ISI General Operating Principles and Values
Social Responsibility and Sustainability Principles
As an integral aspect of operating ethical businesses, ISI projects, fiscally sponsored organizations, partners, affiliates and associated enterprises are encouraged to operate in a manner that, ex ante, engages in a process through which they are able to systemically identify the potential impacts and implications of their actions and then take preemptive direct actions that will effectively minimize the disruption of the ecosystems within which they are engaged. Our approach is intended to enhance the likelihood that a set of “safe minimum standards” are maintained and sustained through which the ecosystem (i.e., organization) can recover from those impacts however defined.
In particular, the following key systemic objectives are essential aspects of how an ethically-directed organization should operate and how they should provide any client initiated and/or third-party certification process with the evidence that they are in compliance with these practices:
• GOVERNANCE —the governing board has the ultimate oversight authority for the organization and therefore provides information on the composition of the board, its core roles, responsibilities and duties and how it ensures freedom from contrivances and self-dealing. The organization must also provide the process through which stakeholders have roles and responsibilities to play in how the organization operates, how it can improve the manner in which it operates as well as how to enhance its management to act in the best interests of its clients and the communities served.
• FINANCE —the organization shall make available to the public, open access to its financial statements in connection with its social and non-for-profit mission and activities and provide complete disclosure regarding such financial activities.
• HUMAN RIGHTS — the organization acknowledges that human beings have universal natural rights or status, regardless of legal jurisdiction or other localizing factors and that these rights must be respected and operations must be compatible therein.
• COMMUNITY —the organization generates initiatives that provide resources to support the com¬munity in which the company or organization operates.
• CAPITAL ACQUISITION AND FUND RAISING —the organization shall inform the investor/lender/donor/public of its mission and its intended well-thought through “wise” uses of the resources acquired and will ensure that the capital acquisition and/or fundraising process and all solicitation materials are accurate, complete and represent the actual intentions of the activity that is being capitalized or funded.
• DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS — the organization shall make best efforts to establish workforce diversity and inclusiveness in order to attract and retain a workforce that rep¬resents the varied backgrounds of the customer and community in which the organization operates.
• ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY —all ecosystems in existence on this planet are continuously disturbed and constantly in the process of recovery. In order for an ecosystem to recover, it must be resilient and resiliency enhances and nurtures the ecosystems ability to return to a dynamic, interactive and operationally “healthy” condition. To be resilient, ecosystems must have a full complement of resources, energy flows and relationships from which to adopt, adapt and/or evolve appropriate and compatible recovery responses that will resolve the disruption or impact that has occurred in that ecosystem. Therefore, an essential underpinning of resiliency is based upon the existence of diversity, in all aspects and in all respects, of the full complement of resources and relationships. Sustainability also refers to the ability to meet current needs without hindering the ability of the ecosystems thereby impacted to recover their health and remain viable in order to meet the needs of future generations in terms of economic, environmental and social requirements.
• HEALTH AND SAFETY —Health and safety refer to the condition of being protected or free from the occurrence of risk of injury, danger, failure, error, accident, harm or loss.
• SERVICE QUALITY -- The organization shall provide full access to how it operates in order for stakeholders to assess its service quality standards and effectiveness and will also ensure that there exists a defined process for anyone to evaluate impacts of their programs and to address any deficiencies.
• TRANSPARENCY -- The organization operates under a policy that provides a high level of transparency and full disclosure of all policies, practices, performance and outcomes from their activities and includes making comprehensive event related and operational annual reports available to the public. They will ensure that all reports provides detailed information on service accomplishments and such other financial information as may be pertinent and essential for all stakeholders to fully assess and evaluate the activities and actions of the organization and its endeavors and this represents the basis for ethical accounting.
Sound budget and expenditure management systems: Description of budgetary process and the methods used to determine how funds from fundraising are allocated. Ideally the budget system should be built in a way that is transparent and open to public scrutiny.
Making information available: The budget system should be designed in a way that produces comprehensive, timely information including internet portal for fiscal transparency providing free access to detailed budget information.
Build budget literacy: Understanding and analyzing budget line items so that stakeholders are able to understand the budget.
Expenditure Tracking: Transparency can be enhanced through expenditure tracking, a method of finding out how, and at which level of the system, money is used and for what purposes.
Strong and independent third-party verification: The organization will enhance financial transparency by utilizing an independent third-party who will be contracted to effectively monitor, assess and verify that all expenditures have been made in accordance with the charitable purposes described to donors and other stakeholders and to verify that such funds have actually been received and spent for the purposes intended. The organization shall produce and make available accurate reports in a timely manner.
Utilization of comparative ratios to assess and evaluate performance and improve stakeholders understanding: The use of a various ratios provides a mechanism for providing concise, understandable numbers that can be readily compared with other charitable organizations or events. The use of ratios allows stakeholders to substantially improve their monitoring of all aspects of the company's operations and, when compared with industry norms or with other organizations. Ratios lend insights and clues about the organization's continued ability to meet its obligations and carry out its mission. In addition to improving operations monitoring and assessment, ratios also are important management tools because they provide timely indicators of various relationships so that remedial actions can take place before its’ too late.
Sources and Uses of Funds: Detailed explanation of the sources of income and expenditures displayed as formatted presentations of input details and their inter-relationship with the charity’s aims, objectives, activities, performance and achievements.
Descriptions of Accomplishments: Explanations for were funds were used, what activities were undertaken thereby and what outcomes resulted there from.
Ethical Business Governance and Management Principles: We also share in common and are committed to the following ethical business governance and management principles, objectives and values:
As an integral aspect of operating ethical businesses, ISI projects, fiscally sponsored organizations, partners, affiliates and associated enterprises are encouraged to operate in a manner that, ex ante, engages in a process through which they are able to systemically identify the potential impacts and implications of their actions and then take preemptive direct actions that will effectively minimize the disruption of the ecosystems within which they are engaged. Our approach is intended to enhance the likelihood that a set of “safe minimum standards” are maintained and sustained through which the ecosystem (i.e., organization) can recover from those impacts however defined.
In particular, the following key systemic objectives are essential aspects of how an ethically-directed organization should operate and how they should provide any client initiated and/or third-party certification process with the evidence that they are in compliance with these practices:
• GOVERNANCE —the governing board has the ultimate oversight authority for the organization and therefore provides information on the composition of the board, its core roles, responsibilities and duties and how it ensures freedom from contrivances and self-dealing. The organization must also provide the process through which stakeholders have roles and responsibilities to play in how the organization operates, how it can improve the manner in which it operates as well as how to enhance its management to act in the best interests of its clients and the communities served.
• FINANCE —the organization shall make available to the public, open access to its financial statements in connection with its social and non-for-profit mission and activities and provide complete disclosure regarding such financial activities.
• HUMAN RIGHTS — the organization acknowledges that human beings have universal natural rights or status, regardless of legal jurisdiction or other localizing factors and that these rights must be respected and operations must be compatible therein.
• COMMUNITY —the organization generates initiatives that provide resources to support the com¬munity in which the company or organization operates.
• CAPITAL ACQUISITION AND FUND RAISING —the organization shall inform the investor/lender/donor/public of its mission and its intended well-thought through “wise” uses of the resources acquired and will ensure that the capital acquisition and/or fundraising process and all solicitation materials are accurate, complete and represent the actual intentions of the activity that is being capitalized or funded.
• DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS — the organization shall make best efforts to establish workforce diversity and inclusiveness in order to attract and retain a workforce that rep¬resents the varied backgrounds of the customer and community in which the organization operates.
• ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY —all ecosystems in existence on this planet are continuously disturbed and constantly in the process of recovery. In order for an ecosystem to recover, it must be resilient and resiliency enhances and nurtures the ecosystems ability to return to a dynamic, interactive and operationally “healthy” condition. To be resilient, ecosystems must have a full complement of resources, energy flows and relationships from which to adopt, adapt and/or evolve appropriate and compatible recovery responses that will resolve the disruption or impact that has occurred in that ecosystem. Therefore, an essential underpinning of resiliency is based upon the existence of diversity, in all aspects and in all respects, of the full complement of resources and relationships. Sustainability also refers to the ability to meet current needs without hindering the ability of the ecosystems thereby impacted to recover their health and remain viable in order to meet the needs of future generations in terms of economic, environmental and social requirements.
• HEALTH AND SAFETY —Health and safety refer to the condition of being protected or free from the occurrence of risk of injury, danger, failure, error, accident, harm or loss.
• SERVICE QUALITY -- The organization shall provide full access to how it operates in order for stakeholders to assess its service quality standards and effectiveness and will also ensure that there exists a defined process for anyone to evaluate impacts of their programs and to address any deficiencies.
• TRANSPARENCY -- The organization operates under a policy that provides a high level of transparency and full disclosure of all policies, practices, performance and outcomes from their activities and includes making comprehensive event related and operational annual reports available to the public. They will ensure that all reports provides detailed information on service accomplishments and such other financial information as may be pertinent and essential for all stakeholders to fully assess and evaluate the activities and actions of the organization and its endeavors and this represents the basis for ethical accounting.
The fundamental objectives for operating with transparency, full disclosure and accountability include:
Use of Best Practices- To demonstrate that resources are being used wisely and for their stated purposes.
- To demonstrate that the organization is being organized and managed properly.
- To demonstrates that the organization is carrying out its activities efficiently and effectively.
- To explain the organization’s aims and mission.
- To explain the organization’s policies regarding capital acquisition and/or fundraising and how these funds were allocated and, if appropriate, were distributed.
- To describe the achievements and accomplishment obtained from the use of funds.
Sound budget and expenditure management systems: Description of budgetary process and the methods used to determine how funds from fundraising are allocated. Ideally the budget system should be built in a way that is transparent and open to public scrutiny.
Making information available: The budget system should be designed in a way that produces comprehensive, timely information including internet portal for fiscal transparency providing free access to detailed budget information.
Build budget literacy: Understanding and analyzing budget line items so that stakeholders are able to understand the budget.
Expenditure Tracking: Transparency can be enhanced through expenditure tracking, a method of finding out how, and at which level of the system, money is used and for what purposes.
Strong and independent third-party verification: The organization will enhance financial transparency by utilizing an independent third-party who will be contracted to effectively monitor, assess and verify that all expenditures have been made in accordance with the charitable purposes described to donors and other stakeholders and to verify that such funds have actually been received and spent for the purposes intended. The organization shall produce and make available accurate reports in a timely manner.
Utilization of comparative ratios to assess and evaluate performance and improve stakeholders understanding: The use of a various ratios provides a mechanism for providing concise, understandable numbers that can be readily compared with other charitable organizations or events. The use of ratios allows stakeholders to substantially improve their monitoring of all aspects of the company's operations and, when compared with industry norms or with other organizations. Ratios lend insights and clues about the organization's continued ability to meet its obligations and carry out its mission. In addition to improving operations monitoring and assessment, ratios also are important management tools because they provide timely indicators of various relationships so that remedial actions can take place before its’ too late.
Sources and Uses of Funds: Detailed explanation of the sources of income and expenditures displayed as formatted presentations of input details and their inter-relationship with the charity’s aims, objectives, activities, performance and achievements.
Descriptions of Accomplishments: Explanations for were funds were used, what activities were undertaken thereby and what outcomes resulted there from.
Ethical Business Governance and Management Principles: We also share in common and are committed to the following ethical business governance and management principles, objectives and values:
Ethical Business Governance and Management Principles
We also share in common and are committed to the following ethical business governance and management principles, objectives and values:
We also share in common and are committed to the following ethical business governance and management principles, objectives and values:
- In all of our endeavors, we shall ensure that there is a collaborative and interactive sharing of knowledge between and among those involved—including those directly affected by our actions. In fact, we intend to ensure that there is always an ownership interest in both the process and the outcomes, for the people and communities involved.
- We believe that the health of any system is based upon the ecosystems ability to recover and that recovery is enhanced and improved by increasing the resiliency of the system by maintaining diversity
- We believe in working primarily through alliances and to work collaboratively with other people and organizations who share similar values and goals. Using this approach, we hope to achieve synergy, to leverage our limited resources and to improve the outcomes of our endeavors.
- We intend to give primary support to those activities that help to develop self-realized economic viability as well as long-term sustainability for the people, communities and ecosystems with which we are engaged and involved.
- We shall strive to pursue our endeavors measured by and through an ethical set of values and a set of safe minimum standards for sustainability that we shall use to help guide our decisions.
- To proceed with caution and with respect for the existing system’s conditions, as well as for the unknown so that we can gain feedback necessary to improve upon our understanding of the impacts and implications of our actions.
- We believe in reciprocity.
- We believe in the synergistic qualities that emerge from living and working in right relationships with others, with other living things and with the ecosystems of which we are a part.
- To respect all life and the life force that is inherent in all living things. We believe in living in harmony with nature’s dynamic balance.
- To be realistic and practical about what we can accomplish and not to take on grand schemes but rather, to commit only to measurable and achievable activities that are within our capabilities.
- To the extent that funds are available, we also intend to provide advocacy for social change that reflects our goals and objectives.
- To create and operate a workplace environment that is supportive, equitable, cooperative and one that enhances each person’s ability to use their skills and capabilities to the fullest, to achieve their potential and that respects the rights of others.
- To increase public awareness of what we are doing and especially the value of ecosystems services to the viability and sustainability of human beings.
- We leave ourselves open to serendipity and surprise.