Code of Conduct

The Karl Kahane Foundation believes in an ethical approach to philanthropy and in leading by example. With this Code of Conduct we want to hold ourselves accountable to our mission statement and vision: to help people create a dignified and peaceful living environment, for themselves and their neighbours.

We want to be a trustworthy partner to our grantees and strive to carry out our work with integrity and respect.

This Code of Conduct is a work in progress. It reflects parts of an ongoing conversation around issues of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within the Karl Kahane Foundation and will be adapted when needed. We invite you to join our conversation.

OUR COMMITMENT

A stance against discrimination
The Foundation takes an active stance against any form of discrimination. We do not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of gender identity, sex, race, ethnicity, geographic or national origin, citizenship status, age, sexual orientation or identity, religion, education, ability and disability, ideology, class, pregnancy or perspective. We make reasonable accommodations for individuals with known disabilities and, whenever possible, seek to be accommodating to our team members’ and grantees’ circumstances.

A stance against harassment and abuse
The Foundation takes an active stance against any form of harassment and abuse. Harassment is prohibited by and against all employees, applicants and third parties. This includes any harassment or abuse based on the factors outlined above, intimidation and any kind of (sexual) harassment. Prohibited harassment can be verbal, non-verbal, physical or visual, and may occur at or outside of work, including via phone, computer or text, at social functions (whether or not Foundation sponsored) and via (social) media platforms.

Respectful communication
The Foundation and its employees strive for respectful communication and cultural sensitivity, both in our internal communication and with our project partners. While not every situation can be anticipated, employees and board members are expected to act in a manner that reflects good judgment and integrity, is consistent with the highest professional and ethical standards, and in compliance with all Foundation policies. In our communication, we are mindful of structural inequalities inherent in any donor-grantee relationship.

SAFEGUARDING POLICY

The Karl Kahane Foundation recognises that violence against children and young people is prevalent throughout the world and in all societies.

All children and young people aged under 18 years have equal rights to protection from all forms of violence as declared in Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises fundamental human rights, the dignity, worth and equal rights of people at any age, thus including young people aged 18 to 24 years old.

Safeguarding children and young people entails the responsibilities, preventative, responsive and referral measures that organisations undertake to protect children and young people, ensuring that no child or young person is subject to any form of harm as a result of their association with the organisation. This includes, ensuring that the contact between children and young people and an organisation or those associated with an organisation and/or their participation in our activities, interventions and operations is safe and where there are concerns over a child or young person’s welfare or where a child or young person has been subject to violence, appropriate and timely actions are taken to address this and incidents are analysed so as to ensure continued learning for an organisation.

The Karl Kahane Foundation does not formally hold grantees and stakeholders accountable by demanding and implementing safeguarding policies.

COMPLAINT POLICY

Sometimes an employee, grantee or board member might be the first one to notice that something is going wrong, either on an organisational or a personal level. The Karl Kahane Foundation is aware that it can be difficult to raise a concern or voice a complaint, especially when there is a power imbalance at play. However, we are committed to good practice and want to be supportive to our team members and grantees. We seek to create an environment where everybody feels comfortable to speak up when they have a concern.

For this, we have developed a complaints policy. Every concern raised will be taken seriously and handled in confidentiality. Raising a concern in good faith will never be a reason for the Foundation to cut or revoke funds.