North Valley Community Foundation

“An internal staff review of the form 990 is performed with the cfo doing the vast majority of the preparation and interface with an independent public accounting firm that prepares the form 990. At the point where there are questions on the prepared data, foundation team members, including staff general counsel, are consulted. Once a draft is obtained, the ceo, cfo, staff general counsel and other staff have the opportunity to review it. Once it is in its most complete state, it is presented to the foundation's board members electronically with an attachment for their comments, questions, and ultimate approval. Finally, all board members are provided access to the final version, and it is posted for the public on the foundation's website.”

“The foundation's conflict of interest policy covers both staff and board members. The foundation generally relies on individuals subject to the conflict of interest policy to disclose any conflicts and abstain from participating in the discussion except to provide material details. Individuals with a potential conflict abstain from voting on matters where a conflict exists. Remaining board members will determine if a conflict exists. If other individuals are aware of a conflict, they are asked to raise the issue with the individual having a conflict. The meeting minutes record when covered individuals abstain from discussions or decisions due to a conflict of interest.”

“The foundation reviews comparable data for our president & ceo from community foundation information gathered on occasion. The board of directors is provided with data and recommendations for compensation for the president & ceo, and must approve any changes. The deliberation and decision are contemporaneously documented. Salaries and wages for other employees are reviewed once a year at the anniversary date of their hire. An overall evaluation of compensation levels and benefits is performed every 2-3 years by comparing our pay and benefits to national surveys of nonprofits and foundations. This assessment is performed every few years, but as a part of each individual's annual review, an assessment is performed to compare that employee's salary and benefits to the national standards for non-profits and foundations. Five years after the camp fire, the foundation has been required to re-evaluate its staffing and personnel costs. A natural process of "right-sizing" has begun, with several staff members from the programs department leaving for other opportunities. Recognizing that sustainability of operations is a priority, the foundation is focused on maintaining manageable and sustainable costs. In fact, a decision was recently made to reduce the executive team's time and pay by 10%. This decision, fully supported by the executive team, is one of many steps that may be taken in the future to ensure the foundation is well-prepared for sustainable operations.”

“A statement is published on the foundation's website that the governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are available to the public upon request. Audited financial statements are available on the organization's website as well as the annual tax filings.”

“The independent contractors listed on part vii, section b are related to the drought relief program for glenn & tehama county. The services included water delivery, installations, repairs, inspections, and project management.”

“In december 2023, the organization wrapped up the butte strong fund committee. This committee was formed to help administer the millions of dollars of butte strong grants that happened in the wake of the camp fire. November 2023 officially marked the 5 year mark from the november 2018 camp fire. With the conclusion of this committee, it was determined that the organization would continue to stand up for other local/community disaster responses including the thompson and park fire for example. The organization continues and will continue to be a presence in disaster relief & response efforts.”