Standards of Appointment, Service, Conduct, and Organizational Responsibility

Before assuming or exercising an official position or authority within HHI, every individual shall execute an appropriate written Appointment, Service, Employment, or Acceptance Agreement applicable to that individual’s position.

The individual shall be provided with, and shall be responsible for carefully reading and understanding, the governing documents applicable to his or her position, including the HHI Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Constitution or other governing instruments, Board-approved policies, procedures, ethical standards, financial controls, resolutions, operational guidelines, and other duly adopted requirements of Helping Hands, Inc.

By signing the applicable agreement, the individual confirms his or her understanding and acceptance of these obligations.

No Board Member, officer, administrator, employee, representative, or other appointee may disregard, circumvent, independently modify, or substitute personal judgment for an established HHI requirement where the matter is governed by an applicable organizational policy, procedure, resolution, financial control, or other duly adopted governing instrument.

HHI shall remain strictly non-religious and non-political in carrying out its organizational and humanitarian activities.

No person acting on behalf of HHI shall use an HHI title, position, program, property, communication platform, funding, event, relationship, or other organizational resource to promote or oppose a religion, political party, political candidate, political campaign, or personal political or religious agenda.

Individuals may hold their own private beliefs and views. However, those personal beliefs and views shall not be represented as the position of Helping Hands, Inc., nor shall HHI’s name or resources be used to advance them.

Nothing in this provision prevents HHI from carrying out lawful humanitarian activities or communicating on matters directly related to its charitable mission, provided such activities remain consistent with applicable law and HHI’s governing requirements.

HHI’s humanitarian activities shall be conducted according to its established plant-based and non-killing principles and its commitment to respect for living beings and protection of the natural environment.

Programs, events, projects, procurement, organizational activities, and resources conducted under the name of HHI shall comply with the applicable HHI policies implementing these principles.

No officer, Board Member, administrator, employee, representative, or other person may knowingly use HHI’s name, authority, funding, or resources to conduct or promote an activity prohibited by those policies.

No person may use HHI’s name, nonprofit status, title, logo, letterhead, identification, relationships, donor information, financial resources, confidential information, programs, property, or institutional reputation for unauthorized personal gain or for the benefit of an outside business or third party.

No outside company, project, investment, fundraising activity, partnership, or commercial undertaking may be represented as being sponsored, endorsed, protected, funded, or approved by HHI without proper written authorization.

Every person serving HHI shall disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest in accordance with HHI policy.

Outside employment, business interests, investments, consulting, or other activities shall not interfere with the individual’s responsibilities to HHI, misuse confidential information or organizational relationships, improperly benefit from the individual’s HHI position, or create the appearance that a private undertaking is an official activity of Helping Hands, Inc.

No individual may independently commit HHI funds, investments, assets, credit, securities, property, contracts, guarantees, partnerships, or other financial or legal obligations unless that authority has been expressly granted under the governing documents and applicable authorization procedures of Helping Hands, Inc.

Every person entrusted with financial, contractual, banking, investment, or signing authority shall act solely within the scope of the authority granted and shall comply with all applicable HHI financial controls, policies, procedures, and approved purposes.

Confidential organizational, financial, contractual, donor, personnel, project, legal, strategic, or other protected information obtained through service to HHI shall not be disclosed or used for an unauthorized purpose.

This obligation may continue after an individual leaves HHI where required by the applicable agreement, policy, or law.

Any credible allegation that an individual has materially violated HHI’s governing requirements; misused HHI’s name, position, assets, or nonprofit status; exceeded delegated authority; improperly used organizational resources for personal purposes; or otherwise seriously harmed HHI may be reviewed under the procedures established by HHI.

Where reasonably necessary to protect HHI, its beneficiaries, funds, assets, records, operations, or legal responsibilities, delegated authority or access may be temporarily suspended pending appropriate review.

A substantiated material violation may result in corrective action, termination of delegated authority, or removal from an appointed or employed position, subject to HHI’s governing documents, contractual obligations, applicable procedures, and applicable law.

Every individual accepting a position with Helping Hands, Inc. accepts a personal responsibility to understand the requirements governing that position.

No individual shall knowingly use an HHI appointment contrary to the humanitarian purposes, ethical principles, governing documents, policies, procedures, or duly authorized decisions of Helping Hands, Inc.