A strong desire to achieve something high or great. An aspirational code would be intended to reach a higher standard of "doing what is right," superseding mere compliance with what the law mandates.

Belief that one has the power to enact change. Agency is a critical component in reporting decisions because most people will only report if they believe their action has the potential to make a difference.

The process of comparing to established "best practices," peer organizations or even past results in order to better understand strengths, challenges and progress made.

The development of an organization's core skills and capabilities, such as leadership, management, finance and fundraising, programs and evaluation, in order to build the organization's effectiveness and sustainability. It is the process of assisting an individual or group to identify and address issues and gain the insights, knowledge an [..]

A central guide and reference to assist day-to-day decision making. It is meant to clarify an organization's mission, values and principles, linking them with standards of professional conduct. As a reference, it can be used to clarify standards, organizational values and policies; promote effective decision-making; and direct users to identif [..]

Can refer to a listing of required behaviors, the violation of which would result in disciplinary action. In practice, used interchangeably with Code of Ethics.

Often conveys organizational values, a commitment to standards and communicates a set of ideals. In practice, used interchangeably with Code of Conduct. In Section 406(c), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act defines "code of ethics" as such standards as are reasonably necessary to promote-- (1) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handlin [..]

The specific standards of behavior and performance expectations that your organization chooses to highlight and address in your code.

Conforming or adapting one's actions to another's wishes, to a rule or to necessity. A compliance code would be intended to meet all legal requirements.

An ethics and compliance program should include six key elements : 1) written standards of ethical workplace conduct; 2) training on the standards; 3) company resources that provide advice about ethics issues; 4) a means to report potential violations confidentially or anonymously; 5) performance evaluations of ethical conduct; and 6) systems to di [..]