Guiding Principles

Code of Ethics

We (staff, board and volunteers) dedicate ourselves to carrying out the mission of Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation.

“We raise funds for the environmental and educational initiatives of Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority that lessen the impact of climate change and inspire action.”

We will respect the constituency we work with and serve, have integrity in our actions, and be responsible for our decisions and their consequences.

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We are committed to:

• Acting honestly, truthfully and with integrity in all our transactions and dealings.

• Avoiding any interest or activity that conflicts with our official duties.

• Strive for personal and professional excellence and encourage the professional development of others.

• Respect and protect privileged information to which we have access in the course of our official duties.

• Treating every individual with fairness, dignity and respect.

• Treating our employees with respect, fairness and good faith and providing conditions of employment that safeguard their rights and welfare.

• Being a good corporate citizen and complying with both the spirit and the letter of the law.

• Being responsible, transparent and accountable for all our actions and dealings with our constituency.

• Improving the accountability, transparency, ethical conduct and effectiveness of the nonprofit field.

• Respect the structure and responsibilities of the board, providing them with facts and advice as a basis for policy making decisions, and uphold and implement policies adopted by the board.

Privacy Policy

Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation (LSCF) is committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, supporters and others with whom we interact. LSCF values the trust of our donors and supporters and recognizes that maintaining this trust requires that we be accountable and transparent in how we treat the information shared with us. Please click on the image to the right to see our full Privacy Policy.

Complaints Policy

Complaints are dealt with promptly and resolved as quickly as possible. Complaints regarding LSRCA are immediately forwarded to appropriate staff of LSRCA to be resolved by LSRCA. Review of complaints is fair, impartial and respectful to all parties. Complainants are advised of their options to escalate their complaint to a more senior staff person if they are dissatisfied with treatment or outcome. Complainants are provided clear and understandable reasons for decisions relating to complaints. Updates are provided to complainants during review/resolution process. Complaints are used to assist in improving services, policies and procedures. For our full Complaints Policy, please click on the image to the right.

Donor Bill of Rights

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 the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

• To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
• 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.
• To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
• To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
• To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
• To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
• To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
• To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
• To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.