1. Integrity
   
   
   • We will communicate candidly, honestly, and openly in the statement of any material facts related to our official duties and activities.
   • We will treat each other — as well as others — fairly.
   • We will strive to achieve the highest standards of performance, service, and excellence.
   • We will have the courage to suggest improvements when circumstances warrant it.
   • We will keep our promises.
   • We will be accurate, fair, and timely in our communications.
     
     
2. Respect
   
   
   • We will treat others equitably and respectfully in all aspects of our activities without regard to race, colour, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin or ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, or status as a disabled or handicapped individual.
   • We will support equal opportunity throughout all our efforts.
   • We will, in the furtherance of our TDSO responsibilities, refuse to engage in any form of discrimination or harassment.
   • We will listen carefully and recognise that healthy diversity means diverse points of view.
     
     
3. Loyalty
   
   
   • Loyalty
     • We will be loyal to the TDSO and its mission — not to any individual or group of individuals.
     • We will not engage in any conduct that would undermine the public’s trust or would tarnish the reputation of the TDSO.
     • We will not engage in any activity or relationship that would create a potential or actual conflict of interest that would adversely affect our ability to perform our service faithfully and loyally to the TDSO.
       
       
   • Gifts
     • We will not solicit or accept gifts other than those that can be considered small attentions.
     • We will not solicit or coerce the offering of a gift, accept a gift in return for being influenced in the performance of an official act, or accept frequent gifts (even of a small value) such that a reasonable person is likely to conclude the individual is using his or her position for private gain.
       
       
   • Nepotism
     • The TDSO generally will not employ family members of existing employees or volunteers in leadership positions. Exceptions may be made only if there are exceptional circumstances that are in the best interests of the TDSO.
     • We will not have management or supervisory authority over a family member.
     • We will not engage in any form of personal relationship with any other person over whom we have management or supervisory authority, nor with any person that, in one way or another, directly or indirectly, benefits from the activities of the TDSO.
       
       
   • Outside Employment
     • We will ensure that any outside employment does not interfere with our responsibilities to the TDSO and does not adversely affect the organisation or its mission.
     • We will inform our manager of any significant outside activities that might impact our TDSO responsibilities.
       
       
       
       
   • Seeking Other Employment
     
     
     • We will disqualify ourselves from a matter that, to our knowledge, has an impact on the financial interests of a prospective employer.
     • We will inform our manager and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that we are not personally and substantially participating in the matter related to a prospective employer. Disqualification is, therefore, accomplished in most cases by 1) not participating in the matter, 2) notification to one’s manager and 3) communications to the employee’s coworkers regarding the disqualification.
       
       
   • Misuse of Position
     
     
     • We will not use our position for private gain, for the endorsement of any product, or for the private gain of any service or enterprise, friends, family members, or persons with whom the employee or volunteer is affiliated.
     • We will not endorse a candidate or political party on behalf of the TDSO.
       
       
   • Restrictions on Former Employees and Volunteers
     
     
     • We are aware that the duty of loyalty to the organisation continues even after the formal employment or volunteer relationship has ended.
     • We are aware that our duty not to disclose confidential information continues even after our employment ends.
     • We will not use confidential information gained during our employment or volunteer efforts for our personal gain, either during or after our relationship with the organisation ends.
     • We are aware that a good-faith exception exists for communications made to improve the operations and management of the TDSO.
       
       
   • Vendor Relationships
     
     
     • We will treat vendors fairly and avoid favouritism.
     • We will offer vendors the opportunity to offer or qualify their products or services on a fair and competitive basis.
     • We will refrain from influencing the selection of vendors who are family members, personal friends, or are affiliated with, employ, or are employed by a person with whom they have a relationship that would create a potential or real conflict of interest.
       
       
   • Full Disclosure
     
     
     • We will make full disclosure of all potential and actual conflicts of interest.
     • We will abide by the operative rule of thumb: “when in doubt — disclose.”
       
       

4. Confidentiality
   
   
   • As a principle, all information concerning the TDSO is open to anyone, except in those cases where privacy and confidentiality are imposed by law, deontology, or contractual agreement.
   • We will not disclose to an unauthorised individual or organisation without the consent of the TDSO’s board or its explicit designee any confidential, privileged, or non-public information entrusted to us.
   • We will respect the privacy of others and private information.
   • We will prohibit all employees and volunteers from engaging in any financial transaction using non-public or confidential information to further their own private interests.
   • We will respect the privacy of donors and safeguard the confidentiality of information that a donor reasonably would expect to be private.
   • We will respect the wishes of donors who may prefer to remain anonymous. We will not publicly release the names, addresses, or amounts of their gifts unless required by law.
     
     
5. Responsibility
   
   
   • We will maintain accurate financial records and report our financial results in a correct and timely manner.
   • We will be honest and faithful fiduciaries and protect the funds entrusted to us.
   • We will use the resources, equipment, and materials of TDSO only for the necessary performance of our duties.
   • We will comply with all limitations on incurring expenses during authorised activities for the TDSO and will not seek or receive reimbursement for expenses not incurred.
   • We will adopt a procedure for the selection of outside vendors that ensures a fair price and avoids any conflict of interest.
   • In providing services to partners, staff members or volunteers, we will establish clear, publicly stated criteria concerning how these services are charged. The principles of fairness and good stewardship require that services such as overhead charges and pledge loss costs be accurately and fairly assessed.
   • We will provide employees and volunteers with a confidential means to report suspected financial impropriety or misuse of The TDSO’s resources.
   • We will appoint a TDSO ethics officer, who is not a member of the board nor a staff member. The ethics officer always has the right and the duty to oversee all the TDSO’s activities in perspective of this ethical code. The ethics officer can be approached by anyone who wants to report an issue or concern regarding the moral behaviour of the TDSO or any of its board members, staff, or volunteers.
     
     
6. Fundraising
   
   
   • We will promote voluntary, noncoerced giving.
   • We will make our fundraising costs a matter of public record.
   • We will use accurate, truthful solicitation and promotional materials.
   • We will honour all statements made by the organisation in its fundraising appeals and the use of a contribution.
   • We will, mindful of necessary and transparent administrative overhead costs, honour the known intentions of a donor regarding the use of donated funds.
     
     
7. Transparency
   
   
   • We will openly, candidly, and transparently report The TDSO’s activities and operations.
   • We will publish and widely disseminate information to the public in at least seven critical areas:
     1) the TDSO’s board members and staff leadership;
     2) the mission, goals, and core standards of the organisation;
     3) the central governance structure and mechanisms of the organisation (including child protection policies, volunteer policies etc.);
     4) the organisation’s programmatic activities and achievements;
     5) financial statements;
     6) a list of major donors with appropriate anonymous citations when so requested;
     7) a fundraising section, which includes campaign revenues, overhead costs — including how costs are recovered, fee arrangements, and special grants.
   • We will provide members of the public who express an interest in the affairs of the organisation with a meaningful opportunity to communicate with an appropriate representative of the TDSO.
     
     
8. Governance
   
   
   • We will strive for excellence and professionalism in all TDSO-related activities.
   • We will commit ourselves to the mission of the TDSO, and competently, efficiently, and professionally perform the duties and tasks we agreed to assume.
   • We will work cooperatively with each other, always striving to be — or become — genuinely united in our actions and decisions.
   • We will honour the democratic process and support the final decisions of the board — even if we may disagree with them.
   • We will thoroughly and candidly discuss issues entrusted to us and respect others’ viewpoints.
   • We will invest in the education and training of our board, employees, and volunteers as a means of ensuring excellence in operations, service, and programs.
   • We will ensure that we are competent to accomplish the tasks assigned to us and, if not sufficiently qualified, will ask for assistance and become skilled.
   • We will personally and professionally endeavour to be active listeners and learners, embracing opportunities for others to express their ideas.
   • We will provide a genuine opportunity to all qualified applicants for board, staff, or volunteer positions. Position announcements will be communicated in advance, and all qualified applicants will be allowed to apply and be considered.
   • We will provide new employees and volunteers with a clear and meaningful orientation to the mission of the TDSO, its policies and procedures, Ethical Code, Code of Conduct, job description, equipment, and overall performance expectations.
     
     
9. Compliance
   
   
   • We will establish and implement systems to ensure that we comply with all applicable legislation and regulations.
   • We will specifically designate the general manager as our compliance officer with the specific responsibility for assisting, educating, or training everyone to comply with all laws and regulations.
   • We will periodically conduct an internal review of our compliance with known existing legal, regulatory, and financial reporting requirements and provide a report of the results to the board of directors.
   • We will consider noncompliance with applicable laws to be a disciplinary offence subject to disciplinary measures.
     
     
10. Duty
    
    
    • We will seek guidance concerning the Ethical Code, its implications, and its application to our actions and decisions.
    • We will report potential or actual breaches of the Ethical Code.
    • We will treat reports of potential or actual breaches of the Ethical Code or laws as confidentially as the law will allow. If absolute confidentiality cannot be maintained, the individual disclosing the potential or actual breach will be notified.
    • Retaliation against an individual or group who reports a potential or actual breach of the Ethical Code is an independent violation of this Ethical Code and will not be tolerated.

We will make all reasonable efforts to fairly and in a timely manner investigate and resolve all reports concerning potential or actual breaches of the Ethical Code.