Our Privacy & Whistleblower Policy

Privacy Policy

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation is committed to protecting your privacy online. When you visit our site, we may collect personal information from you such as your name and e-mail address. Our third party hosting company will collect additional information such as the URL you came from, your IP address, your domain name, your browser type, the country and state where your server is located, and the pages that were viewed during your visit to our site. All this information is kept on a secure server to protect it from outside parties.

We do not sell or rent personal information to others. We use your information only for the limited purposes of sending you updates and useful information about our programs, promotional information, enhancing the site operation, for statistical purposes, and for overall systems administration.

We understand and respect the right to privacy.

Online giving transactions are processed on a secure server. We have put into effect appropriate procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online. Once you provide us with personal, professional or financial information, that data remains confidential.

GCF-hosted services for donors and professional advisors (“Giving Connection” and “Advisors Planned Giving Resource”) each have privacy and security policies for users that are consistent with these guidelines. Any personal information collected by these services will be kept private and secure and will not be sold, rented, or traded to third parties.

External Links

In addition to these GCF-hosted services, this site contains links to other sites. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation makes no representations whatsoever concerning the content of those sites. A link to a website from www.gcfdn.org is not an endorsement, authorization, sponsorship or affiliation with respect to such site, its owners or providers. When leaving this site, we recommend you check the privacy policy of the site you are visiting before providing personal information.

Copyright Information

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation owns copyright to the text materials contained in this website. These text materials may be used, downloaded, reproduced or reprinted, if this copyright notice appears on all copies and if such use, download, reproduction or reprint is for noncommercial or personal use only. The text materials contained in the website may not be modified in any way.

Copyright in the photographs, illustrations, artworks and other graphic materials are reserved to The Greater Cincinnati Foundation and/or the copyright owners (licensors). Prior permission to use, download, reproduce or reprint any photograph, illustration, artwork or other graphic material must be obtained by the copyright owner, regardless of intended use.

Any use of "The Greater Cincinnati Foundation," its logo, or text or graphic materials contained in this website in any manner to express or imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation or association of the user with or by The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, is strictly prohibited.

Availability of Information

Because of the number of possible sources of information available through this website, and the inherent hazards and uncertainties of electronic distribution, there may be delays, omissions and inaccuracies in such information. GCF cannot and does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, non-infringement or fitness for a particular purpose of the information available through this website, nor does the Foundation guarantee that this website will be error-free and continuously available.

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation may amend this privacy policy from time to time. Such changes will be publicly posted in this area of this website.

Privacy Policy was updated November 15, 2011

Whistleblower Policy

General

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (“the Foundation”) Code of Ethics and Conduct (“Code”) requires all employees to observe the highest standard of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. As representatives of the Foundation, employees must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Reporting Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all employees to comply with the Code and to report violations or suspected violations in accordance with this Whistleblower Policy.

No Retaliation

No employee who in good faith reports a violation of the Code shall suffer harassment or retaliation, nor will he or she suffer an adverse employment consequence. An employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment. This Whistleblower Policy is intended to encourage and enable employees and others to raise serious concerns within the Foundation prior to seeking resolution outside the Foundation.

Reporting Violations

The Code addresses the Foundation’s open door policy and suggests that employees share their questions, concerns, suggestions or complaints with someone who can address them properly. In most cases, an employee’s supervisor is in the best position to address an area of concern. However, if an employee is not comfortable speaking with his or her supervisor, or is not satisfied with the supervisor’s response, the employee is encouraged to speak with anyone in management that he or she is comfortable in approaching. Supervisors and managers are required to report suspected violations of the Code to the Foundation’s Outside Legal Counsel, who acts in a “Compliance Officer” capacity for GCF. The “Compliance Officer” has specific and exclusive responsibility to investigate all reported violations. For suspected fraud, or if an employee is either not satisfied or uncomfortable even after following the Foundation’s open door policy, the employee should contact the Foundation’s “Compliance Officer” directly.

Compliance Officer

The Foundation’s Compliance Officer, currently GCF’s Outside Legal Counsel, is responsible for investigating and resolving all reported complaints and allegations concerning violations of the Code and, at his or her discretion, for advising the President/CEO and/or the Governance Committee. The Compliance Officer is required to report, at least annually, to the Governance Committee on compliance activity.

Accounting and Auditing Matters

The Governance Committee shall delegate action relating to concerns and complaints regarding the Foundation’s accounting practices, internal controls and auditing to the Audit Committee. The Compliance Officer shall work with the Audit Committee until the matter is resolved.

Acting in Good Faith

Anyone filing a complaint concerning a violation or suspected violation of the Code must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing that the information disclosed indicates a violation of the Code. Any allegations that prove to be false or unsubstantiated, and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly, will be viewed as a serious offense requiring disciplinary action.

Confidentiality

Violations or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential basis by the complainant or may be submitted anonymously. Reports of violations or suspected violations will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.

Handling of Reported Violations

The Compliance Officer will notify the sender and acknowledge receipt of the reported violation or suspected violation within five business days. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken if warranted by the investigation.

Current Outside Legal Counsel:

Ronald C. Christian
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
425 Walnut St., Suite 1800
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-357-9644