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Conflict of Interest & Whistleblower

Full Definitions per New York Consolidated Laws, Not-For-Profit Corporation Law:

NPC § 715. Related party transactions

(a) No corporation shall enter into any related party transaction unless the transaction is determined by the board, or an authorized committee thereof, to be fair, reasonable and in the corporation's best interest at the time of such determination.  Any director, officer or key person who has an interest in a related party transaction shall disclose in good faith to the board, or an authorized committee thereof, the material facts concerning such interest.

(b) With respect to any related party transaction involving a charitable corporation and in which a related party has a substantial financial interest, the board of such corporation, or an authorized committee thereof, shall:

  1. Prior to entering into the transaction, consider alternative transactions to the extent available;
  2. Approve the transaction by not less than a majority vote of the directors or committee members present at the meeting;  and
  3. Contemporaneously document in writing the basis for the board or authorized committee's approval, including its consideration of any alternative transactions.

(c) The certificate of incorporation, by-laws or any policy adopted by the board may contain additional restrictions on related party transactions and additional procedures necessary for the review and approval of such transactions, or provide that any transaction in violation of such restrictions shall be void or voidable.

(d) Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or the by-laws, the board shall have authority to fix the compensation of directors for services in any capacity.

(e) The fixing of compensation of officers, if not done in or pursuant to the by-laws, shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire board unless a higher proportion is set by the certificate of incorporation or by-laws.

(f) The attorney general may bring an action to enjoin, void or rescind any related party transaction or proposed related party transaction that violates any provision of this chapter or was otherwise not reasonable or in the best interests of the corporation at the time the transaction was approved, or to seek restitution, and the removal of directors or officers, or seek to require any person or entity to:

  1. Account for any profits made from such transaction, and pay them to the corporation;
  2. Pay the corporation the value of the use of any of its property or other assets used in such transaction;
  3. Return or replace any property or other assets lost to the corporation as a result of such transaction, together with any income or appreciation lost to the corporation by reason of such transaction, or account for any proceeds of sale of such property, and pay the proceeds to the corporation together with interest at the legal rate;  and
  4. Pay, in the case of willful and intentional conduct, an amount up to double the amount of any benefit improperly obtained.

(g) The powers of the attorney general provided in this section are in addition to all other powers the attorney general may have under this chapter or any other law.

(h) No related party may participate in deliberations or voting relating to a related party transaction in which he or she has an interest;  provided that nothing in this section shall prohibit the board or authorized committee from requesting that a related party present information as background or answer questions concerning a related party transaction at a board or committee meeting prior to the commencement of deliberations or voting relating thereto.

(i) In an action by any person or entity other than the attorney general, it shall be a defense to a claim of violation of any provisions of this section that a transaction was fair, reasonable and in the corporation's best interest at the time the corporation approved the transaction.

(j) In an action by the attorney general with respect to a related party transaction not approved in accordance with paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section at the time it was entered into, whichever is applicable, it shall be a defense to a claim of violation of any provisions of this section that (1) the transaction was fair, reasonable and in the corporation's best interest at the time the corporation approved the transaction and (2) prior to receipt of any request for information by the attorney general regarding the transaction, the board has:  (A) ratified the transaction by finding in good faith that it was fair, reasonable and in the corporation's best interest at the time the corporation approved the transaction;  and, with respect to any related party transaction involving a charitable corporation and in which a related party has a substantial financial interest, considered alternative transactions to the extent available, approving the transaction by not less than a majority vote of the directors or committee members present at the meeting;  (B) documented in writing the nature of the violation and the basis for the board's or committee's ratification of the transaction;  and (C) put into place procedures to ensure that the corporation complies with paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section as to related party transactions in the future.

NPC § 715-a. Conflict of interest policy

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, the board shall adopt, and oversee the implementation of, and compliance with, a conflict of interest policy to ensure that its directors, officers and key persons act in the corporation's best interest and comply with applicable legal requirements, including but not limited to the requirements set forth in section seven hundred fifteen of this article.

(b) The conflict of interest policy shall include, at a minimum, the following provisions:

  1. a definition of the circumstances that constitute a conflict of interest;
  2. procedures for disclosing a conflict of interest or possible conflict of interest to the board or to a committee of the board, and procedures for the board or committee to determine whether a conflict exists;
  3. a requirement that the person with the conflict of interest not be present at or participate in board or committee deliberation or vote on the matter giving rise to such conflict, provided that nothing in this section shall prohibit the board or a committee from requesting that the person with the conflict of interest present information as background or answer questions at a committee or board meeting prior to the commencement of deliberations or voting relating thereto;
  4. a prohibition against any attempt by the person with the conflict to influence improperly the deliberation or voting on the matter giving rise to such conflict;
  5. a requirement that the existence and resolution of the conflict be documented in the corporation's records, including in the minutes of any meeting at which the conflict was discussed or voted upon;  and
  6. procedures for disclosing, addressing, and documenting related party transactions in accordance with section seven hundred fifteen of this article.

(c) The conflict of interest policy shall require that prior to the initial election of any director, and annually thereafter, such director shall complete, sign and submit to the secretary of the corporation or a designated compliance officer a written statement identifying, to the best of the director's knowledge, any entity of which such director is an officer, director, trustee, member, owner (either as a sole proprietor or a partner), or employee and with which the corporation has a relationship, and any transaction in which the corporation is a participant and in which the director might have a conflicting interest.  The policy shall require that each director annually resubmit such written statement.  The secretary of the corporation or the designated compliance officer shall provide a copy of all completed statements to the chair of the audit committee or, if there is no audit committee, to the chair of the board.

(d) A corporation that has adopted and possesses a conflict of interest policy pursuant to federal, state or local laws that is substantially consistent with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section shall be deemed in compliance with provisions of this section.  In addition, any corporation that is a state authority or a local authority as defined in section two of the public authorities law , and that has complied substantially with section twenty-eight hundred twenty-four and subdivision three of section twenty-eight hundred twenty-five of such law, shall be deemed in compliance with this section.

(e) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to require a corporation to adopt any specific conflict of interest policy not otherwise required by this section or any other law or rule, or to supersede or limit any requirement or duty governing conflicts of interest required by any other law or rule.

NPC § 715-b. Whistleblower policy

NOTE: ALL ORGANIZATIONS APPLYING FOR ERIE COUNTY CULTURAL FUNDING MUST HAVE A WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY REGARDLESS OF BUDGET SIZE OR NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the board of every corporation that has twenty or more employees and in the prior fiscal year had annual revenue in excess of one million dollars shall adopt, and oversee the implementation of, and compliance with, a whistleblower policy to protect from retaliation persons who report suspected improper conduct.  Such policy shall provide that no director, officer, employee or volunteer of a corporation who in good faith reports any action or suspected action taken by or within the corporation that is illegal, fraudulent or in violation of any adopted policy of the corporation shall suffer intimidation, harassment, discrimination or other retaliation or, in the case of employees, adverse employment consequence.

(b) The whistleblower policy shall include the following provisions:

  1. Procedures for the reporting of violations or suspected violations of laws or corporate policies, including procedures for preserving the confidentiality of reported information;
  2. A requirement that an employee, officer or director of the corporation be designated to administer the whistleblower policy and to report to the board or an authorized committee thereof, except that directors who are employees may not participate in any board or committee deliberations or voting relating to administration of the whistleblower policy;  
  3. A requirement that the person who is the subject of a whistleblower complaint not be present at or participate in board or committee deliberations or vote on the matter relating to such complaint, provided that nothing in this subparagraph shall prohibit the board or committee from requesting that the person who is subject to the complaint present information as background or answer questions at a committee or board meeting prior to the commencement of deliberations or voting relating thereto;  and
  4. A requirement that a copy of the policy be distributed to all directors, officers, employees and to volunteers who provide substantial services to the corporation.  For purposes of this subdivision, posting the policy on the corporation's website or at the corporation's offices in a conspicuous location accessible to employees and volunteers are among the methods a corporation may use to satisfy the distribution requirement.

(c) A corporation that has adopted and possesses a whistleblower policy pursuant to federal, state or local laws that is substantially consistent with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section shall be deemed in compliance with provisions of this section.  In addition, any corporation that is a state authority or local authority as defined in section two of the public authorities law , and that has complied substantially with section twenty-eight hundred twenty-four of such law and is subject to the provisions of section twenty-eight hundred fifty-seven of such law, shall be deemed in compliance with the provisions of this section.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to relieve any corporation from any additional requirements in relation to internal compliance, retaliation, or document retention required by any other law or rule.