Access Abilities Inc

Description

accessAbilities is proud to be one of the first agencies in the state to receive the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, or PANO, Seal of Excellence. This PANO certification is only earned by organizations that meet the highest benchmarks in organizational excellence, ethics, and accountability. In February 2008, the agency was recertified with the prestigious Standards for Excellence Seal from PANO. The organization willingly participated in the program, opening itself to scrutiny by a panel of peer reviewers who examined the agency on eight areas and 56 specific standards. These standards are based on a number of fundamental values including honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability. Before the certification was awarded, all of accessAbilities’ programs, services, management, governance, fundraising and financial practices underwent an in-depth examination. Following are the eight areas or guiding principles examined during the PANO certification process: I. MISSION AND PROGRAM Charitable nonprofits are founded for the public good and operate to accomplish a stated purpose through specific program activities. A charitable nonprofit should have a well-defined mission, and its programs should effectively and efficiently work toward achieving that mission. Charitable nonprofits have an obligation to ensure program effectiveness and to devote the resources of the organization to achieving its stated purpose. II. GOVERNING BODY Charitable nonprofits are governed by an elected, volunteer board of directors, which should consist of individuals who are committed to the mission of the organization. An effective charitable nonprofit board should determine the mission of the organization, establish management policies and procedures, assure that adequate human resources (volunteer or paid staff) and financial resources (earned income, government contracts and grants, and charitable contributions) are available, and actively monitor the organization’s financial and programmatic performance. III. CONFLICT OF INTEREST Charitable nonprofit board and staff members should act in the best interest of the organization, rather than in the furtherance of personal interests or the interests of third parties. A charitable nonprofit should have policies in place and should routinely and systematically implement those policies to prevent actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. IV. HUMAN RESOURCES A charitable nonprofit’s relationship to its employees and volunteers is fundamental to its ability to achieve its mission. Volunteers occupy a special place in charitable nonprofit organizations, serving in governance, administrative and programmatic capacities. An organization’s human resource policies should address both paid employees and volunteers and should be fair, establish clear expectations, and provide for meaningful and effective performance evaluation. V. FINANCIAL AND LEGAL Charitable nonprofits must practice sound financial management and comply with a diverse array of legal and regulatory requirements.

Products & services

Similar companies nearby