THE CYCLE EFFECT ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISCLOSURE GUIDE

THE CYCLE EFFECT is committed to operating to the highest standards of accountability, transparency and ethics. We seek to earn your trust by sharing information on how we operate and use donated dollars to achieve our mission. The following details reflect our commitment to donors, volunteers and the people we serve.

Internal and External Oversight

The Directors who serve and oversee THE CYCLE EFFECT help to develop and advance the interests of our donors in ways that go beyond just raising money. Good governance is more than just supporting the organization – it also means representing the community’s interests in what we do. Our Board of Directors has three fundamental legal obligations, or fiduciary duties, which apply to everything we do.

Duty of Care: The amount of care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position and under similar circumstances. This describes the criteria our Directors must give to making decisions on behalf of THE CYCLE EFFECT.

Duty of Loyalty: Keeping the interests of THE CYCLE EFFECT in mind at all times when making decisions on behalf of the organization.

Duty of Obedience: Requires board members to be faithful to our mission; consistent with the mission statement, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and tax-exempt documentation.

Working in partnership with the professional staff, the Directors also cooperate with key legal bodies and various independent organizations that evaluate charities on a number of factors, not the least of which is an organization’s degree of accountability and transparency.

Organizational & Financial Information

Legally Incorporated: The BYLAWS and ARTICLES of INCORPORATION provide details on how our organization is structured and managed.

Tax Exempt: We are recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as tax-exempt organization. The IRS DETERMINATION LETTER confirms this information.

Volunteer Governance: Our BOARD of DIRECTORS provides internal oversight to the organization.

Professionally Staffed: Our KEY EMPLOYEES provide the services needed to achieve our mission.

Our CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY and annual disclosure practice ensures ethical behavior among our board of directors, staff and volunteers.

Independently Audited: Our most recent FINANCIAL STATEMENTS provide details on our use of donor funds and assets.

IRS Verified: Our IRS FORM 990 confirms the annual tax filing information we are required to maintain the tax-exempt designation.

Stewardship Publicly Reported: Our ANNUAL REPORT of activities for each year provides details on our accomplishments and the impact we make with your support.

Privacy Respected: THE CYCLE EFFECT honors the rights and privacy of our donors. We do not sell, share or trade donors’ personal information to any other entity. Donors are recognized in the organization’s annual report to the community. Donors wishing to remain anonymous should notify us of this at the time a gift is made. Our PRIVACY POLICY is available for more details.