Whistleblower Policy

Article I – Purpose

To support the goal of legal compliance and enable a vehicle for Officers, Trustees, and volunteers to report violations, or suspected violations, without fear of retaliation in accordance with the New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law.

Article II -- Scope

The procedure applies to all written complaints made to Officers of the National Institute of Social Sciences.

Article III – Responsibility

The Executive Committee is responsible for reviewing any written complaints made to the National Institute of Social Sciences and for following up with an appropriate investigation to corroborate or dismiss the complaint. If the complaint is proven valid, the Executive Committee must correct the unlawful activity.

Article IV – Procedure

If any Officer, Trustee, or volunteer reasonably believes that some National Institute of Social Sciences policy, practice, or activity is a violation of law, that person must file a written complaint with the President or—if the President is a subject or interested party to the complaint—with another Officer.

In the course of assessing and addressing a complaint, the President, or another Officer to whom a complaint is made, shall report such complaint to the entire Executive Committee. Every effort will be made to preserve the confidentiality of the complainant and of the reported information, including, for example, holding meeting in executive session, insofar as a thorough investigation permits. 

A complainant is protected from retaliation only if the complainant brings the alleged unlawful policy, practice, or activity to the attention of the National Institute of Social Sciences and provides the National Institute with a reasonable opportunity to investigate and correct the alleged unlawful activity. The protection is only available to complainants that comply with this requirement.

The National Institute of Social Sciences will not retaliate against a complainant who in good faith has made a protest or raised a complaint against some National Institute policy, practice, or activity—or of another individual or entity with whom the National Institute has a business relationship—on the basis of a reasonable belief that the policy, practice, or activity is in violation of law.

The National Institute of Social Sciences will not retaliate against complainants who disclose or threaten to disclose to a public body any National Institute policy, practice, or activity that the complainants reasonably believes are in violation of a law, or a rule, or a regulation mandated pursuant to law. A copy of this policy shall be distributed to all Officers, Trustees, and volunteers who provide substantial services to the National Institute.

Approved by the Board of Trustees, August 27, 2018