Haliburton Highlands Land Trust Code of Ethics
HHLT expects that its volunteers, staff and members adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior and guiding principles. Further, the Trust expects that all suspected wrongdoings or breaches of ethical principles, regulations, are reported to a supervisor or board member.
Aside from being the right thing to do, Not For Profits should adhere to ethical practices because it engenders public trust which is critical. Donors and volunteers support the Trust to carry out its mission, to steward resources, and to uphold rigorous standards of conduct. Organizations are made up of people, and it is these people who must demonstrate their ongoing commitment to core values of integrity, honesty, fairness, transparency, and respect.
The Trust commits to the following widely shared values. The Trust will;
- be socially responsible in our actions and dealings.
- promote a culture that encourages ethical and socially responsible conduct.
- be responsible stewards of resources entrusted to us.
- avoid harm, and be accountable for impacts on society and environment, (manage and mitigate such risks).
- be transparent in decisions and activities that impact society and the environment.
- respect the importance and universality of human rights such as the dignity, worth, equality diversity and privacy of persons.
- honour confidentiality (except as required by law).
- promote a culture of inclusivity and equality.
- treat all persons with tact, courtesy, respect, dignity and fairness.
- not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, physical or verbal violence or threat of violence or exploitation (including verbal, non-verbal, written or physical abuse).
- consider and incorporate, as appropriate, the diverse historical, cultural and social needs of the community.
- be socially just, respecting pluralism, inclusivity and diversity.
- maintain high standards of personal conduct, practising honesty and integrity in all of our professional endeavours.
- avoid conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships and promptly disclose any conflict of interest or potential situation of conflict of interest.
- Ensure that intellectual property or proprietary information is not used by individuals for personal benefit or the benefit of others.
The Trust will ensure that at all times, the spirit and intention set out in these principles are remembered and upheld.
Haliburton Highlands Land Trust Guiding Principles
The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust’s (HHLT) Management System Guiding Principles are our commitment towards achieving excellence in the service that we provide to our valued stakeholders. The Land Trust commits to upholding public trust and building robust, effective and sustainable land conservation programs.
HHLT will manage its operations in accordance with the following principles:
- Conduct ourselves in a manner that is responsible, responsive, and collaborative.
- Exercise all reasonable care in the conduct of our accountabilities and commitments.
- Work collaboratively with key interested parties to understand their needs and expectations. We will strive to exceed these expectations.
- Ensure that adverse impacts associated with our operations are minimized to the extent practicable. At a minimum, adverse effects will be controlled to levels within the Board of Directors’ tolerance. Opportunities and positive impacts will be optimized to the extent practicable.
- Meet both regulatory and voluntary obligations.
- Conduct operations ethically and in accordance with social responsibility values.
- Seek collaborative opportunities by engaging with Interested Parties and like-minded peers.
- Consider environmental principles and health and safety practices in vendor and contractor selection.
- Routinely consult and solicit feedback from key stakeholders.
- Assure the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and volunteers as well as those with whom we interact such as event participants and persons making use of HHLT facilities and trails. We will achieve this through the implementation and maintenance of a robust management system.
- Provide a safe environment by eliminating or otherwise controlling workplace hazards to acceptable levels.
- Provide an environment free from harassment and discrimination.
- Conduct our activities with consideration of minimizing adverse environmental impacts.
- Continually improve process effectiveness to enhance performance. This will be achieved through periodic reviews, ensuring the competence of those working on behalf of HHLT, and establishing improvement objectives that are ambitious yet realistic.
- Communicate in an open, honest and transparent manner.
- Communicate these principles and other expectations to those working for, or on behalf of the HHLT to ensure their awareness of the principles as well as their accountabilities.
- Ensure that the principles are available to Interested Parties.
- Make policy available to interested parties upon request.