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Ethical Principles for Corporate and Foundation Support

The purpose of seeking corporate and foundation relationships is to expand support for Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD):

• To maintain a support network for parents who have children with attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and adults with AD/HD;
• To provide opportunities for continuing education about the disability for adults with AD/HD, parents of children with AD/HD, and the professionals who treat and teach them;
• To be a community resource for information about AD/HD;
• To make the best educational experiences available to persons with AD/HD so that their specific difficulties will be recognized and appropriately managed within the educational setting;
• To promote appropriate support and accommodation for adults with AD/HD in the workplace and community;
  To promote legislative activity on issues affecting persons with AD/HD; and
• To promote and support research to identify programs and practices that show measurable improvement in the quality of life of individuals affected by AD/HD.
  

In its search for funding to support approved program objectives, CHADD routinely solicits contributions from businesses, corporations, and foundations. Among these are companies whose products and/or services are specifically linked to AD/HD. While CHADD is committed to achieving a diversified base of support and actively seeking contributions from businesses, corporations, and foundations with no direct financial interest in AD/HD, CHADD believes it is ethically sound to request business concerns that profit from AD/HD to devote a portion of those profits to support charitable endeavors that will benefit people with AD/HD.

At the same time, CHADD and its membership units are committed to avoiding conflict of interest or even its appearance in accepting financial support from corporations with vested interests in how consumers, the health care community, and education professionals regard their products. To assure that conflicts of interest do not occur, CHADD's Board of Directors (Board) has determined that acceptance of restricted or unrestricted gifts from any source, and CHADD's subsequent relationship to these donors, shall be governed by the following principles:

1. CHADD shall at all times maintain an independent position on issues affecting the welfare of people with AD/HD. The potential effect of such positions on the commercial interest of a funding source shall not be a relevant factor in CHADD's decision-making process.
2. CHADD will solicit support only for projects and activities that are consistent with CHADD's mission and long-range plan.
   CHADD will accept support for projects or programs only with assurances that the privacy of people with AD/HD and their families will be protected.
3. CHADD will accept funds for projects involving educational and informational services only when CHADD has complete editorial and managerial control.
4. CHADD's Executive Committee shall facilitate compliance with these principles. Prior to acceptance of any proposed contribution from any entity in excess of $25,000, the Executive Committee, in consultation with appropriate individuals (e.g., other members of the Board, Professional Advisory Board, etc.) and following receipt of a recommendation from the Finance and Oversight Committee shall review the proposal. The proposal may then be acted upon by the Executive Committee or submitted to the Board for further consideration. (Pursuant to the attached procedure)
5. CHADD retains final approval of all uses of its name, logo or identifying marks.
6. CHADD will accept support for professional/consumer meetings and symposia only when the program content and selection of speakers are determined by CHADD or an independent body of professionals and/or consumers in which the funding organization does not have a controlling voice. The ndependent body will be required to adhere to CHADD's conflict of interest policy and to disclose any relationship to the funding source.
7. CHADD will maintain complete control of all funds provided from commercial contributions to support CHADD's educational activities. The commercial source will not be permitted to provide funds directly to faculty or other program participants, except with CHADD's consent. The commercial source may provide in-kind services (e.g., printing, reproduction) to support the educational activity.
8. CHADD will not permit presentations which support a commercial product at meetings except under the following conditions:
   1. commercial exhibits at which all competitors are afforded an opportunity to exhibit and professional standards of conduct are maintained; and
   2. presentation of scientific data that is research-based and conducted independently from the commercial source. CHADD will not accept support from a business for a presentation concerning a specific commercial product manufactured or distributed by that business.
9. CHADD will provide appropriate recognition of corporate and foundation support, but will be vigilant to ensure that such funding for its programs and materials is not interpreted as CHADD's endorsement of a business or product and will take all steps necessary to avoid such a perception. A disclaimer stating that CHADD does not endorse products, services, publications, medications, or treatments shall be prominently displayed in all CHADD publications in which advertising is accepted and at all CHADD meetings for which corporate or foundation support has been accepted.
10. CHADD will be vigilant to ensure that programs for which it accepts funding do not generate funds for CHADD that could otherwise threaten CHADD's non-profit status.
11. CHADD chapters, branches and satellites will be bound by these principles.
12. CHADD will ensure that all corporate and foundation donors are familiar with these ethical principles and acknowledge their understanding of the purposes by signing the following "Contribution Acknowledgement" statement and returning it to the CHADD National Office.
13. Any monies received pursuant to this policy shall be spent in a manner consistent with any limitations or contingencies contained in the grant or donation as accepted.

Corporate and Foundation Support Policy Procedure:

1. Proposals of less than $25,000 will be accepted or rejected by the CEO based on the aforementioned principles.
2. Finance and Oversight Committee will review proposals of $25,000 or more received from the CEO, Chief Development Officer, or Revenue Generation Committee.
3. A recommendation on the proposal from the Finance and Oversight Committee will be given to the Executive Committee.
4. The Executive Committee, following consultation with appropriate individuals if desired, may vote to modify, accept or reject the proposal, or may refer the proposal for action by the Board of Directors.
5. Notification of acceptance, rejection or modification of the proposal to the donor will be carried out by the CEO.
6. A signed copy of the "Contribution Acknowledgement" will be kept on file at National Office and with corporate counsel.