Berkeley Student Cooperative Inc

“The organization's members, as defined by the bylaws, are limited to only full-time students of any post-secondary school with current rent and/or boarding contracts. Exceptions to the above may be made by the administrative committee in accordance with the provisions of the administrative code of the organization, subject to the approval of the board of directors. Membership shall not be restricted because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, national origin, political adherence, or sexual identity. The form 990 instructions also define a "member" (without regard to what a person, including a corporation or other legal entity, is called in the governing documents) as any person who has the power to elect members of the governing body. As such, the president of the bsc alumni association and the bsc employee association are also considered members. Lastly, the form 990 instructions further define a "member" (without regard to what a person, including a corporation or other legal entity, is called in the governing documents) as any person who can receive a share of the organization's net assets upon dissolution. As such, the university of california is also considered a "member".”

“The president of the bsc alumni association, a separate 501(c)(3) organization, may appoint one member of the alumni association as a director. The term of office of the alumni association member shall be at the pleasure of the president of the bsc alumni association. In addition, the bsc employee association contract includes a provision for the designation of a director from among members of the employee association. The remaining members of the board of directors shall be elected by the members of the several units. Each unit shall elect one director for each seventy members, or fraction thereof, in the residential capacity of the unit.”

“The form 990 is prepared by an independent tax accountant in conjunction with the organization's finance and accounting staff. A draft form 990 is then reviewed by management of the organization, as well as the finance and accounting staff; adjustments are made as necessary. The form 990 is then electronically filed with the internal revenue service. The form 990 was reviewed with the capital & finance committee of the board of directors and made available to all members of the governing body after filing with the internal revenue service.”

“The organization has a written conflict of interest policy which requires it to monitor conflicts of interest through a written disclosure questionnaire implemented annually in the spring. The questionnaire is completed by all employees, all executive officers, and all board members. The organization also trains staff, board members, and executives on the duty to disclose conflicts of interest as they arise throughout the year. The executive director examines any disclosures by staff of potential conflicts of interest to determine whether an actual conflict exists. The cabinet examines any disclosures by the board members, executives, and senior management. The audit committee is charged with making decisions concerning resolution of conflicts of interest involving directors, executive officers, and senior management. The president is responsible for reviewing disclosures and resolving conflicts with regard to the chair of the audit committee. In all cases, conflicted individuals are not allowed to participate in the decision regarding a potential transaction.”

“Bsc annually compares salaries and benefits, including that of the executive director and other officers/key employees, to those of comparable nonprofits in the bay area utilizing fair pay, a nonprofit wage and benefits survey. In 2016, bsc also engaged a professional compensation consultant to review and advise the board on all professional staff salaries/wages.”

“The governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are made available to the public via the organization's website (www.bsc.coop) and by request.”