Scholarship Committee School Contact Conflict of Interest Form

On behalf of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, thank you for committing your valuable time and insights to support our scholarship program. To participate in a scholarship selection committee for a scholarship administered by the Community Foundation, annually you, as the contact person for the scholarship committee(s) at your school/organization/group, need to share the information in this document with the rest of the committee, and initial each item below, sign and date at the bottom and click submit. By signing the form, you agree that the scholarship committee(s) at your organization follow best practices and fulfill the intent of each scholarship. We’re grateful for your involvement in the selection process.

Donors who have established scholarship funds within the Community Foundation trust that we will carry out their wishes today and long after they are gone. We take this privilege and responsibility very seriously. Because we are a public charity and certified as meeting National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, we are required to comply with IRS requirements as well as best practices for operating excellence. The scholarship committee guidelines outlined below reflect these areas and our responsibility to our donors.

1. ..AWARD REGULATIONS:
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Community Foundation Scholarships may not be awarded to any member of the Foundation's Board of Directors, any substantial contributor to the Foundation, any employee of the Foundation, or any other disqualified person with respect to the Foundation, including family members. Scholarships or grants may not be awarded to any donor/advisor or substantial contributor to the Fund making the award, to any member of a selection committee for such award, or to any of their family members.
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Scholarships may not be made for a purpose that is not charitable.Eligibility is open to all volunteers and their family members who are not specifically identified above, as they are not involved with any aspect of the scholarship selection processes. These volunteers include members of Foundation committees, affiliate board and committee members, supporting organization board and committee members, and other similar committees or task forces.

2. ..CONFLICT OF INTEREST:
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A conflict of interest is a situation in which a committee member’s relationship with an applicant has the potential to undermine the impartiality of the review process. A conflict of interest can occur when an action of a committee member recommending a scholarship award results in a direct financial benefit to the committee member or a person closely related to him/her. Committee members must be able to make prudent decisions on behalf of the scholarship fund within the Community Foundation without real or perceived influence caused by the conflict.
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Our conflict-of-interest procedure ensures that all students are treated equally in the scholarship review process and that no committee member with a relationship to an applicant, other than a professional one, influences the decision about the applicant. All awards must be given objectively, based on stated criteria, without regard to factors not contained in the application.
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Every member of the selection committee must adhere to the relevant policies of the Foundation as they may be adopted and amended from time to time, including without limitation the Foundation’s conflict of interest and confidentiality policies. Each member of a selection committee must disclose any personal knowledge of a relationship with any applicant under consideration and refrain from participation in the award process in a circumstance where he or she would derive, directly or indirectly, a private benefit if any potential grantee or grantees are selected over others.
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Committee members with a past or current working, familial, or other significant relationship with an applicant or applicant’s family, other than professional, may not participate in assessing, discussing or voting on that application. All conflicts must be disclosed prior to selection committee deliberations. Committee discussion should be restricted or redirected if there is indication of improper influence for or against an applicant.
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If any applicant is a family member of a current or potential committee member, that current or potential committee member may not participate on the committee in any capacity. Family members include: parents, stepparents, stepchildren, grandparents, great grandparents, spouse, siblings, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin, and the spouses of all of the above. If any applicant is a family member of yours, please contact us as soon as possible.

3. ..DISCRIMINATION:
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The Community Foundation and the selection committee cannot discriminate on the grounds of disability, age, race, color, religion, sex, ethnic origin, or any other classification protected by federal and/or state constitutional and/or statutory law. It is not permissible to ask questions outside of the scholarship guidelines or criteria, because they may be considered discriminatory and in violation of the law.

4. ..CONFIDENTIALITY:
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All communications with the Foundation from applicants regarding awards shall be made through the Foundation. No contact shall be permitted between committee members and applicants outside of the review process. Discussions between committee members in all Foundation meetings, and information contained in, gleaned from, or provided by applications, interviews, or Foundation staff MUST remain confidential. By agreeing to serve on a committee, members agree to safeguard application packets, and to refrain from applicant discussions outside of the committee. At the conclusion of the selection process, all application packets must be returned to the Foundation.

6. ..INTERVIEW BEST PRACTICES:
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When interviews are part of the selection process, please keep the following in mind when communicating with applicants:

• Help them feel comfortable by explaining that interviews are conducted to help committee members become familiar with each student.
• Be sensitive when wording questions and avoid asking about personal issues or matters that do not affect scholarship eligibility.
• Only ask questions related to the specific guidelines and criteria of the scholarship.

If you have any questions about committee service, please feel free to contact Jill Muthig at jmuthig@cffoxvalley.org or 920.702.7619 or Iida Berg at iberg@cffoxvalley.org or 920.702.7629.

Thank you for taking time to be a part of this very important process.