AccessAbilities

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.  A charitable nonprofit’s financial system should assure that accurate financial records are kept and that the organization’s financial resources are used in the furtherance of the organization’s charitable purposes.  Organizations should conduct periodic reviews to address regulatory and liability concerns. 

VI. OPENNESS
Charitable nonprofits are private corporations, which operate for public purposes with public support.  As such, they should provide the public with information about their mission, program activities, and finances.  A charitable nonprofit should also be accessible and responsive to members of the public who express interest in the affairs of the organization.

VII. FUND RAISING
Charitable fundraising provides an important source of financial support for the work of most charitable nonprofit organizations.  An organization’s fund-raising program should be maintained on a foundation of truthfulness and responsible stewardship.  Its fund-raising practices should be consistent with its mission, compatible with its organizational capacity and respectful of the interests of donors and prospective donors.

VIII. PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY
Charitable nonprofits provide an important vehicle through which individuals organize and work together to improve their communities.  Charitable nonprofits should represent the interests of the people they serve through public education and public policy advocacy, as well as by encouraging board members, staff, volunteers and constituents to participate in the public affairs of the community.

For more information on the Standards for Excellence Program, visit the PANO Web site at www.pano.org.