policy requires board approval of administrative policies.

Policy # 21: Risk Management
DCRAC policy is to continually identify and analyze current and potential risks, prioritize the analyzed risks, and select and implement the appropriate risk management techniques to address these exposures.

Policy # 22: Financial Resource Development
DCRAC policy is to raise the necessary funds from a broad reputable base to meet the funding needs of mission critical programs in a manner that does not compromise DCRAC integrity.

Policy # 23: Fundraising Costs
DCRAC policy is to realize charitable contributions from fundraising activities that are at least three times the amount spent on fundraising.

Policy # 24: Policies on Fundraising
DCRAC policy on fundraising requires accurate and truthful communications and to solicit and accept gifts that are consistent with DCRAC’s mission and in support of its programs and special projects.

Policy # 25: Fundraising on behalf of DCRAC
DCRAC policy prohibits fundraising on its behalf by a third party.

Policy # 26: Public Education & Engagement
DCRAC policy on ALL written content and communications requires accuracy, honesty, accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and readability.

Policy # 27: Advancing the mission through Public Policy
DCRAC policy requires adherence to Lobbying Laws and abstention from any elections and campaigns, in furtherance of DCRAC’s mission of equitable treatment and equal access.

Prompt & Courteous Service
We will respond to you within 2 business days.

Non-Discrimination
We provide our services without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, age, creed, source of income, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Accommodation
We are committed to providing access, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals (language, accessibility, hours, etc.). Please notify us in advance if you need to request special accommodation.

Privacy
We protect your communication, documents, and information.

Redress
Should we not meet your standard of expectations, please contact us (see dispute resolution on the right).

Professional Service
Our staff is highly qualified and trained in their area of expertise; we encourage continuing education to enhance their skills.

Conflict free
We may not be able to represent you if there is a conflict (our policy, our funding, our grant limitations, other clients, etc.).

Scope of Representation
We will identify complications and expertise required to resolve your problems, our resources, and if necessary and feasible, a list of referrals.

Fairness
There are no economic, social, or cultural barriers to accessing our services.

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in us and causes they are asked to support, we, the Board of Directors of the Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council, Inc. (DCRAC) declare that all donors have these rights:

1. To be informed of DCRAC’s mission, of the way we intend to use donated resources, and of our capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
3. To have access to our most recent financial statements.
4. To be assured your gift will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
6. To be assured that information about your donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to you will be professional in nature.
8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of DCRAC or hired solicitors.
9. To have the opportunity for your name to be deleted from mailing lists that we may share with others.
10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

I. Notification to Clients 

An explanation of the grievance procedure shall be posted in the office.

II. Procedure for Handling Client Grievances 

A.     Informal Resolution:

1. Informal Resolution: The Executive Director (and if dissatisfaction with the Executive Director, then the Board Chair) shall attempt to resolve through informal discussion after investigating the nature of the complaint. If not satisfied after the informal attempt, the complainant shall be informed in a letter of our grievance procedure and the time frame within which to initiate formal action—which is within sixty (60) days of receiving the grievance procedure letter.

B.     Initiating Formal Action: The grievance procedure may be started by writing to the Board Chair at 600 South Harrison Street, Wilmington, DE  19805.

C. Review/Resolution: The complainant shall be given an informal hearing within five (5) business days (or as soon as practicable) before the Executive Director or Public Integrity Committee—ad hoc committee formed by the Chair.  All parties shall attend and present their positions.

• Inform the parties of any applicable funding source requirements, DCRAC policy/guidelines, etc.;
• Afford the parties an opportunity to state their positions and to provide documentation to support their contentions:
• Reduce the statements in writing and make a written disposition of the matter setting forth findings of facts and rationale for disposition of the matter.

III. Internal Operating Procedures

• The Grievance related documents and files shall be retained for ten (10) years.