Standards for Excellence:
An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sectorreplicationlogo

OANO is committed to bolstering public confidence in and support for the nonprofit sector through the Standards for Excellence (the Standards) which promote ethical practices and accountability in nonprofit organizations across the state.

Adopted by OANO in 2001, the Standards are based on fundamental values—such as honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability. They describe how nonprofits should act to be ethical and be accountable in their program operations, governance, human resources, financial management and fundraising. The Standards are based on 58 guiding principles. The complete list of guiding principles can be found here.

OANO is committed to the Standards and all OANO members are requested to pledge their commitment to the guiding principles. Members who wish to take their commitment beyond the pledge level can also apply for Standards certification. The certified nonprofit voluntarily agrees to undergo an in-depth application and anonymous peer review process to confirm adherence to the guiding principles. Attaining the Standards certification enables an organization to display the Seal of Excellence on all of its materials. OANO offers high-level training workshops for nonprofits interested in achieving certification.

Find out what they have to say about the program here.