Good Shepherd Food Bank

“The Form 990 is prepared by an outside independent accounting firm, then reviewed by the President, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Finance Committee. It is then circulated to the full Board before filing with the IRS.”

“All Board members are required to complete a conflict-of-interest form annually and disclose any conflicts that exist.”

“Good Shepherd Food Bank aims to match compensation in comparable job markets for all positions, including the Organization's President, appropriately rewarding performance and tenure with the Food Bank while maintaining equity across comparable positions. In times of limited or abundant resources, consistent with the Food Bank's mission, priority will be given to maintaining competitive and livable wages across the lowest pay grades. The compensation practice reflects both changes in the cost of living and accomplishments of team and individual goals, with greater emphasis on cost of living. We believe this approach, which depends less on supervisor discretion, is more fair and equitable than past practices. In an effort to prioritize staff in the lower pay grades, cost of living adjustments will be made based on a hybrid of percent of employee salary and a flat rate available to all employees. The budget for annual salary increases is drafted by Finance and Human Resources staff in the spring of each year for approval by the Board of Directors prior to the start of the fiscal year. With this in mind, a baseline for cost-of-living increases will be determined by the annual change in Consumer Price Index from February of the preceding year to February of the current year. To better estimate local costs, Finance and Human Resources staff will consider CPI factors from the United States, Northeast Region, and New England. In addition to the annual COLA adjustment, all employees who have been in their current position for at least six months will be eligible for a Merit Adjustment of up to 1% of their base salary, contingent upon delivery of results consistent with expectations of their role. In some years, this approach to compensation may result in a total cost that is higher than past practices. Should senior leadership and the Board of Directors determine that such increases are not financially viable, it is the intention of the working group that the core tenets of this plan be adhered to. Compensation and benefits paid to the President are subject to board review and approval.”

“The Organization's most recent audited financial statements and Form 990 are available on the website. The Organization will also provide organizational documents available electronically or by mail to any person or organization requesting them within one week of receiving the request.”

“The audit process has not changed from the prior year.”