General
The compensation structure and systems of Fertilis Terrae (hereafter FT) will
support the organization's mission, strategy, vision and values.
The compensation structure will be linked to an effective performance management
system with individual growth and development as well as professional
achievement goals. The goals will be accompanied by effective benchmarks for
measuring success.
FT will pay for performance; skills and competencies; development and growth;
and effective visible commitment to the organization.
The compensation system will reward truly outstanding performers and provide
appropriate feedback to staff members who need improvement.
The compensation system will include annual adjustments to pay ranges based on
changes in the marketplace (subject to financial constraints). Adjustments to
individual base pay will be based on job performance and growth in mastering job
competencies.
The compensation system will have a coherent structure based on pay practices
consistent with our nonprofit mission and status, as well as industry standards.
The marketplace adequacy of the structure will be judged in terms of total
compensation, including benefits; the total package will be competitive with the
marketplace.
CEO-Specific
The Board will review CEO performance on an annual basis. Performance objectives
for the coming year will be determined jointly by the CEO and the Board (in June
of each year), with the explicit understanding that salary adjustments and any
incentive opportunity(ies) will be based on performance against these
objectives. The Board will clearly outline and communicate how performance will
be linked to salary adjustments and any incentive opportunity(ies).
The CEO will annually prepare and submit to the Board a self-assessment of
performance as input to the performance review. The CEO is required to submit
the self-assessment within 60 days of his or her employment start date
anniversary.
Compensation for the CEO will be set by the Compensation Committee of the Board
with review by the full Board, and which will comply with all applicable legal
standards.
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Article I - Purpose
The purpose of this Board conflict of interest policy is to protect Fertilis
Terrae's interests when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or
arrangement that might benefit the private interests of an officer or director
of Fertilis Terrae or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction.
This policy is intended to supplement, but not replace, any applicable state and
federal laws governing conflicts of interest applicable to nonprofit and
charitable organizations.
This policy is also intended to identify "independent" directors.
Article II - Definitions
Interested person -- Any director, principal officer, or member
of a committee with governing board delegated powers, who has a direct or
indirect financial interest, as defined below, is an interested person.
Financial interest -- A person has a financial interest if the
person has, directly or indirectly, through business, investment, or family:
-
An ownership or investment interest in any entity with which Fertilis Terrae
has a transaction or arrangement,
-
A compensation arrangement with Fertilis Terrae or with any entity or
individual with which Fertilis Terrae has a transaction or arrangement, or
-
A potential ownership or investment interest in, or compensation arrangement
with, any entity or individual with which Fertilis Terrae is negotiating a
transaction or arrangement. Compensation includes direct and indirect
remuneration as well as gifts or favors that are not insubstantial. A
financial interest is not necessarily a conflict of interest.
Independent Director -- A director shall be considered
"independent" for the purposes of this policy if he or she is "independent" as
defined in the instructions for the IRS 990 form or, until such definition is
available, the director:
-
is not, and has not been for a period of at least three years, an employee
of Fertilis Terrae or an employee of any entity in which Fertilis Terrae has
a financial interest does not directly or indirectly have a significant
business relationship with Fertilis Terrae, which might affect independence
in decision-making;
-
is not employed as an executive of another corporation where any of Fertilis
Terrae's executive officers or employees serve on that corporation's
compensation committee; and does not have an immediate family member who is
an executive officer or employee of Fertilis Terrae or who holds a position
that has a significant financial relationship with Fertilis Terrae.
Article III - Procedures
Duty to Disclose -- In connection with any actual or possible
conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the
financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts
to the Board or Executive Committee.
Recusal of Self - Any director may recuse himself or herself at
any time from involvement in any decision or discussion in which the director
believes he or she has or may have a conflict of interest, without going through
the process for determining whether a conflict of interest exists.
Determining Whether a Conflict of Interest Exists -- After
disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any
discussion with the interested person, he/she shall leave the Board or Executive
Committee meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed
and voted upon. The remaining Board or Executive Committee members shall decide
if a conflict of interest exists.
Procedures for Addressing the Conflict of Interest
-
An interested person may make a presentation at the Board or Executive
Committee meeting, but after the presentation, he/she shall leave the
meeting during the discussion of, and the vote on, the transaction or
arrangement involving the possible conflict of interest.
-
The Chairperson of the Board or Executive Committee shall, if appropriate,
appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to
the proposed transaction or arrangement.
-
After exercising due diligence, the Board or Executive Committee shall
determine whether Fertilis Terrae can obtain with reasonable efforts a more
advantageous transaction or arrangement from a person or entity that would
not give rise to a conflict of interest.
-
If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible
under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the Board or
Executive Committee shall determine by a majority vote of the disinterested
directors whether the transaction or arrangement is in Fertilis Terrae's
best interest, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and reasonable.
In conformity with the above determination, it shall make its decision as to
whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement.
Violations of the Conflicts of Interest Policy
If the Board or Executive Committee has reasonable cause to believe a member has
failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it shall inform the
member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to
explain the alleged failure to disclose.
If, after hearing the member's response and after making further investigation
as warranted by the circumstances, the Board or Executive Committee determines
the member has failed to disclose an actual or possible conflict of interest, it
shall take appropriate disciplinary and corrective action.
Article IV - Records of Proceedings
The minutes of the Board and all committees with board delegated powers shall
contain:
-
The names of the persons who disclosed or otherwise were found to have a
financial interest in connection with an actual or possible conflict of
interest, the nature of the financial interest, any action taken to
determine whether a conflict of interest was present, and the Board's or
Executive Committee's decision as to whether a conflict of interest in fact
existed.
-
The names of the persons who were present for discussions and votes relating
to the transaction or arrangement, the content of the discussion, including
any alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement, and a record of
any votes taken in connection with the proceedings.
Article V - Compensation
-
A voting member of the Board who receives compensation, directly or
indirectly, from Fertilis Terrae for services is precluded from voting on
matters pertaining to that member's compensation.
-
A voting member of any committee whose jurisdiction includes compensation
matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly, from Fertilis
Terrae for services is precluded from voting on matters pertaining to that
member's compensation.
-
No voting member of the Board or any committee whose jurisdiction includes
compensation matters and who receives compensation, directly or indirectly,
from Fertilis Terrae, either individually or collectively, is prohibited
from providing information to any committee regarding compensation.
Article VI - Annual Statements
Each director, principal officer and member of a committee with Board delegated
powers shall annually sign a statement which affirms such person:
- Has received a copy of the conflict of interest policy,
- Has read and understands the policy,
- Has agreed to comply with the policy, and
-
Understands Fertilis Terrae in order to maintain its federal tax exemption
must engage primarily in activities which accomplish one or more of its
tax-exempt purposes.
Each voting member of the Board shall annually sign a statement which declares
whether such person is an independent director.
If at any time during the year, the information in the annual statement changes
materially, the director shall disclose such changes and revise the annual
disclosure form.
The Board of Directors shall regularly and consistently monitor and enforce
compliance with this policy by reviewing annual statements and taking such other
actions as are necessary for effective oversight.
To ensure Fertilis Terrae does not engage in activities that could jeopardize
its tax-exempt status, periodic reviews shall be conducted. The periodic reviews
shall, at a minimum, include the following subjects:
-
Whether compensation arrangements and benefits are reasonable, based on
competent survey information (if reasonably available), and the result of
arm's length bargaining.
-
Whether partnerships, joint ventures, and arrangements with management
organizations, if any, conform to Fertilis Terrae's written policies, are
properly recorded, reflect reasonable investment or payments for goods and
services, further charitable purposes and do not result in inurement or
impermissible private benefit or in an excess benefit transaction.
Article VII - Use of Outside Experts
When conducting the periodic reviews as provided for in Article VII, Fertilis
Terrae may, but need not, use outside advisors. If outside experts are used,
their use shall not relieve the Board of its responsibility for ensuring
periodic reviews are conducted.
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Fertilis Terrae Inc., a Virginia non-stock, non-profit corporation (the
"Company"), shall use its best efforts to retain records for the period of their
immediate or current use and in accordance with this Record Retention and
Document Destruction Policy (this "Policy"), unless longer retention is
necessary for historical reference or to comply with contractual or legal
requirements. Records and documents outlined in this Policy include paper,
electronic files (including e-mail) and voicemail records regardless of where
the document is stored, including network servers, desktop or laptop computers
and handheld computers and other wireless devices with text messaging
capabilities (collectively, "Documents").
Personnel of the Company shall not knowingly destroy any Document in violation
of this Policy or with the intent to obstruct or influence an investigation or
proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department
agency of the United States or in relation to or contemplation of any such
matter or case.
Documents that have been retained beyond the period indicated in the chart below
may be destroyed periodically, taking into consideration constraints on storage
space and staff time.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if litigation is filed or government
investigation is commenced against the Company, from the date such action is
known to the Company, all destruction of Documents shall be suspended as
promptly as is reasonable under the circumstances.
The Company's retention requirements for Documents under this Policy shall be as
follows:
| Type of Document |
Minimum Requirement |
| Accounts payable ledgers and schedules |
7 years |
| Audit reports |
Permanently |
| Bank reconciliations |
2 years |
| Bank statements |
3 years |
| Checks (for significant payments and purchases) |
Permanently |
| Contracts, mortgages, notes and leases (expired) |
7 years |
| Contracts (still in effect) |
Permanently |
| Correspondence (general) |
2 years |
| Correspondence (legal matters and complaints) |
Permanently |
| Deeds, mortgages and bills of sale |
Permanently |
| Depreciation schedules |
Permanently |
| Duplicate deposit slips |
2 years |
| Employment applications |
3 years |
| Expense analyses/expense distribution schedules |
7 years |
| Year-end financial statements |
Permanently |
| Insurance policies (expired) |
3 years |
|
Insurance records, current accident reports, claims, policies,
etc.
|
Permanently |
| Internal audit reports |
3 years |
| Inventories of products, materials and supplies |
7 years |
| Invoices for items purchased or sold |
7 years |
| Minute books, bylaws and charter |
Permanently |
| Grant Reports/Awarded Grants |
7 years |
| Patents and related papers |
Permanently |
| Payroll records and summaries |
7 years |
| Personnel files (terminated employees) |
7 years |
| Retirement and pension records |
Permanently |
| Tax returns and worksheets |
Permanently |
| Timesheets |
7 years |
| Trademark registrations and copyrights |
Permanently |
| Withholding tax statements |
7 years |
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Policy Statement
We will not sell, share or trade our donors' names or personal information with
any other entity, nor send mailings to our donors on behalf of other
organizations.
Scope
This policy applies to all information received by Fertilis Terrae, both online
and offline, on any Platform ("Platform", includes the Fertilis Terrae website
and mobile applications), as well as any electronic, written, or oral
communications.
Third-Party Service Providers
To the extent any donations are processed through a third-party service
provider, our donors' information will only be used for purposes necessary to
process the donation.
Information We Collect
When you make a donation, we may collect personal information such as:
- Your name, address, and contact information
- Payment information (credit card numbers, bank account details)
- Donation amount and date
- Any special instructions or designations for your donation
How We Use Your Information
We use donor information for the following purposes:
- To process your donation and provide a receipt
- To send you acknowledgment and thank you letters
-
To keep you informed about our activities and impact (unless you opt out)
- For internal record keeping and reporting
- To comply with legal requirements
Your Rights
As a donor, you have the right to:
- Request access to the personal information we hold about you
- Request corrections to any inaccurate information
- Request that we limit how we use your personal information
- Opt out of future communications at any time
Data Security
We take appropriate measures to protect your personal information:
-
Physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard information
- Secure servers and encryption for online transactions
- Limited access to donor information on a need-to-know basis
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Donor Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be
posted on our website with an updated effective date.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Donor Privacy Policy or wish to exercise
any of your rights, please contact us at:
Fertilis Terrae
Attn: Donor Services
PO Box 339
Ladysmith, VA 22501
Email:
donorservices@fertilisterrae.org
Text: +1 (804) 223-2028
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Purpose of Policy
The Board of Directors of Fertilis Terrae and its staff solicit current and
deferred gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations to secure the
future growth and advance the mission of the organization. This policy governs
the acceptance of gifts by Fertilis Terrae and provides guidance to prospective
donors and their advisors when making gifts to Fertilis Terrae. The provisions
of this policy shall apply to all gifts received by Fertilis Terrae for any of
its programs or services. Fertilis Terrae reserves the right to refuse a gift if
it is determined to be in conflict with the organization's mission and/or
acceptance of which can do possible harm to the organization's brand and
reputation.
Use of Legal Counsel and Other Advisors
-
Fertilis Terrae urges all prospective donors to seek the assistance of
personal legal and financial advisors in matters relating to their
significant gifts and any resulting tax and estate planning consequences.
-
Fertilis Terrae shall seek the advice of legal counsel in matters relating
to acceptance of gifts when appropriate.
Restrictions on Gifts
-
Fertilis Terrae will accept unrestricted gifts, and gifts for specific
programs and purposes, provided that such gifts are not inconsistent with
its mission, purposes and priorities and the acceptance of which does not
have the potential to harm the organization's brand and reputation.
-
All gifts of less than $5,000 will be considered unrestricted except in
specific instances at the discretion of Fertilis Terrae. Donor requests for
how a contribution less than $5,000 will be used may be considered to better
understand the donor's interest in Fertilis Terrae's services, but will not
determine how their specific funds will be used and Fertilis Terrae will not
be obligated to track and report on precise use of the funding.
-
Fertilis Terrae will not accept gifts that are too restrictive in purpose.
Gifts that are too restrictive are those that violate the terms of the
corporate charter, gifts that are too difficult to administer, or gifts that
are for purposes outside the organization's mission. If the Fertilis Terrae
senior management team determines that a gift may be controversial or
problematic in some way that should require Board involvement, the Executive
Committee of the Board will be contacted for guidance.
Types of Gifts
Charitable gifts are frequently given to Fertilis Terrae due to the nature of
the organization.
Refunds
Refunds of donations to Fertilis Terrae are available upon request within 30
days of processing the gift.
Acceptable Gifts
The following types of gifts are acceptable:
- Cash donations
- Tangible Personal Property
- Securities
- Real Estate
- Life Insurance Policies
- Charitable Gift Annuities
- Charitable Remainder Trusts
- Charitable Lead Trusts
- Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designations
- Bequests
- Life Insurance Policies Beneficiary Designations
Gifts Generally Accepted Without Review:
Cash. Cash gifts are acceptable in any form, including by
check, money order, or online credit card donations.
Marketable Securities. Marketable securities may be transferred
electronically to an account maintained at one or more brokerage firms or
delivered physically with the transferor's endorsement or signed stock power
(with appropriate signature guarantees) attached. All marketable securities will
be sold promptly upon receipt unless otherwise directed by the Audit and Finance
Committee. In some cases marketable securities may be restricted, for example,
by applicable securities laws or the terms of the proposed gift; in such
instances the decision whether to accept the restricted securities shall be made
by the Executive Committee.
Charitable Lead Trusts. Fertilis Terrae will accept designation
as an income beneficiary of charitable lead trusts.
Charitable Remainder Trusts. Fertilis Terrae will accept
designation as a remainder beneficiary of charitable remainder trusts.
Bequests and Beneficiary Designations under Revocable Trusts, Life
Insurance Policies, Commercial Annuities and Retirement Plans.
Donors are encouraged to make bequests to Fertilis Terrae under their wills, and
to name Fertilis Terrae as the beneficiary under trusts, life insurance
policies, commercial annuities and retirement plans.
Gifts Accepted Subject to Prior Review
Certain forms of gifts or donated properties may be subject to review prior to
acceptance. Examples of gifts subject to prior review include, but are not
limited to:
Tangible Personal Property. The Executive Committee shall
review and determine whether to accept any gifts of tangible personal property
in light of the following considerations:
- Does the property further the organization's mission?
- Is the property marketable?
- Are there any unacceptable restrictions imposed on the property?
-
Are there any carrying costs for the property for which the organization may
be responsible?
- Is the title/provenance of the property clear?
Real Estate. All gifts of real estate are subject to review by
the Executive Committee. Prior to acceptance of any gift of real estate other
than a personal residence, Fertilis Terrae shall require an initial
environmental review by a qualified environmental firm. In the event that the
initial review reveals a potential problem, the organization may retain a
qualified environmental firm to conduct an environmental audit. Criteria for
acceptance of gifts of real estate include:
- Is the property useful for the organization's purposes?
- Is the property readily marketable?
-
Are there covenants, conditions, restrictions, reservations, easements,
encumbrances or other limitations associated with the property?
-
Are there carrying costs (including insurance, property taxes, mortgages,
notes, or the like) or maintenance expenses associated with the property?
-
Does the environmental review or audit reflect that the property is damaged
or otherwise requires remediation?
Life Insurance Policies. Fertilis Terrae will accept gifts of
life insurance policies once it has been ascertained Fertilis Terrae is named as
both beneficiary and irrevocable owner of the insurance policy. The donor must
agree to pay, before due, any future premium payments owing on the policy. If
the donor does not elect to make gifts to cover premium payments on the life
insurance policy, Fertilis Terrae may:
- Continue to pay the premiums
- Convert the policy to paid up insurance, or
- Surrender the policy for its current cash value
Back to policy list
Fertilis Terrae Inc. (the "Organization") Privacy Policy ("Policy") was created
to help you understand how the Organization collects and uses information that
is collected online through the Organization's website: FertilisTerrae.org or
that you submit to the Organization when making a donation. The Organization is
committed to protecting your privacy. By using this Site, you agree to be
legally bound by this Policy and the Terms of Use, as they may be amended from
time to time. If you do not agree to this Policy or cannot form a legally
binding contract, you are not permitted to use this Site.
This Policy may also cover information collected and used by the Organization
via third party social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Information Collected
This Site collects two types of information from you: (1) General Information;
and (2) Personal Information. This information is used for the purposes for
which it was collected (for example, responding to your requests, sending
newsletters, administering surveys or processing donations), and the other
limited purposes set forth below.
General Information
The Organization automatically collects some non-personal information ("General
Information") when you visit our Site via "cookies," other tracking technology,
registration forms, online surveys, etc., such as:
- Your domain name and host for Internet access
- The date and time of your entry
- Your IP address, browser type, device, or operating system
- The pages you visit and links that you use
- The domain name from which you linked to our Site
- Your city and state
- Other general demographic information
We aggregate and analyze this usage information and use it for operational and
administrative purposes, including to identify levels and area of interest in
our website, and to improve and refine the Site. We may also share this
aggregated, anonymous data with our business partners on an as-needed basis.
Personal Information
The Organization also collects information that may identify you ("Personal
Information") that you provide when making a donation to the Organization
(whether online, by mail or other physical means) or participating in any
activity on a Site that requires your voluntarily submitted information,
including completing any of our Site's forms, for example, donation forms,
registration forms, contact forms, online surveys, merchandise transactions, and
position applications, such as:
- Name
- Mailing address
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Credit card, payment card and bank information
-
Job, fellowship, internship, and volunteer position application information
- Resumes and cover letters
Use of Information We Collect
We use the Personal Information for the purposes for which it was collected (for
example, responding to your requests, sending newsletters, administering surveys
or processing donations) and the limited purposes set forth below. The
Organization will not sell the Personal Information of donors for a third
party's fundraising or marketing purposes unless the donor explicitly grants
permission to do so. The Organization will not exchange the Personal Information
of donors for a third party's fundraising or marketing purposes if a donor opts
out of allowing the Organization to do so. To opt out of exchanges of Personal
Information for third party fundraising or marketing purposes, please send us an
email at development@fertilisterrae.org. Further, we do not share, sell,
transfer, exchange or disclose your Personal Information with third parties
except in the following limited circumstances:
-
To carry out the Organization's mission. Specifically, we may share your
e-mail or mailing address with our subsidiaries and affiliated entities, and
certain third parties with whom we work, for use for a specific, limited
purpose related to the Organization's mission and goals, which may include
responding to your requests, processing donations or merchandise orders,
sending newsletters, surveys, notices or content, and administering,
enhancing and troubleshooting the Site and the Organization's other online
offerings
- With your permission to disclose the information
-
To change website hosts or when our host transfers business assets (as
further described below)
-
To share it with third party vendors, agents or contractors who perform
services for us on a "need to know" basis
-
As required by law or court order (see "Legal Disclaimer" below) or to
comply with the Organization's donor disclosure obligations (see "Donor
Disclosure" below)
Control of Your Personal Information
If you prefer to not share your Personal Information as described above, please
email us at any time at development@fertilisterrae.org.
Donor Disclosure
Please note that the Organization is obligated to disclose all donors, which it
does by listing donors by range of donation amount on our website. View the
contributors list here.
Corrections/Updates
This Site gives users the opportunity to change Personal Information previously
provided to us through this Site. To do so, please send us an email at
development@fertilisterrae.org if you have registered to receive emails from the
Organization and later change your mind, you may contact us to have your name
removed from our distribution lists by sending us an email through our Contact
Page, or by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email sent
from the Organization.
Transfer of Business Assets
At any time, this Site's host may be acquired, merge with another business, or
acquire or buy other businesses or assets. In such transactions, both General
and Personal Information will likely be among the transferred assets.
Cookies, Tracking Tags, and Other Technology
The Site may use cookies and other tracking mechanisms across our Site and
social media platforms. Cookies allow the Organization to measure activity on
the Site and to improve your user experience by, for example, remembering your
passwords and viewing preferences and allowing you to visit any member-only
parts of the Site without re-registering. Cookies cannot retrieve any other data
from a hard drive or obtain an email address. Although a user has the ability to
modify most browsers to either accept all cookies, notify the user when a cookie
is sent, or reject all cookies, it may not be possible to use certain services
on this Site if cookies are not accepted.
The Organization may use electronic images known as web beacons to monitor
activity on our website, as well as across social media platforms and other
websites. These web beacons allow the Organization to provide personalized
services and advertising content. With both cookies and web beacon technology,
the information that we collect and share is anonymous and not personally
identifiable.
Our Commitment to Data Security
Personal Information is stored on our server and the servers of our third party
vendors who perform services for us and is not publicly accessible. Further,
Personal Information is only accessed by Organization staff on a "need to know"
basis. To prevent unauthorized access and maintain data accuracy, we have put in
place commercially reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to
safeguard and secure the information we collect online. Additionally, sensitive
data such as credit card numbers are encrypted using SSL and other industry
standard measures, to provide an additional level of security.
How Long We Keep Information
We keep Personal Information only for as long as we need it for the purpose for
which it was collected. Information submitted through this Site is stored on our
web server, outside its public folders, and is deleted automatically on the
following schedule:
-
Contact-form messages are kept for
730 days from the date you send them, so
that we can follow up on your inquiry, and are then deleted.
-
Job, internship and volunteer applications, including résumés and
cover letters, are kept for 180 days
from the date you apply, so that we can consider you for the position and for
similar openings, and are then deleted.
-
Technical logs, which may record the email address used to sign in
to our administration area or to send a message, are deleted after
90 days.
-
Backups of our website database are kept for
30 days. Information deleted from the
Site is therefore removed from all backups within that period.
-
Donation and financial records are kept for the periods required
by law, as set out in our Document Retention Policy.
We do not store your full IP address with form submissions. To limit misuse of our
forms, we keep a one-way, scrambled version of it that cannot be turned back into
the original address.
You may ask us at any time to delete a message or application before its scheduled
deletion date by emailing legal@fertilisterrae.org
(or human-resources@fertilisterrae.org
for applications). We will confirm once it has been deleted.
Links
This Site contains links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy
practices of or the contents on any other websites. We encourage you to review
the privacy policy and any other online policies of other websites that you link
to, visit, and/or use.
Children
The Site does not seek to collect any information from children under 13. If a
child provides us with information, the parent or guardian may notify us, and
the information will be deleted from our records.
Security
While there is no such thing as "perfect" security on the Internet, we take
reasonable steps to protect the safety of your personal information. This Site
has security measures in place to protect loss, misuse, and/or alteration of
such information under our control. However, we do not guarantee the security of
your General or Personal Information. In addition, we do not assume any
liability for third party use of your General or Personal Information, whether
obtained legally or illegally from or through this Site.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
The Organization may update this Policy at any time. Any changes to the Policy
will be reflected on this "Privacy Policy" page, and by using this Site
subsequent to any changes, you agree to those changes. We may also notify you
about significant changes in the way we treat Personal Information through such
means as sending a notice to the email address that you have provided us or
placing a prominent notice on our Site.
Legal Disclaimer
We may disclose personal information when required by law or in the good-faith
belief that such action is necessary in order to conform to the edicts of the
law or comply with legal process served on the Organization. Although we use
security that we believe to be appropriate to protect your Personal Information,
we do not guarantee that our security precautions will protect against, and we
expressly disclaim any liability for, any loss, misuse, or alteration of your
Personal Information.
Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please email us at
legal@fertilisterrae.org or send us a message through our Contact Page.
THE USE OF THIS SITE SIGNIFIES YOUR AGREEMENT TO THE TERMS OF USE,
INCLUDING THIS PRIVACY POLICY.
Back to policy list
General
The Fertilis Terrae Code of Ethics (hereinafter referred to as the Code)
requires directors, other volunteers, and employees to observe high standards of
business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and
responsibilities. Employees and representatives of the organization must
practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling their responsibilities and comply
with all applicable laws, regulations and internal controls established by the
organization.
The objectives of the Fertilis Terrae (FT) Whistleblower Policy are to establish
policies and procedures for:
-
The submission of concerns regarding questionable accounting or audit
matters by employees, directors, officers, and other stakeholders of the
organization, on a confidential and anonymous basis.
-
The receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received by the
organization regarding accounting, internal controls, or auditing matters.
-
The protection of directors, volunteers and employees reporting concerns
from retaliatory actions.
Reporting Responsibility
Each director, volunteer, and employee of FT has an obligation to report in
accordance with this Whistleblower Policy (a) questionable or improper
accounting or auditing matters, and (b) violations and suspected violations of
FT's Code (hereinafter collectively referred to as Concerns).
Authority of Audit Committee
All reported Concerns will be forwarded to the Audit Committee in accordance
with the procedures set forth herein. The Audit Committee shall be responsible
for investigating, and making appropriate recommendations to the Board of
Directors, with respect to all reported Concerns.
No Retaliation
This Whistleblower Policy is intended to encourage and enable directors,
volunteers, and employees to raise Concerns within the Organization for
investigation and appropriate action. With this goal in mind, no director,
volunteer, or employee who, in good faith, reports a Concern shall be subject to
retaliation or, in the case of an employee, adverse employment consequences.
Moreover, a volunteer or employee who retaliates against someone who has
reported a Concern in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including
dismissal from the volunteer position or termination of employment.
Reporting Concerns
Employees
Employees should first discuss their Concern with their immediate supervisor.
If, after speaking with his or her supervisor, the individual continues to have
reasonable grounds to believe the Concern is valid, the individual should report
the Concern to the Chief Information Officer/ HR Manager. In addition, if the
individual is uncomfortable speaking with his or her supervisor, or the
supervisor is a subject of the Concern, the individual should report his or her
Concern directly to another member of management.
The Concern should be reduced to writing and forwarded at the earliest
opportunity to the Chair of the Audit Committee. Contact information for the
Chair of the Audit Committee may be obtained from the President & CEO or, if the
President & CEO is the subject of the concern, then directly from another member
of the management team. Concerns may also be submitted anonymously. Such
anonymous Concerns should be in writing and sent directly to the Chair of the
Audit Committee.
Directors and Other Volunteers
Directors and other volunteers should submit Concerns in writing directly to the
Chair of the Audit Committee. Contact information for the Chair of the Audit
Committee may be obtained from the President & CEO.
Handling of Reported Violations
The Audit Committee shall address all reported Concerns. The Chair of the Audit
Committee shall immediately notify the Audit Committee, the Board Chair, the
President & CEO, and the Vice President of Marketing & Chief Financial Officer
of any such report (unless one of them is the subject of the concern). The Chair
of the Audit Committee will notify the sender and acknowledge receipt of the
Concern within five business days, if possible. It will not be possible to
acknowledge receipt of anonymously submitted Concerns.
All reports will be promptly investigated by the Audit Committee, and
appropriate corrective action will be recommended to the Board of Directors, if
warranted by the investigation. In addition, action taken must include a
conclusion and/or follow-up with the complainant for complete closure of the
Concern.
The Audit Committee has the authority to retain outside legal counsel,
accountants, private investigators, or any other resource deemed necessary to
conduct a full and complete investigation of the allegations.
Acting in Good Faith
Anyone reporting a Concern must act in good faith and have reasonable grounds
for believing the information disclosed indicates an improper accounting or
auditing practice, or a violation of the Codes. The act of making allegations
that prove to be unsubstantiated, and that prove to have been made maliciously,
recklessly, or with the foreknowledge that the allegations are false, will be
viewed as a serious disciplinary offense and may result in discipline, up to and
including dismissal from the volunteer position or termination of employment.
Such conduct may also give rise to other actions, including civil lawsuits.
Confidentiality
Reports of Concerns, and investigations pertaining thereto, shall be kept
confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an
adequate investigation.
Disclosure of reports of Concerns to individuals not involved in the
investigation will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense and may result in
discipline, up to and including termination of employment. Such conduct may also
give rise to other actions, including civil lawsuits.
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