Preamble
Volunteerism
Orchestras Canada recognizes that volunteerism is of the utmost importance in our culture and society and considers the involvement of its members as essential to its operation.
Integrity
Volunteers and paid employees of Orchestras Canada uphold the integrity of the organization in all its dealings with donors, member orchestras, partners, suppliers or any other institution.
Transparency
The affairs of Orchestras Canada shall be conducted with transparency and due diligence. Its activities are public in nature and availability of information shall be governed by access to information and privacy legislation.
Definitions
Directors: Unpaid persons elected or appointed to a position on the Board of Directors.
Executive Director and Staff: Any person paid by Orchestras Canada. This definition also includes any person whose salary is paid by another organization and whose services are on loan to Orchestras Canada, as well as students on placement from a university or college.
Volunteers: Unpaid persons appointed by the Board of Directors to serve on a formal committee set up by the Board of Directors, or unpaid individuals who are neither elected nor appointed who give time and services for the advancement of the organisation.
Benefit: Includes any gift, donation, favour, award, service, commission, payment, allowance, compensation, advantage, profit, advance, loan, special discount or any other useful or profitable benefit of the same nature or any promise of such benefit.
Personal Interests: Interests of the person involved, whether direct or indirect, financial or not, real, apparent or potential. Personal interests are distinct from Orchestras Canada’s interests and may be perceived as such by a reasonably informed person.
Interests of Family Members and Relations: Interests of the spouse, partner, or children of the person involved, or interests of a corporation, company, cooperative or association with which the person entertains business or community relations. These interests may be direct or indirect, financial or not, real, apparent or potential. Family interests are distinct from Orchestras Canada’s interests and may be perceived as such by a reasonably informed person.
Duties and Responsibilities
Directors, Executive Director and Volunteers
Orchestras Canada’s Directors, Executive Director and Volunteers shall carry out their duties and conduct their personal affairs in such a way as to protect and maintain public trust in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of Orchestras Canada’s decision-making process.
They shall avoid any situation that could knowingly result in a conflict between their personal interests, those of family members or relations, or those of an agency where they volunteer or are employed, on the one hand, and their Orchestra Canada duties, on the other hand.
They shall not solicit, accept or receive any benefit for themselves or family members or relations in return for an intervention, a service or influencing a decision.
They shall refrain from holding any direct or indirect interests in an Orchestras Canada contract unless the interest is disclosed, in which case they shall remove themselves from the decision-making process as applicable.
They shall not use, for their personal interests or those of family members or relations, privileged information not available to the public.
They shall avoid using or authorizing the use of Orchestras Canada goods, resources or services other than for their intended purpose. They shall not exercise their authority for their personal interests or those of family members or relations.
They shall disclose any potential conflict of interest between themselves or family members or relations, on the one hand, and their Orchestra Canada duties, on the other hand, to the Executive Director or President of the Board of Directors, as appropriate.
They shall comply with legal and administrative provisions governing Orchestras Canada’s decision-making process.
Staff
Orchestras Canada staff shall display loyalty and convey, by their actions, a positive image of the organization.
They shall exercise discretion concerning privileged information and refrain from using, for their own interests or those of family members or relations, information not available to the public.
Staff, or family members or relations of staff, shall refrain from holding any direct or indirect interest in a company leading to a conflict between their personal interests or those of family members or relations, on the one hand, and the staff’s Orchestra Canada duties, on the other hand.
They shall avoid using, other than for their intended purpose, Orchestras Canada goods, resources or services for their personal interests, or those of family members or relations.
They shall not accept money or other benefits from third parties for carrying out duties similar to, or related to, their duties at Orchestras Canada, unless duly authorized by Executive Director.
They shall not solicit, accept or receive any benefit for themselves or their relations in return for an intervention, a service or influencing a decision.
Application of the code of ethics
Orchestras Canada shall ensure that each Director, the Executive Director, Staff member and Volunteer receives a copy of the Code of Ethics.
Orchestras Canada shall provide simple and clear guidelines to promote the use of ethical practices by all Volunteers.
Directors, the Executive Director, Staff and Volunteers shall adhere to the Code of Ethics while carrying out their duties on behalf of Orchestras Canada.
Any Director dealing with a matter or decision that raises a conflict of interest shall disclose the conflict of interest upon becoming aware of it, and shall withdraw from the meeting room during any discussion, review or voting in connection with the matter.
The disclosure of a conflict of interest and the withdrawal of the person from the meeting room shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
The Board of Directors shall deal, in a manner it deems appropriate, with any issue relating to the Code of Ethics and take steps to enact the required remedial action.
Approved by the OC Board of Directors March 23, 2020