The board and staff members of the Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation are encouraged to play active roles in their communities by serving as board members or otherwise being involved with a wide spectrum of non-profit organizations. This means that, from time to time, potential conflicts of interest or the appearance of such conflicts will inevitably arise. It is the Foundation’s policy to deal with such conflicts in as open and appropriate a way as possible.

Conflicting involvements include but are not limited to the following: Foundation board or staff members serving as board members of applicant organizations, immediate family members of Foundation board or staff members serving as board members of applicant organizations, Foundation board members or staff members or their immediate family members being employed by or doing business with applicant organizations.

In case of such conflicts or the appearance thereof, Foundation board members and staff are expected to disclose the conflict prior to making any related grant decisions. Once such a disclosure has been made, the remaining board members will determine whether or not there is a potential conflict of interest. Should it be so considered, the board member involved shall abstain from voting and shall not participate in the discussion of the applicant organization other than to answer specific questions that may be raised by other board members.

In cases where the Foundation’s board of trustees decides to award a grant to an organization and one or more of the Foundation’s board members has abstained from voting as the result of a conflict or the appearance thereof, or a staff member has a conflict or the appearance thereof, such grants and board or staff members shall be identified in the Foundation’s official minutes of the meeting.