SCWTCA Endowment Inc. Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics

I. Personal and Professional Integrity

All Board Members and volunteers of SCWTCA Endowment, Inc. (the Endowment) act with honesty, integrity and transparency in all their dealings with each other and as representatives of the organization. The Endowment promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness, integrity and collaboration.

II. Support of Mission

The Endowment has a clearly stated mission and purpose, approved by the Board of Directors, in pursuit of the health and welfare of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. All of its programs support that mission and all who work for or on behalf of the Endowment understand and are loyal to that mission and purpose. The mission is responsive to the Wheaten community and is of value to breeders, owners, veterinarians and researchers. The Endowment provides funding for research projects, tools and information for breeders and owners to manage their Wheaten’s health, and the SCWT Database that provides an extensive collection of health information for current and past Wheatens worldwide. All Board Members must participate in the SCWT Database.

III. Governance and Accountability

The Endowment has an active Board of Directors that is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and oversight of the finances, operations, and policies of the organization. The Board of Directors:

  • Exercises reasonable care, good faith, loyalty and due diligence in organizational affairs;

  • Ensures that the Endowment conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty;

  • Ensures that the Endowment promotes working relationships with Board Members, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness;

  • Ensures that the resources of the Endowment are responsibly and prudently managed; and,

  • Reports any behaviors that are determinantal to the Endowment, animals or human beings to the Chair of the Endowment immediately;

  • Conducts themselves in a professional manner at all times and gives SCWTCA members, donors, and Database users respect and privacy.

 IV. Legal Compliance

The Endowment is knowledgeable of all laws and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

V. Financial Stewardship

The Endowment manages its funds responsibly and prudently. This includes the following considerations:

  • It ensures that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable and appropriate to fulfill the mission of the Endowment;

  • It has reasonable fundraising costs, recognizing the variety of factors that affect such costs;

  • It ensures that financial reports are complete and accurate in all material respects.

VI. Transparency and Disclosure

The Endowment provides comprehensive and timely information to the public and is responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information. All information about the Endowment will fully and honestly reflect the policies and practices of the organization. Basic informational data about the Endowment, such as the Form 990, reviews and compilations, and audited financial statements will be posted on the Endowment website or otherwise made available to the public. All financial, organizational, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects.

VII. Fundraising

In raising funds from the public, the Endowment will respect the rights of donors, as follows:

  • To be informed of the mission of the Endowment, the way the resources will be used and its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes;

  • To be informed of the identity of those serving on the Endowment Board of Directors and to expect the Board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities;

  • 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 that all interactions with individuals representing the Endowment will be professional in nature;

  • To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

adopted 04/2024