JCRC Board Binder FY21

CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
for
BOARD & COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Overview
The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle is by its very nature an integral part of the Seattle
Jewish Community, and is inextricably linked to the many Jewish community institutions that
are supported by Jewish Federation philanthropy. It is the intention of this Conflict of Interest
Policy to set forth the ethical obligations of Board and Committee members of the Jewish
Federation of Greater Seattle, its subsidiary, and its Supporting Foundations; to provide a means
of disclosing conflicts of interest; and to establish guidelines for Board members to recuse
themselves from decision-making where a conflict of interest exists. It is not the intention of
this Policy to exclude from positions of volunteer leadership members of the Community who
have affiliations with beneficiary and other Jewish Community organizations as this would be
unnecessarily restrictive and contrary to the Federation’s desire to have a committed and
informed leadership.
Ethical Obligations of Board & Committee Members
• Represent the interests of all people served by the Federation, and not favor special
interests inside or outside the Federation.
• Uphold one’s fiduciary responsibilities for the Federation as the primary obligation of
office or position.
• Refrain from using one’s service on the board or committee for personal advantage or
for the advantage of relatives, friends or business acquaintances.
• Maintain confidentiality of strategic and sensitive information.
• Approach all board or committee issues with an open mind, prepared to listen and
respect the opinions of board/committee colleagues, and ready to make the best
decisions for the Federation rather than for partisan interests.
• Do nothing to violate the public trust or the trust of donors/members who elected or
appointed members to the board or committee.
• Refrain from exercising authority as an individual board or committee member,
except when acting in a meeting with the full board/committee, or as delegated by the
board.
• Declare conflicts of interest between one’s personal life and one’s position on the
board or committee, recuse oneself from discussion, and abstain from voting if
appropriate.
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