Best Buddies Volunteer Agreement
Best Buddies appreciates its community leaders. Thank you for your time and commitment to Best Buddies and our mission of friendship and inclusion! Your participation and leadership set an example for the people in your community, and we ask that you agree to always choose to represent us well.
Best Buddies agrees to:
- Provide the training and resources needed to help you carry out your responsibilities as a volunteer.
- Provide timely updates of information applicable to your role as a volunteer leader.
- Establish and explain all national and local policies and procedures that relate to your responsibilities, including the Best Buddies Code of Conduct (see below).
- Provide effective, timely support and guidance through your local staff partner.
As a Best Buddies member, I agree to:
- Follow all the current policies and procedures of Best Buddies related to my role, including the Best Buddies Code of Conduct.
- Work within the volunteer leadership guidelines and scope of volunteer service.
- Participate in volunteer training and on-boarding sessions, provided nationally and locally on a quarterly basis.
- Follow through on the responsibilities and commitments I agree to as part of my role.
- Communicate if unable to commit to the responsibilities agreed upon.
- Maintain the confidentiality of all privileged information that I receive through participation in Best Buddies.
- Recognize that Best Buddies International reserves the right to deny my involvement as a volunteer for any reason, at any time.
- Identify myself as a Best Buddies representative and act as volunteer leader of Best Buddies in my local community, acting in the best interest of the organization.
- Recognize that this agreement remains in effect as long as my affiliation is maintained with Best Buddies.
Best Buddies Code of Conduct
Best Buddies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Best Buddies has traditionally demanded and received the highest ethical performance from its volunteers and paid staff.
Best Buddies expects all staff and volunteers, when acting on behalf of the organization, to maintain the highest standard of ethical conduct.
In an effort to maintain this high standard of conduct and to enable Best Buddies to continue to offer meaningful opportunities to people with IDD, Best Buddies adopts the following Code of Conduct.
No volunteer or staff member shall engage in the following:
- Abuse of Power: Wrongful use of authoritative position to influence employees, participants, and other volunteers.
- Conflict of Interest: A situation in which an individual or any of his/her family has an existing or potential financial and/or other material interest that impairs or might appear to impair the individual’s independence and objectivity of judgment in the execution of responsibilities to Best Buddies.
- Financial Irregularity: An intentional misstatement, omission, or failure to disclose information related to financial transactions that is detrimental to the interests of Best Buddies, including but not limited to embezzlement, fraud, or falsification of records to misappropriate assets.
- Fraud: Intentional acts of misrepresentation, dishonesty, trickery, or deceit (including but not limited to the concealment or suppression of truth), designed to obtain information or assets without approval.
- Kickback: Accepting a payment to improperly obtain or reward with favorable treatment in connection with either a contract or subcontract.
- Misconduct: Includes, but is not limited to, theft, fraud, embezzlement, cheating, falsification, plagiarism, fabrication, misappropriation, and wrongful conversion of property belonging to Best Buddies or any other person whether or not such acts result in a criminal proceeding.
The undersigned, by their affixed signature, note their understanding of the implications of this policy. In the event that the volunteer or staff member becomes aware of any information that might indicate that he/she has not complied with this policy; he/she will immediately notify the State Director/Area Director and Advisory Board Chair.
In the event that the volunteer or staff member’s obligation to operate in the best interests of Best Buddies conflicts with the interests of any organization in which he has a financial interest or with which he is affiliated, the individual shall disclose such conflict to Best Buddies as soon as he/she becomes aware of it.
Last updated: 1/22/2024