Civil Beat Corporate Donations Policy

I. BACKGROUND

All nonprofit organizations require funding to achieve their goals. Corporate donations and sponsorship are important sources of funding by which a nonprofit organization achieves its mission. Concerns often arise that accepting corporate funds may give the appearance of conflict or actually compromise the ethical integrity of an organization. The establishment of an editorial independence and corporate donations policy safeguards against such compromises by clarifying for both potential sponsors and the community at large the requisite criteria used by the organization in soliciting and accepting corporate funding.

II. POLICY

A. CORPORATE ELIGIBILITY Civil Beat will gratefully accept monetary or in-kind donations from any business entity (“Corporation”) that meets the following eligibility criteria:

  1. The Corporation is not engaged in business activities that conflict in whole or in part with the goals of Civil Beat or any of its specific programs.
  2. The Corporation has not attempted to manipulate or influence the activities, editorial content, policies, mission, and/or goals of Civil Beat or any of its specific programs.
  3. The Corporation’s donation is unrestricted, i.e., no conditions or requirements regarding editorial content are being proposed by the Corporation that must be satisfied by Civil Beat to secure the donation. This does not preclude a Corporation from making a donation that is earmarked for a specific purpose or program activity.

B. OPEN DISCLOSURE

  1. Civil Beat will provide any Corporation that wishes to donate to the program a copy of the Civil Beat Corporate Donations Policy prior to acceptance of the donation.
  2. Civil Beat will provide a copy of the Corporate Donations Policy to any individual or organization that requests it.
  3. Civil Beat will disclose all corporate gifts of $1,000 or more on its website.

D. OTHER ISSUES

  1. When Civil Beat sends out a request for program support, requests should be sent to all potentially appropriate sponsors to avoid the appearance of conflict or inadvertently establishing a preferential relationship with any single corporate sponsor.
  2. In the event that Civil Beat is approached by a Corporation to partner on a special project or program, Civil Beat reserves the right to evaluate the request to ensure alignment with the mission and goals of Civil Beat.