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Activate Good Policies

 

Activate Good is dedicated to operating with inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability. Learn about Activate Good’s policies and Terms of Service at the links below:

Terms of Service

VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY
RELEASE AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY and TERMS OF SERVICE

I. Overview

Any user participating in any activity promoted or stated anywhere on activategood.org is an activity which the user(s) partake in AT THEIR OWN RISK.

At the present time, the volunteer community at activategood.org is not directed to users younger than 13 and is offered only to users 13 years of age or older. Any person who provides their personal information to the volunteer community at activategood.org represents that they are 13 years of age or older.

“User” is defined as any person who creates a user account at activategood.org, regardless of the extent to which the user utilizes activategood.org thereafter.

By registering with us or using or browsing activategood.org, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the following Terms of Service, and that you forever release and hold harmless Activate Good, Inc. from any and all liability related to the use of our volunteer community or related to your participation in any events or volunteer work resulting from your use of our volunteer community.

II. Release and Waiver of Liability

Activate Good, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of North Carolina and includes each of their directors, officers, employees, and agents (collectively, “Activate Good”).

By registering at activategood.org, the user desires to connect, share, and communicate with other willing participants in the volunteer community, and to search for, browse, sign up for, and/or track the hours and community impacts of volunteer activities hosted by Activate Good’s third-party partner organizations (“nonprofit partners”), and engage in the activities related to being a volunteer for a work project (the “volunteer work”).

The user understands that the scope of the user’s relationship with Activate Good is limited to the use of Activate Good’s volunteer community to connect, share, and communicate with other willing participants in the volunteer community and to find, sign up for, and track the hours and stated community impacts of volunteer activities with third-party partner organizations, and that Activate Good bears no responsibility for the user’s relationship with any other users in the volunteer community or with the third-party partner organizations with whom the user signs up to complete volunteer work.

The user further understands that third-party partner organizations have full discretion in deciding whether to accept the user’s offer of volunteer work and that Activate Good has no authority, influence or control over that matter. BY SIGNING UP I, the user, hereby freely and voluntarily, without duress, execute this Release under the following terms:

1. Waiver and Release. I, the user, release and forever discharge and hold harmless Activate Good and its successors and assigns from any and all liability, claims, and demands of whatever kind or nature, either in law or in equity, which arise or may hereafter arise from the use of activategood.org and/or the volunteer work. I, the user understand and acknowledge that this Release discharges Activate Good from any liability or claim that user may have against Activate Good with respect to bodily injury, personal injury, illness, death, or property damage that may result from the use of activategood.org or the volunteer work. It is also understood that Activate Good does not assume any responsibility for or obligation to provide financial assistance or other assistance, including but not limited to medical, health or disability insurance in the event of injury, illness, death or property damage.

2. Insurance. I, the user, understand that I expressly waive any such claim for compensation or liability on the part of Activate Good beyond what may be offered freely by the representative of Activate Good in the event of such injury or medical expense.

3. Medical Treatment. I, the user, hereby release and forever discharge Activate Good from any claim whatsoever which arises or may hereafter arise on account of any first-aid treatment or other medical services rendered in connection with an emergency during the use of activategood.org or the volunteer work.

4. Assumption of Risk. I, the user, understand that the time with Activate Good and/or its third-party member organizations may include activities that may be hazardous to me including, but not limited to, construction activities, loading and unloading of heavy equipment and materials, and local transportation to and from work sites. Also I, the user recognize and understand that the time with Activate Good and/or its third-party member organizations may, in some situations, involve inherently dangerous activities. As the user, I hereby expressly assume the risk of injury or harm in these activities and release Activate Good from all liability for injury, illness, death or property damage resulting from the use of activategood.org and/or the volunteer work.

5. Media and Photographic Release. As the user, I grant and convey unto Activate Good all right, title, and interest in any and all photographic images and video or audio recordings made by Activate Good during the use of activategood.org or volunteer work.

6. Privacy: Personal user profile and user community. I, the user, understand that the information I provide or post anywhere on activategood.org, including but not necessarily limited to my user profile, the skills or interests I have designated on my user profile, the volunteer opportunities I have registered for, or my contact information, is subject to viewing and sharing with any other community users, users with whom I have connected as “friends”, third-party partner organizations, or the general public. I understand that information I provide about myself may be seen by other community users, users with whom I have connected as “friends”, third-party partner organizations, or the general public depending on the privacy parameters I have established on my personal user profile, and that I am solely responsible for designating the privacy settings on my personal user profile.

7. Privacy: Signing up as a volunteer for volunteer opportunities. I, the user, understand that by signing up to participate in volunteer opportunities at activategood.org, the information I have provided or posted anywhere on activategood.org, including but not necessarily limited to my user profile, the skills or interests I have designated on my user profile, the other volunteer opportunities I have registered for, or my contact information may be viewed by the third-party partner organizations hosting the volunteer opportunities and used to assess my qualifications to participate in those volunteer opportunities. Additionally, I understand that at times, Activate Good may view this information I have provided or posted on activategood.org to identify whether I may be an appropriate match for a volunteer opportunity.

8. Participating in volunteer work. I, the user, understand that my sign up or participation in any volunteer opportunities and / or volunteer work promoted or stated anywhere on activategood.org is completely voluntary and that I participate in these activities at my own risk. Additionally, I understand that it is within my rights to cancel my sign up or participation in volunteer opportunities and / or volunteer work at any time for any reason, and that it is also within the rights of the third-party partner organization hosting the volunteer opportunity / volunteer work to reject or cancel my sign up or participation in the volunteer opportunity / volunteer work at any time if it is deemed I am not an appropriate match for their volunteer opportunity / volunteer work. Additionally, I, the user, further understands that Activate Good has no authority, influence or control over third-party partner organizations’ decision to reject, cancel, or work with a user in its volunteer community.

9. Underage Users. I, the user, understand that at this time the minimum age for registration and use of Activategood.org is no less than 13 years of age. I, the user, understand that my ability to bring an underage volunteer to a volunteer opportunity posted or promoted at activategood.org depends on whether or not the third-party partner organization has permitted underage volunteers for that volunteer opportunity and that Activate Good has no authority, influence, or control over third-party partner organizations’ decision to accept or reject underage volunteers for a volunteer opportunity.

10. Other. As the user I expressly agree that this Release is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by the laws of the State of North Carolina in the United States of America, and that this Release shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina. I agree that in the event that any clause or provision of this Release shall be held to be invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such clause or provision shall not otherwise affect the remaining provisions of this Release, which shall continue to be enforceable.

III. TERMS OF SERVICE

1. Nonprofit or Agency Partners with user accounts. Mutual CAN-SPAM Compliance Agreement: All nonprofits or public agencies using activategood.org agree that any personal information provided by users (prospective volunteers, confirmed volunteers, or any other users) on activategood.org is shared with the nonprofit for the purpose of the volunteer opportunity for which the user is registering. Nonprofit Partners must NEVER sell, share or use this information in any manner not consistent with the intended purpose of allowing contact between the volunteer and the nonprofit.

2. Copyright Infringement. User agrees that any content they submit to activategood.org is their own, and is not copyrighted or borrowed from other parties. In the event of a case of copyright infringement, the user accepts full and sole responsibility for the violation and releases Activate Good from any liability or claim that external parties may have against the user and that the user releases Activate Good from any and all responsibility, including subsequent legal fees and penalties.

3. Content. I, the user, agree that I will not post, email, or make available any content or use activategood.org:

In a manner that infringes, violates or misappropriates any third party’s intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights or contractual rights;

in a manner that contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;

to engage in spamming, “chain letters,” “pyramid schemes”, advertisement of illegal or controlled products or services, or other advertising or marketing activities that violate these Terms of Service, any applicable laws, regulations or generally-accepted advertising industry guidelines;

in a manner that is misleading, deceptive or fraudulent or otherwise illegal or promotes illegal activities, including engaging in phishing or otherwise obtaining financial or other personal information in a misleading manner or for fraudulent or misleading purposes;

in a manner that is libelous or defamatory, or in a way that is otherwise threatening, abusive, violent, harassing, malicious or harmful to any person or entity, or invasive of another’s privacy;

in a manner that is harmful to minors in any way;

in a manner that is hateful or discriminatory based on race, color, sex, religion, nationality, ethnic or national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or age or is otherwise objectionable;

to impersonate any other person, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity, or to obtain access to activategood.org without authorization;

to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of activategood.org or prevent others from using activategood.org, or in a manner that disrupts the normal flow of dialogue with an excessive number of messages (flooding attack) to activategood.org, or that otherwise negatively affects other persons’ ability to use activategood.org;

to use any manual or automated means, including agents, robots, scripts, or spiders, to access or manage any user’s account or to monitor or copy activategood.org or the content contained therein;

to facilitate the unlawful distribution of copyrighted content;

in a manner that includes personal or identifying information about another person without that person’s explicit consent;

in a manner that employs misleading email or IP addresses, or forged headers or otherwise manipulated identifiers in order to disguise the origin of content transmitted through activategood.org or to users; and

in a manner that constitutes or contains any form of advertising or solicitation if emailed to users who have requested not to be contacted about other services, products or commercial interests.

4. User Behavior. Additionally, you agree not to:

“Stalk” or otherwise harass anyone;

Collect, use or disclose data, including personal information, about other users without their consent or for unlawful purposes or in violation of applicable law or regulations;

Request, solicit or otherwise obtain access to usernames, passwords or other authentication credentials from any user of activategood.org or to proxy authentication credentials for any user of activategood.org for the purposes of automating logins to activategood.org;

Post any content containing child pornography to activategood.org;

Post any content that depicts or contains rape, extreme violence, murder, bestiality, incest, or other similar content;

Post any content that constitutes pornography, contains nudity, or is adult in nature.

Use automated means, including spiders, robots, crawlers, data mining tools, or the like to download data from activategood.org – except for Internet search engines (e.g. Google) and non-commercial public archives (e.g. archive.org) that comply with “well-behaved” web services/RSS/Atom clients. We reserve the right to define what we mean by “well-behaved”;

Post irrelevant content, repeatedly post the same or similar content or otherwise impose an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the activategood.org infrastructure;

Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our computer systems or engage in any activity that disrupts, diminishes the quality of, interferes with the performance of, or impairs the functionality of, activategood.org;

Use activategood.org as a generic file hosting service;

Take any action that may undermine the feedback or ratings systems (such as displaying, importing or exporting feedback information off of activategood.org or for using it for purposes unrelated to activategood.org); and

Develop, invoke, or utilize any code to disrupt, diminish the quality of, interfere with the performance of, or impair the functionality of activategood.org.

You agree not to authorize or encourage any third party to use activategood.org to facilitate any of the foregoing prohibited conduct. You also agree that these activategood.org Terms of Service inure to the benefit of our service providers (including our social network, database, or software platform provider) and that they may take action (including the removal of your content and disabling of your account) in order to maintain compliance with the activategood.org Terms of Service. Technology and hosting for aspects of activategood.org are provided by activategood.org’s online service provider. However, the Creator of activategood.org controls the content, membership and policy of activategood.org, including those pages served by such service provider on behalf of activategood.org. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, by participating on activategood.org you agree to indemnify and hold harmless such service provider on all matters related to your interaction with others using activategood.org and participation with Activate Good.

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy was last revised on August 14, 2012.

Activate Good provides technology and services that enable members of the Triangle region* to use an online application to research and register for volunteer opportunities in the area. Activate Good is committed to maintaining the privacy of its users, including both Activate Good volunteers and nonprofit partners. If you have accessed this Privacy Policy by clicking on a link on a site other than the Activate Good web site, your information may be collected by Activate Good as a service to the entity that controls such other web site and the Activate Good privacy policy terms will apply to the collection of your personal information. (*The Triangle region includes Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Research Triangle Park, and townships in this immediate vicinity.)

This Privacy Policy describes the Activate Good practices for gathering, storing, using and disseminating information. By visiting this website you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms and conditions set forth below, please do not use or access the Activate Good services. By accepting this Privacy Policy, you expressly consent to the use and disclosure of your personally identifiable information as outlined below. This policy may be changed from time to time. All changes will be posted to this site and you are encouraged to periodically check back to this site for any changes to the privacy policy.

INFORMATION COLLECTION

If you are using the online services of Activate Good (the “Services”), Activate Good may collect personal information about you including contact information, addresses, volunteer history, interests and member demographics. Volunteer history may specifically include your history with respect to any projects you complete through registration on the Activate Good site, or volunteer hours that you have recorded in your volunteer member account. Activate Good may also collect information through the use of Cookies (as defined below).

Activate Good collects personal information when you: (1) register as a volunteer member through Activate Good, (2) become an Activate Good nonprofit partner, (3) participate in an event or project with Activate Good, (4) complete an interest form to request a presentation or to learn more about our Activate Schools initiative, (5) register for the Activate Good mailing list, or (6) request information from Activate Good and provide your name or return contact information. As part of the registration process, you may be asked to provide contact information and other personally identifying information. Providing some of the requested information is optional and Activate Good will indicate what information is required and what information is optional.

COOKIES

“Cookies” are data files that may be downloaded to your computer when you visit the Activate Good site and permit the Activate Good server to identify your browser whenever you interact with the Activate Good site. Activate Good uses cookies to recognize repeat visits by users of its site and to collect information about its users’ interactions with the Services. These cookies contain identification information that enables us to streamline your experiences using the Services. You may set your browser software to reject cookies, but some of the Services may not be accessible to you. In some cases, you will not be able to access Services if cookies are disabled.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

1) Volunteer System Registration. If you are a volunteer member and you register for an Activate Good event or project or to volunteer with one of our registered partner nonprofits, we may share personally identifiable information, such as name and contact information, to the nonprofit partner for the volunteer opportunity you have signed up for in order to provide you with a positive volunteer experience. Activate Good will retain your information to support the volunteer experience. To the extent that Activate Good employees or leaders have access to your personally identifiable information, these entities will treat this information in a secure manner. If you are a volunteer, you are encouraged to review the privacy policies of the Activate Good nonprofit partners where you intend to participate, if those agencies may require additional personal information for your participation in an event. You should contact Activate Good nonprofit partners directly and review their privacy policies should you have questions concerning their use of your information such as, for example, communications you may or may not wish to receive.

When you register as a volunteer in the Activate Good volunteer database, you will be asked to acknowledge understanding of the database Release and Waiver of Liability. The Release and Waiver of Liability can be viewed upon registration for our volunteer database. A copy of the Release and Waiver of Liability is also provided at the end of this Privacy Policy for your reference and review.

2) Customer and Volunteer Support. Contact information provided by you in connection with problems, comments or requests is used only to respond to those problems, comments or requests and may be provided to Activate Good nonprofit partners or third parties as necessary to respond to the comment, problem or request.

3) Marketing/Special offers/Solicitation from Activate Good. Activate Good may use registration information to provide updates, and other business purposes related to making information available regarding Services. Activate Good also may use registration information to make you aware of organization news, volunteer projects or opportunities, or Activate Good events. Activate Good will abide by requests from you to discontinue such use. If you are a registered volunteer or mailing list user: (i) you will receive such information as described in this Section (3) only if you have opted to receive such information from Activate Good; (ii) you may opt out of receiving such information (if you have already opted in to receive it) by sending a request to opt out or by using the opt out feature of our mailing list system at your discretion. As a volunteer member, if you receive communications directly from an Activate Good nonprofit partner, you should contact the Activate Good nonprofit partner directly concerning such communications and review their privacy policies.

4) Providing Your Information to Third Parties for Marketing/Solicitation.

If you are an Activate Good volunteer member, (1) Activate Good does not sell your information to third parties for purposes of marketing or soliciting you; and (2) To the extent that Activate Good nonprofit partners (for example, participation in a nonprofit partner volunteer opportunity, project, or event) have access to your personally identifiable information as a result of your participation in an event (reference C (1) above, where you have provided your information to Activate Good nonprofit partner as part of a volunteer opportunity or event you may be involved in with such Activate Good agency), these entities may solicit or market to you in accordance with their policies. As a volunteer, you are encouraged to review the privacy policies of the Activate Good nonprofit partners that request your information. You should contact Activate Good nonprofit partners directly and review their privacy policies should you have questions concerning their use of your information such as, for example, communications you may or may not wish to receive.

5) Other Disclosures. Activate Good may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or if Activate Good has a good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to protect and/or defend the rights and interests of Activate Good. Activate Good may, as permitted by applicable law, disclose your personally identifiable information to Activate Good nonprofit partners, other Activate Good users or third parties in connection with an investigation of fraud or other unlawful activity and you expressly authorize Activate Good to make such disclosures.

6) Merger or Acquisition. If Activate Good is merged or acquired by another entity, personally identifiable information may be transferred to such entity as a part of the merger or acquisition.

REVIEW AND MODIFICATIONS TO YOUR PERSONALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION.

If you are an Activate Good volunteer member, you may add, modify or update your personal information by accessing your member center settings from the Activate Good volunteer database page.

If you are a volunteer member, you may access, modify, remove, correct or update your personal information by contacting Activate Good. Activate Good may retain volunteer history in order to document a volunteer participation you may have had with an Activate Good nonprofit partner. You should contact the Activate Good nonprofit partner directly in order to access, modify or update your personal information with them.

E. LINKS TO OTHER SITES

As a part of the Services, Activate Good may provide links to web sites operated by third parties. Activate Good is not responsible for the information collection or privacy practices or the content of those third party sites.

F. SECURITY

Activate Good stores personally identifiable information obtained through registration securely and considers it part of the assets of its business. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the appropriate use of information, Activate Good has put in place physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information it collects online. However, data security is a constantly evolving science. You should consider any communication that you transmit to Activate Good (such as data, questions or answers, comments, or suggestions) as non-confidential, and agree that Activate Good will not be liable or responsible if information that belongs to you is intercepted and used by an unintended recipient.

G. CHILDREN

Activate Good uses reasonable efforts not to collect, use or disclose individually identifiable information from children under the age of 13. Activate Good’s volunteer database and matching services are not targeted at children. Activate Good nonprofit partners set and maintain their own policies on whether or not children may participate in their volunteer activities. Age requirements for volunteering for a particular opportunity vary between nonprofit partners, and nonprofit partners describe these age requirements in the volunteer opportunities submitted to the Activate Good volunteer opportunity database. For more information on our volunteer database and matching system Release and Waiver of Liability, view the Release and Waiver of Liability section below.

H. FURTHER INFORMATION

If you have any questions about anything in this Privacy Policy, or about collection of personally identifiable information, or information generally, please contact Activate Good as follows:

Activate Good
1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 115
Raleigh, NC, 27604
Email: info@activategood. org

You may also use the above contact information if you think any information about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or if you want to change the sort of information about you that Activate Good may have collected.

Activate Good: Volunteer Database and Matching System: Release and Waiver of Liability

As previously stated, volunteer members registering for Activate Good’s volunteer database and matching system are required to acknowledge they have read and they understand our Release and Waiver of Liability for services we provide. This Release and Waiver of Liability is available on the sign up page of our volunteer database and matching system. A copy of this Release and Waiver of Liability is also available below for reference:

RELEASE AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY

[If you, the volunteer, are under the age of eighteen (18) years, a parent or guardian must print out this page, sign below this paragraph, and mail to: Activate Good, 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 115, Raleigh, NC 27604. At this time, Activate Good cannot match any volunteer under the age of eighteen (18) years without such signed authorization by a parent or guardian.]

I, the volunteer, hereby execute this Release and Waiver of Liability in favor of Activate Good, INC., a nonprofit corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of North Carolina, and each of its directors, officers, employees, and agents (collectively, “Activate Good”). I desire to have Activate Good match me to volunteer work for Activate Good’s third-party member organizations (the “matching process”) and engage in the activities related to being a volunteer for a work project (the “volunteer work”). I understand that the scope of the volunteer’s relationship with Activate Good is limited to the matching process and that Activate Good bears no responsibility for the my relationship with any third-party member organizations to which I am matched. I further understand that third-party member organizations have full discretion in deciding whether to accept the my offer of volunteer work and that Activate Good has no authority, influence or control over that matter.

I, the volunteer, hereby freely and voluntarily, without duress, execute this Release under the following terms:

WAIVER AND RELEASE: I, the volunteer, release and forever discharge and hold harmless Activate Good and its successors and assigns from any and all liability, claims, and demands of whatever kind or nature, either in law or in equity, which arise or may hereafter arise from the matching process and/or the volunteer work. I, the volunteer understand and acknowledge that this Release discharges Activate Good from any liability or claim that volunteer may have against Activate Good with respect to bodily injury, personal injury, illness, death, or property damage that may result from the matching process and/or the volunteer work. It is also understood that Activate Good does not assume any responsibility for or obligation to provide financial assistance or other assistance, including but not limited to medical, health or disability insurance in the event of injury, illness, death or property damage.

INSURANCE: I, the volunteer understand that I expressly waive any such claim for compensation or liability on the part of Activate Good.

MEDICAL TREATMENT: I, the volunteer, hereby release and forever discharge Activate Good from any claim whatsoever that arises or may hereafter arise on account of any first-aid treatment or other medical services rendered in connection with an emergency during the matching process or the volunteer work.

ASSUMPTION OF RISK: I, the volunteer, understand that the time with Activate Good and/or its third-party member organizations may include activities that may be hazardous to me including, but not limited to, construction activities, loading and unloading of heavy equipment and materials, and local transportation to and from work sites. Also I, the volunteer recognize and understand that the time with Activate Good and/or its third-party member organizations may, in some situations, involve inherently dangerous activities. As the volunteer, I hereby expressly assume the risk of injury or harm in these activities and release Activate Good from all liability for injury, illness, death or property damage resulting from the matching process and/or the volunteer work.

PHOTOGRAPHIC RELEASE: As the volunteer, I grant and convey unto Activate Good all right, title, and interest in any and all photographic images and video or audio recordings made by Activate Good during the matching process or volunteer work.

OTHER: As the volunteer I expressly agree that this Release is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by the laws of the State of North Carolina in the United States of America, and that this Release shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina. I agree that in the event that any clause or provision of this Release shall be held to be invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such clause or provision shall not otherwise affect the remaining provisions of this Release, which shall continue to be enforceable.

By clicking the box that I agree to comply with your volunteer policies, I express my understanding and intent to enter into this Release and Waiver of Liability.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Non-Discrimination Policy

Activate Good deeply values its community of volunteers and network of partnering organizations, including the charities, schools, associations, businesses, and faith-based organizations that participate in our volunteer programs. We are committed to creating a friendly, equitable, and inclusive environment where each individual is welcomed and respected.

We believe that no person should be excluded from agency services, employment, or volunteer participation on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ability, marital status, or military status, or for any other discriminatory reason. These activities include, but are not limited to, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers (both for Activate Good and through referrals to partnering organizations), selection of vendors, and providing of services. Accordingly, we will not knowingly refer volunteers to organizations that engage in unlawful discriminatory practices.

Activate Good is not aligned with any religious belief. We invite faith-based organizations to participate in our volunteer programs so long as they meet our nonprofit partner eligibility criteria and fulfill a strictly charitable purpose. Activate Good will not knowingly refer volunteers, or otherwise provide resources to, any organization whose purpose is to use that support for the intention of religious proselytizing.

Activate Good is expressly nonpartisan and is not aligned with any political party, creed, organization, or movement. Activate Good will not knowingly refer volunteers, or otherwise provide resources to, any organization whose purpose is political in nature.

Activate Good is an equal-opportunity employer. We shall not discriminate and will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, Board membership, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin (ancestry), ability, marital status, or military status, or for any other discriminatory reason.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all volunteers, partners, staff, contractors, and Board members. We endeavor to create a diverse community and build relationships with a wide spectrum of corporate and community organizations, and charitable causes as we work to promote and activate volunteers to do good in our community.

Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics

The purpose of this code is to articulate the values and ideals at the heart of our work and to unify board members, staff, volunteers, supporters, and community partners in adhering to these values and ideals as we work toward our goals of empowering all individuals to volunteer and help causes in their community, thereby creating a pervasive culture of community involvement.

Our Mission
Activate Good has a clearly stated mission in pursuit of the public good, and all programs shall support that mission. All who work for or and/or on behalf of Activate Good will understand and be loyal to that mission and purpose. The mission shall remain responsive to the constituencies and communities served by Activate Good and of value to society at large.

Governance
Activate Good’s Board of Directors must have no material conflict of interest in their role on the board and will serve without compensation. The Board is responsible for setting the mission and strategic direction of the organization and shall approve and oversee the finances, operations, and policies of the organization.

The Board of Directors:

Ensures that its officers and directors have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties and that all board members understand and fulfill their governance duties acting for the benefit of Activate Good and its public purpose.
Holds regular meetings and ensures a quorum is present at each board meeting.
Records minutes for each meeting which are approved by the Board within sixty days and retained in the organization’s records.
Adheres to a conflict of interest policy and ensures that any conflicts or the appearance thereof are avoided or appropriately managed through disclosure, recusal, or other means.
Oversees and approves the hiring, firing, and review of the performance of any paid staff or contractor, and ensures that the compensation is reasonable, fair, and appropriate.
Ensures staff employees, contractors, and volunteers provide timely and comprehensive information so that the governing body can effectively carry out its duties.
Ensures Activate Good conducts all transactions and dealings with integrity and honesty.
Ensures Activate Good promotes working relationships with contractors, staff, volunteers, and program beneficiaries that are based on mutual respect, fairness and openness.
Ensures Activate Good is fair and inclusive in its hiring and promotion policies and practices for all board, staff, contractor and volunteer positions.
Ensures Activate Good’s policies are in writing, clearly articulated and available, and enforced.
Ensures that the organization has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively.
Personal and Professional Integrity
Activate Good’s working environment shall values respect, fairness, and integrity. Accordingly, Activate Good’s board of directors, volunteers, and staff shall act with honesty, integrity and openness in all their dealings as representatives of the organization to all constituents served by its programs and projects.

Responsible Stewardship
Activate Good shall manage organization funds responsibly and prudently. This should include the following considerations:

All financial practices and policies shall be fair, reasonable, and appropriate in furtherance of Activate Good’s charitable mission.
The Board of Directors shall approve the organization’s annual budget and will receive regular financial reports that are factually accurate and complete in all material respects.
A reasonable percentage of public contributions shall be applied to programs and activities described in solicitations, in accordance with donor expectations.
The organization shall strive to keep its administrative and fundraising costs low relative to its overall budget. An adequate amount shall be spent on administrative expenses to ensure effective accounting systems, internal controls, competent staff, and other expenditures critical to professional management.
Activate Good shall compensate staff, contractors, and any others who may receive compensation, appropriately. All compensation shall be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors. If decisions regarding compensation present a conflict of interest for a Board Member, that Board Member will recuse themselves for the vote.
Reasonable internal controls shall be in place to safeguard Activate Good’s assets from theft or misuse and shall exercise adequate controls over expenditures and disbursements
Activate Good shall adopt a Whistleblower Policy. The policy will be distributed to the board, staff, and volunteers and shall be made available to the public on the organization’s website. Activate Good will take timely and appropriate action to address concerns brought forth in accordance with that policy.
Ethical Promotion & Accountability
Basic informational data about the organization, such as the Form 990, will be posted on the Activate Good website or otherwise made available to the public. All solicitation materials, financial records, and program reports will be complete and accurate in all material respects. Further, Activate Good shall provide comprehensive and timely information to the public, the media, and all stakeholders and shall be responsive in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information.

Fundraising
Activate Good shall raise funds from the public and from donor institutions and be truthful in solicitation materials. Activate Good will respect the privacy concerns of individual donors and expends funds consistent with donor intent. Activate Good shall disclose important and relevant information to potential donors.

In raising funds, Activate Good will respect the rights of donors, as follows:

To be informed of Activate Good’s mission, the way the resources will be used and their capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the Activate Good Board of Directors and to expect the Board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
To have access to the most recent Activate Good financial reports according to State and Federal disclosure requirements applicable to tax-exempt organizations.
To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, Activate Good employees, or solicitors.
To have the opportunity to request exclusion from Activate Good’s mailing list.
To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive truthful and forthright answers.
Legal & Regulatory Compliance
Activate Good will be vigilant in compliance with laws, regulations and applicable conventions that govern and regulate tax-exempt organizations.

Inclusiveness & Diversity
Activate Good shall promote inclusiveness and diversity. Activate Good shall take meaningful steps to promote inclusiveness in its hiring, retention, promotion, board recruitment and constituencies served in the community.

Whistleblower Policy

Whistleblower Policy

Purpose

It is the policy of Activate Good that its operations are conducted according to the highest standard of integrity, and that its officers, directors, employees, consultants, volunteers, interns, vendors, and other agents observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. As representatives of the organization, all applicable laws and regulations must be followed, honesty and integrity must be practiced in fulfilling all responsibilities and all situations must be avoided that might conflict with responsibilities undertaken on behalf of the organization. It is a federal crime for any organization – nonprofit or for-profit- to retaliate against a “whistleblower” who reports illegal, unacceptable, or suspicious activity (“Concerns”). The following is intended to encourage and enable the reporting of Concerns within Activate Good in order to prevent, detect and correct improper activities.

Scope

All officers, directors, employees, including temporary employees, consultants, volunteers, interns, vendors and other agents are covered by the scope of this policy and its guidelines.

Policy

The objectives of the Whistleblower and Fraud Reporting Policy (“Policy”) are to establish policies and procedures for:

  • Reporting Concerns on a confidential, anonymous basis regarding
    – questionable accounting,
    – violation or noncompliance with a state or federal statute, rule or regulation,
    – violation of Activate Good policies and procedures, or
    – unsafe working conditions or work practices in the exercise of Activate Good business, either at the offices of Activate Good or elsewhere by employees, officers, directors, volunteers or other agents of Activate Good;
  • Receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received by the organization regarding such Concerns; and
  • Protection of anyone reporting Concerns in good faith from retaliatory actions.

A. Reporting Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all those noted in the Scope of the Policy to report questionable matters or other Concerns as described above.

B. No Retaliation

No officer, director, employee, including a temporary employee, consultant, volunteer, intern, vendor or other agent who reports a Concern in good faith shall be subject to retaliation or, in the case of an employee, adverse consequences. Any individual who retaliates against someone who has reported a Concern in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including dismissal from the volunteer position or termination of employment. Such conduct may also give rise to other actions, including civil lawsuits.

C. Procedures for Reporting Concerns

  1. Employees and Consultants. Whenever possible, an individual should seek to resolve Concerns by reporting issues directly to his or her supervisor. If, for any reason, the individual is uncomfortable speaking to his supervisor or does not believe the Concern is being properly addressed, the individual should report the Concern directly to the President of Activate Good. If the individual does not believe that these channels of communication can or should be used to express his or her Concern, the individual should report the Concern directly to Activate Good’s Vice- President, Treasurer, or Secretary. Concerns may also be submitted anonymously in writing by mail, by email, or via voice mail to Activate Good’s President or Vice-President. Contact information may be obtained from Activate Good’s website.
  2. Officers, Directors, Interns, Volunteers, Vendors and Other Agents. Officers, directors, interns, volunteers, vendors and other agents may report Concerns to the President. If the officer, director, intern, volunteer, vendor or other agent is uncomfortable reporting to any of these individuals, or is he does not believe the Concern is being properly address, the report should be escalated directly to the Chairman of Activate Good’s Board of Directors, the Vice President, the Treasurer, or the Secretary.

D. Handling of Reported Concerns

All reported Concerns filed in accordance with this policy will be investigated by Activate Good with due care and promptness. Matters reported internally without initial resolution will be investigated by the President of Activate Good to determine if the allegations are true, whether the issue is material and what actions, if any, are necessary to correct the problem. Activate Good’s Board of Directors will review all matters raised under this to ensure appropriate resolution.

For matters reported directly to the President, the Vice President, or Chairman of the Board if one is acting, shall promptly acknowledge receipt of the complaint to the complainant if the complainant is known. An investigation will be held to determine if the allegations are true, whether the issue is material and what corrective action, if any, is necessary. Upon the conclusion of this investigation, the Vice President/Chairman shall promptly report its findings to the Board.

The President, or in the case of the above paragraph, the VP or Chairman, shall have full authority to investigate Concerns raised in accordance with this policy and may retain outside legal counsel, accountant, private investigators, or any other resource that the committee reasonably believes is necessary to conduct a full and complete investigation of the allegations.

E. Acting in Good Faith

Anyone reporting a Concern must act in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates an improper accounting, a violation of state or federal law, a violation of Activate Good’s policies and procedures or another Concern described above. The act of making allegations that prove to be unsubstantiated, and that prove to have been made maliciously, recklessly or with the foreknowledge the that allegations are false, will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense and may result in discipline, up to and including dismissal from the volunteer position, dismissal from the Board, or termination of employment. Such conduct may also give rise to other actions, including civil lawsuits.

F. Confidentiality

Reports of Concerns, and investigations pertaining thereto, shall be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation. Disclosure of reports of Concern to individuals not involved in the investigation will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense and may result in discipline, up to and including dismissal from volunteer position, dismissal from the Board, or termination of employment. Such conduct may also give rise to other actions, including civil lawsuits.

G. Policy Distribution

This policy will be distributed to all officers, directors, employees, contractors, and volunteers (where possible) of Activate Good and shall be posted on Activate Good’s website so that Concerns may be reported by external parties.

COVID-19

Keeping our Community Safe

Activate Good is committed to the health & safety of our volunteers, partners, and staff. We wish to minimize the transmission of infectious disease, so we are staying up to date on the spread of COVID-19 and increasing sanitation measures in our facilities, following recommendations coming from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and local governance. In addition to prioritizing safety, we also desire to create alternative ways of helping nonprofits serve our most vulnerable populations.

Updates as of August 2021

Volunteer Safety Requirements

We care about and rely on all of our volunteers – so this is IMPORTANT. For the health and safety of all, please do not join us at any project if you:

  • Are experiencing any symptoms or feel unwell
  • Share space with someone who is ill
  • Have recently traveled out of the country or to any COVID-19 hot spots
  • Have been exposed to any confirmed case of COVID-19

All Activate Good staff are vaccinated and will continue to properly wear a mask (fully covering the nose and mouth) indoors and during outdoor activities that do not facilitate ample social distancing.

All volunteers at Activate Good-hosted events are also expected to continue properly wearing a mask (fully covering the nose and mouth) and respecting social distancing, regardless of vaccination status. Those who are fully vaccinated may choose to forgo their masks only when outdoors, remaining cognizant of the comfort and boundaries of others around them.

Each of our Community Partners may have their own protocols, and volunteers are expected to follow the protocols of their host site, whatever those may be. While we will do our best to communicate information on these policies, we recommend contacting the hosting Community Partner directly to request further clarification.

Please do not put yourself or anyone else at risk by coming to volunteer if you are sick, know you have potentially been exposed, or are unable to comply with these guidelines.

Our Internal Operations

As an organization, we have implemented the following measures:

  • take common-sense precautions to protect from the spread of illness
  • facilitated remote work for all staff
  • cross-train employees and volunteers for key functions so that daily schedules can continue relatively uninterrupted
  • make sure employees and volunteers are not encouraged to come to work if they are sick
  • communicate with local health officials regarding questions or concerns about COVID-19

Our Commitment to Meeting Our Mission

Continuation of Activate Good’s work connecting volunteers to area nonprofits:

Activate Good will continue its mission of supporting local nonprofits and connecting volunteers in good health to fulfill their needs to the extent that is possible and safe at this time. We are also highlighting ways that volunteers can continue providing critical support to area nonprofits through remote volunteer opportunities.

Regarding regular volunteering that occurs in-person in a nonprofit space or during a community-wide day of service:

We urge visitors and volunteers to adhere to common-sense practices (outlined below), exercise their best judgment, and understand the policies and practices each individual nonprofit host has put into place regarding COVID-19 as they determine whether or not to participate in their planned volunteer activities in person. As always, we request volunteers practice good etiquette by notifying a nonprofit as far in advance as possible that they are no longer able to participate in a scheduled volunteer activity. Communicating your cancellations in a timely manner is a critical part of ensuring our nonprofit partners have enough time to rearrange plans and activities to accommodate changes, especially in the face of these challenges. We thank you for your courtesy and cooperation in practicing good communication.

Regarding host nonprofit’s policies on COVID-19:

Activate Good currently serves over 560 Triangle area organizations who utilize volunteers to support their work. Please note that each individual organization has or may have their own policy or anticipated changes in response to COVID-19. As needed, ask to view or request a copy of their policy as it will differ from organization to organization.

A reminder of those common-sense measures we can all take:

  • Wash hands with soap and warm water frequently, for at least 20 seconds. We like to sing a song while we wash!
  • Use alcohol-based sanitizers when soap and water are not available
  • Use disposable tissues when coughing and sneezing; dispose of used tissues carefully and promptly
  • If tissues are not available, cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm/sleeve
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces
  • Stay home when you are sick, and remain home until you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication
  • Avoid close contact with anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms…but send them well wishes from afar
  • Maintain healthy habits. Time to try that new recipe!
  • Take time to discuss illness and spreading germs with your little ones

More Information

Questions

Our staff can answer any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email info@activategood.org. Thank you for your efforts to keep our community safe, and please be well!

Resources

For us all:

For volunteers and those who want to help:

For our Community Partners:

Custom Corporate Services (Fees for Service)

When is my payment due?

Activate Good requires payment in full prior to services rendered. All invoices that include Fees for Service (management fees and associated supply budgets, for example) are all PIA (pay in advance). All due dates and payment terms will be communicated in the Agreement provided by Activate Good, which must be countersigned.

Why does Activate Good operate with PIA invoicing standards? (Timelines and Implementation)

Upon receipt of a proposal, Activate Good must receive any requests for proposal amendments by a communicated deadline; additionally, your request for a final contract/agreement will be due by a deadline determined by Activate Good to be the latest possible date in order to properly implement the partnership.

Once an agreement is provided, the countersigned document must be completed no less than 8 weeks prior to your preferred project date, to ensure adequate time for receipt of your payment and purchasing. Activate Good reserves the right to charge a rush fee (more below) in cases where an agreement is not signed within the written timeframe to cover potential: staff overtime, rush shipping fees, and more.

Custom corporate volunteer projects and events can be complex; they may require the purchase of supplies, coordination with external third parties (contractors, caterers, venue managers, nonprofit representatives, and more), site visits, etc. So, the contract begins with the start of such activities (not the date of the agreed to event), which helps us ensure our operations and your possible supplies are properly supported. Therefore, payment is due prior to any such services in order to avoid unnecessary out of pocket expenses for our 501c3.

Why might there be a rush fee for custom projects with les than 6-8 weeks lead time for implementation?

After submitting any request for a custom service partnership, a period of time is needed to allow us opportunity to discuss your needs/vision, confirm a beneficiary’s needs/abilities, finalize paperwork – including payment prior to supply purchases, as noted above – and more to prepare for an awesome service event. The rush fee helps cover additional costs incurred by Activate Good during a short-notice project to ensure a quick turnaround, including but not limited to: staff overtime, hiring additional short-term help, expedited shipping of supplies, etc.

Your understanding and patience as we maintain fiscally responsible best practices for accounting and business agreements related to custom services is appreciated.

More Information

If you have any questions or comments about these policies, please contact us at info@activategood.org.