Accountability Counsel

“The tax return is prepared by an outside accounting firm. After completion of said returns, the organization is sent a draft of the tax returns to be reviewed and examined. The organization makes copies of the returns and distributes to those individuals charged with governance. Those individuals at that time can review and if applicable discuss any line items in the return with the accountant who has prepared the return. If all items are found to be acceptable, an authorization is signed and provided to authorize the outside accounting firm to process, sign and provide copies of the returns to be filed (paper or electronically) with the designated governmental agencies. The tax returns are then signed by the organization, stamped and mailed with certified return receipt or the signed form 8879 is provided to the outside accounting firm allowing electronic filing.”

“The Directors, Officers, and Key Employees of Accountability Counsel must complete a Compliance Form on an annual basis, which includes an affirmation that they have received a copy of the Conflict of Interest Policy, have read and understand the Policy, agree to comply with the Policy, and information on all actual or potential Conflicts of Interest involving them or their family members. The Compliance Form also contains an affirmation that the they understand that Accountability Counsel is charitable in nature and in order to maintain its federal tax exemption, it must engage primarily in activities that accomplish one or more of its tax-exempt charitable purposes.”

“The Executive Directors compensation is set by the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors (Board members minus the Board President, who is the Executive Director). The Board sets compensation based on Executive Director performance and benchmarking to other leaders of social enterprises making similar levels of impact. The compensation of other key employees is set by the Executive Director, reviewing performance and benchmarking to similar key roles, with a goal of being a competitive leader to attract and retain key talent.”

“Federal Tax Returns are available at guidestar.org & charitynavigator.org.”

“Governing documents are available for public inspection at the principal place of business.The conflict of interest policy and the organization's financial statements are available upon request.”

“OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES 4: COMMUNITIES PROGRAM: Continued 2018 achievements. In Haiti, we supported farmers displaced by an industrial park to reach an agreement to restore their livelihoods. The historic agreement provides for remedial support, with a combination of land, employment opportunities, agricultural equipment and training, and support for micro-enterprise focused on women and the most vulnerable members of the community. We worked alongside the farmers and their families to work toward the implementation of this agreement.In Mongolia, we supported nomadic herders with implementation of agreements reached through dispute resolution to remedy harm from a large mine. These agreements aim to help local herders continue their traditional way of life while accessing support for alternative livelihoods. Achievements include: 114 new compensation packages approved for households that were physically or economically displaced by the mine; 10 herder wells furnished with solar-powered pumps; university scholarships provided to 37 herder children; and Construction of Khanbogd Soums first animal laboratory.In Myanmar, we supported Indigenous communities to advocate for their rights, forests, and peace through an accountability office complaint about a top-down conservation project in a conflict zone. This complaint process led to the financing institutions suspension of the harmful project pending results of the investigation. In Ukraine, we supported villagers in a dialogue process seeking solutions to harm from an industrial poultry operation with 17 million chickens that is seeking substantial expansion without adequate safeguards.In India, we supported tea workers to establish a dialogue process to address abusive living and working conditions on tea plantations, building on a successful compliance investigation process we supported. In Kenya, we supported farmers and Lamu communities to raise grievances about the harmful impacts of a proposed coal-fired power plant on the environment, cultural heritage sites, and traditional livelihoods.In Nepal, we supported Indigenous communities affected by high-voltage transmission lines to document violations of their rights, including to free, prior, and informed consent, in a complaint to an accountability office. This complaint initiated an independent investigation into the communities grievances.Our knowledge sharing component of our Communities program achieved a more informed group of civil society colleagues and communities that we advised and trained on accountability office strategy.”