The Fiscal Sponsorship Commons (“FS Commons”) community is made up of a wide range of people and organizations. Our diversity is our greatest strength, and the foundation from which we all deepen our understanding of fiscal sponsorship and nonprofit infrastructure sharing.
Like any group of people coming together, we can have communication issues or misunderstandings. We all come to the FS Commons from different work cultures and spaces that may have a variety of expectations.
This Code of Conduct (the “Code”) establishes expectations for you and all others using the Fiscal Sponsorship Commons. The Code is designed to properly balance legal compliance, our commitments and values to our community and your safety. This policy applies to any individual participating in any virtual and in-person FS Commons meetings as well as when engaging with others via any platform that is part of the FS Commons or utilizing FS Commons Resources.
Community Expectations
- Be welcoming: this is a safe space for everyone. We are a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, color, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.
- Be friendly and patient: we come from different experiences and organization types. Some of our peers have more experience, some have less. With the act of attending and participating in FS Commons events, conversations or engaging online with the community, you are agreeing to be part of an exchange of knowledge - which means not everyone comes from the same work background or has experience with the same topics. Everyone has something to give and something to take. Be open to each other’s experience and ideas.
- Be trustworthy: we share special information. The nature of our exchange with each other sometimes includes confidential or proprietary professional information, and we share our experiences in order to elicit advice and learn from each other. All convenings and online conversations come with the expectation of confidentiality unless explicitly stated otherwise. We are all taking learning home with us, but remember to anonymize and share learning without attribution if you’re talking about specific confidential conversations. We also share documents and templates for ideas - remember, usage of this information is governed by the applicable subscription agreement and it is often appropriate to consult with your legal counsel or other professional advisors prior to use.
- Be respectful: we all have good and bad days, and we all work hard. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior and poor manners. When you’re not sure where someone is coming from, assume good intentions. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where people feel disrespected, uncomfortable, or threatened is not a productive one. Members of the community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the community.
- Be careful in the words that you choose. We are a community of professionals, and we conduct ourselves professionally. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other exclusionary behavior aren't acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Violent threats or language directed against another person.
- Discriminatory jokes and language.
- Posting/sharing sexually explicit or violent material.
- Posting/sharing (or threatening to post) other people's personally identifying information ("doxing").
- Personal insults, especially those using racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic terms.
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
- Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.
- When we disagree, try to understand why. Disagreements (social, logistical, professional, theoretical), happen all the time in any community context. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. The strength of this community comes from its varied community; we are people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different perspectives on issues. Being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on helping to resolve issues and learning from mistakes.
- Do not solicit. The FS Commons is designed to bring together individuals and organizations interested in deepening their understanding of fiscal sponsorship and nonprofit infrastructure sharing. Members of our community include individuals, fiscal sponsors, funders, other nonprofits, and professional service providers. To maintain the collegial spirit of our work, you agree to refrain from soliciting others in a manner that furthers any users for-profit or personal economic interests.
- Use Resources and Materials Responsibly. As a User of the FS Commons, you are responsible for adhering to our rules governing your use of our resources and materials as agreed upon in the Subscription Agreement you or your organization agreed to. A link to our current Member Agreement is linked here.
- No Political Activity. Under no circumstances may you endorse a candidate for political office, share content supporting or opposing a political candidate, or solicit political campaign contributions on the FS Commons.
Reporting Guidelines
If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct we ask that you report it by emailing admin@fsccommons.org with “FS Commons Code Of Conduct Reporting” written in the subject line. All reports will be kept confidential. In some cases we may determine that a public statement will need to be made. If that's the case, the identities of all victims and reporters will remain confidential unless those individuals instruct us otherwise.
If you believe anyone is in physical danger, notify appropriate emergency services immediately.
If you are unsure whether the incident is a violation, or whether the space where it happened is covered by this Code of Conduct, we encourage you to still report it. We would much rather have a few extra reports where we decide to take no action, rather than miss a report of an actual violation. We do not look negatively on you if we find the incident is not a violation. And knowing about incidents that are not violations, or happen outside our spaces, can also help us to improve the Code of Conduct or the processes surrounding it.
In your report please include:
- Your contact info (so we can get in touch with you if we need to follow up)
- Names (real, nicknames, or pseudonyms) of any individuals involved. If there were other witnesses besides you, please try to include them as well.
- When and where the incident occurred. Please be as specific as possible.
- Your account of what occurred. If there is a publicly available record (e.g. a Slack channel, web comment, etc.) please include a link or screenshot.
- Any extra context you believe existed for the incident.
- If you believe this incident is ongoing.
- Any other information you believe we should have.
What happens after you file a report?
You will receive an email from us acknowledging receipt. We promise to acknowledge receipt within 48 business hours (and will aim for much quicker than that).
We will promptly review the incident and determine:
- What happened.
- Whether this event constitutes a code of conduct violation.
- If there was a bad actor, who it was.
- Whether this is an ongoing situation, or if there is a threat to anyone's physical safety.
- If this is determined to be an ongoing incident or a threat to physical safety, our immediate priority will be to protect everyone involved. This means we may delay an "official" response until we believe that the situation has ended and that everyone is physically safe.
Once we have a complete account of the events they will make a decision as to how to respond. Responses may include:
- Nothing (if we determine no violation occurred).
- A private reprimand and warning to the individual(s) involved.
- A public reprimand.
- A request for a public or private apology.
- Cancellation of Subscription and further participation in the FS Commons.
- Additional measures as appropriate.
We'll respond within one week to the person who filed the report with either a resolution or an explanation of why the situation is not yet resolved.
Once we've determined our final action, we'll contact the original reporter to let them know what action (if any) we'll be taking. We'll take into account feedback from the reporter on the appropriateness of our response, but we don't guarantee we'll act on it.
Reconsideration: Any of the parties directly involved or affected can request reconsideration of the committee’s decision. To make such a request, contact us at admin@fscommons.org with your request and motivation and the Stewardship Committee will review the case.
This Code of Conduct is derived from the Code of Conduct used by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. Original text courtesy of the Speak Up! Project and Django.