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Our Online Privacy Policy

LICH respects the privacy of our visitors.  As part of our commitment to safeguarding your privacy, we have adopted the Online Privacy Policy outlined below.  By visiting www.nsch.org you accept the practices described in this policy.  This Online Privacy Policy may be changed or updated at any time.  We encourage you to review our policy from time to time.

 

Data Collection

Personal Information.  We do not collect personally identifiable information from you unless you provide it to us voluntarily and knowingly.  If you make a donation, register for an event or sign-up to receive our newsletter, for example, we may collect your name, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address.  If you provide personal information, we may enter that information into our constituent database and contact you in order to:

• Complete voluntary surveys seeking feedback for quality and service improvement purposes
• Supply you with information, including LICH news, events and services
• Request voluntary time or monetary contributions to LICH

LICH will not share your private information with any other individual or group not associated with our organization without your express permission.

Site Usage Data.  We do not attempt to track individuals in any manner and we do not link the web information to any other databases with the purpose of identifying individual website users.  We do not track IP addresses or deposit any “cookies” in an attempt to gain information about website users. 

Security.  We strive to maintain physical, electronic and administrative safeguards to secure the information our visitors provide to us.  In order to prevent unauthorized access and protect visitors’ personal information, data is stored on password-protected servers.  Our staff is educated about the importance of safeguarding your information.  However, LICH makes no warranty, guarantee or representation that the use of our website is protected from viruses, security threats or other vulnerabilities and that your information will always be secure. 

 

External Links

Our Online Privacy Policy applies only to your use of the LICH website.  This site contains links to other sites.  We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites.  Links to other sites do not imply an endorsement of the material or policies of those websites or organizations.  You should read the privacy policies of each site you visit to determine what information they may be collecting from you.

 

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about our policies or compliance, please contact us through any medium you prefer.  You may send an e-mail to info@nsch.org, or write to:

Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.

38 Old Country Road

Garden City, NY  11530

Thank you for visiting our site.

 

Code of Conduct

LICH is committed to the application of high ethical standards in the conduct of its business and has adopted the following Code of Conduct. All of us who are affiliated with the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless (Board members and employees) must strive to be:

 

• Honest and trustworthy in all our relationships.

• Reliable in carrying out assignments and responsibilities.

• Truthful and accurate in what we say and write.

• Cooperative and constructive in all work undertaken.

• Fair and considerate in our treatment of fellow employees, clients, and all other persons.

• Law abiding in all our activities.

• Economical in utilizing Company resources.

• Committed to protecting the privacy of individuals.

Following the Rules

Integrity and high standards of ethics require hard work, courage and difficult choices.  In the long run, however, LICH and community will be better served by doing what is right and ethical.  It is the personal responsibility of all LICH affiliates to acquaint themselves with the legal and policy standards and restrictions applicable to their assigned duties and responsibilities, and to conduct themselves accordingly.  Over and above the strictly legal aspects involved, all LICH affiliates are expected to observe high standards of business and professional ethics in the discharge of their assigned responsibilities.  As such, failure to comply will result in prompt, appropriate corrective action, including the possibility of termination or removal from the Board of Directors.

 

Reporting Violations

In addition to personal compliance, all employees/Board Members have the obligation to report any behavior or activities which they either know or suspect are in violation of federal, state, or local laws, rules, regulations, or LICH’s policies and procedures.  Employees are expected to report such information to their supervisor.  Failure to report illegal, unethical, or noncompliant activities or behavior will result in appropriate corrective action.

 

LICH recognizes that open communication is the key to consistent compliance.  As such, LICH will keep all reports of violations confidential to the extent permitted by law, unless doing so prevents LICH from fully and effectively investigating the violation, which reported.  No employee will be punished or retaliated against for good faith reporting of possible noncompliant behavior or activity.  In the event an employee feels that they have been subject to punishment or reprisal for good faith reporting, they should immediately report any such actions to their Supervisor.

 

LICH is committed to complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, and regulations.  We are also committed to preventing non-compliance, and promptly identifying and correcting a non-compliant situation. 

No employee, officer, or agent shall participate in the selection of, award or administration of a contract supported by Federal funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest would be involved.  Such a conflict would arise when the employee, officer or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for an award.  The officers, employees and agents of the recipient shall neither solicit no accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value above $25 from contractors, or parties to sub-agreements. 

 

Administrative and disciplinary actions available to remedy violations of these standards consist of prompt, appropriate corrective action, including the possibility of termination from employment or removal from the Board of Directors.

This document shall be given to all Board members and employees upon their commencement of Board service or employment with LICH.

 

Conflict of Interest Policy

Preamble

Members of the Board of Directors, Officers, the Executive Director (for the purposes of this policy, collectively referred to as the “Management Persons”) of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. (the “Organization”) must not act in their personal interests, or in the interests of others, with respect to organization affairs but must act exclusively in the interest of the Organization.  Management Persons must have undivided loyalty to the Organization and may not use their positions as Management Persons, or use the Organization’s property, in a manner that allows them to obtain a financial benefit for themselves or others to the detriment of the Organization.

Duties of Management Persons

Duty of Care.  The duty of care requires that Management Persons be familiar with the Organization’s finances and operations, and it requires that Management Persons participate regularly in the Organization’s governance.  In carrying out these duties, Management Persons must act in good faith using the degree of diligence, care and skill which prudent people would use in similar positions and under similar circumstances.

 

Duty of Loyalty.  Management Persons are charged with the duty to keep the interests of the Organization paramount to all other interests in decision-making with respect to the Organization.  No Management Person shall engage in any transaction or arrangement involving the Organization that confers secret profits or unfair gains to Management Persons or others.  This duty of loyalty requires, among other things, that any conflict-of-interest be disclosed fully and completely.

 

Duty of Obedience.  Management Persons should ensure that the Organization remains compliant regarding its exempt, or central, purpose as typically defined in its articles or certificate of incorporation.

 

Conflict of Interest

A conflict-of-interest may occur when a Management Person is influenced in his or her decision-making by personal, business, financial or other factors not solely related to the Organization’s best interests.  Business transactions of the Organization in which a Management Person has a financial interest (as defined) must be closely scrutinized.  Prior to entering into business transactions with Management Persons, the proposed transactions must be carefully reviewed to determine that such transactions are in the best interests of the Organization.

 

Duty to Disclose.  Prior to the commencement of any negotiations with respect to a proposed transaction involving a Management Person with a financial interest in the proposed transaction (the “Interested Party”), the Interested Party must make full disclosure, to the best of his or her knowledge, of any dual interest in the proposed transaction by submitting a report to the Board of Directors (the “Board”), disclosing why the proposed transaction or arrangement may or may not be in the best interest of the Organization.

 

Determination of Conflict.  After disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts to the Board, the Interested Party shall depart the Board meeting while the determination of a conflict-of-interest is discussed and voted upon.  The Board, excluding any Interested Party, shall decide if a conflict-of-interest exists.

 

The Board shall, if appropriate, appoint a disinterested person or committee to investigate alternatives to the proposed transaction or arrangement.  After exercising its due diligence, the Board shall determine whether the Organization can obtain, with reasonable efforts, a more advantageous transaction or arrangement from a person or entity that would not give rise to a conflict-of-interest.

 

If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not involving a conflict, the Board shall determine by a majority vote of its disinterested members whether the proposed transaction or arrangement is in the Organization’s best interest and whether it is fair and reasonable.

 

Violation.  If the Board has reasonable cause to believe that a Management Person has failed to comply with this conflict-of-interest policy, the Board may inform the Management Person of the basis for such belief and afford her or him an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to comply.  After hearing the responses and making such further investigation as may be warranted in the circumstances, if the Board determines that such Management Person has, in fact, failed to comply with this conflict-of-interest policy, it may take action including, among other things, removal or termination of such Management Person.

 

Gifts

Management persons are prohibited from receiving or giving any gift that is not permitted by generally accepted business ethical standards.  If there is a dispute with respect to such ethical standards, the Board shall determine if a gift is prohibited.  Management persons may not accept a gift other than a gift of nominal value, without the approval of the Board.

 

Records

The minutes of the Board meeting, during which a potential or actual conflict of interest was discussed, shall contain:

 

• The name of the Management Person who disclosed an actual or potential conflict-of-interest or otherwise was found to have a conflict-of-interest and the nature of the conflict-of-interest; and

• Any action taken to determine whether a conflict-of-interest was presented and the decision of the Board as to whether a conflict-of-interest existed; and a decision as to whether the transaction was approved notwithstanding the conflict; and

• The names of the persons who were present for discussions and votes relating to the transaction or arrangement.

 

Definitions

Financial Interest.  A person has a financial interest if the person has, directly or indirectly, through business, investment, or family (as defined below):

 

• An ownership or investment interest in any entity with which the Organization has a transaction or arrangement;

• A compensation arrangement with any entity or individual with which the Organization has a transaction or arrangement; and/or

• An ownership or investment interest in, or compensation arrangement with, any entity or individual with which the Organization is negotiating a transaction or arrangement.

 

A financial interest is not necessarily a conflict-of-interest.  Under the Determination of Conflict provisions of this conflict-of-interest policy, the Board decides if a conflict-of-interest exists.

 

Family.  For purposes of this conflict-of-interest policy, family means spouse, parents, brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren, the spouses of children and grandchildren, aunts, uncles or cousins, and any other blood relative that resides in the same household as the Management Person.

Management Person Affirmation Statement and Disclosure Statement

Each Management Person shall annually sign a Management Person Disclosure Statement which affirms that such person:

• Has received a copy of the conflict-of-interest policy;

• Has read and understands the policy; and

• Has agreed to comply with the policy.

Each Management Person has a duty to place interests of the Organization foremost in any dealings involving the Organization and has a continuing responsibility to comply with the requirements of this conflict-of-interest policy.  In connection therewith, if there is any question in the Management Person’s mind about whether or not to disclose his or her interest in a transaction or arrangement, the Management Person should disclose the interest.

 

This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing private inurement or conflict-of interest issues with respect to tax-exempt organizations.