Anti-Fraud & Anti-Corruption Policy

Zero tolerance for fraud, bribery and corruption, and the controls that make them detectable.

Document status

Version
1.0
Effective
Review cycle
Annually, or sooner if law or practice changes
Owner
Treasurer, on behalf of the Bureau
Applies to
All personnel, partners, suppliers and contractors

1 Policy statement

Women's Light Foundation has zero tolerance for fraud, bribery, corruption, theft and any misuse of its funds or assets. Donor funds are held in trust on behalf of the communities they are intended to serve, and their misuse is a betrayal of both.

2 Definitions

  • Fraud — dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by deception. Includes falsifying receipts, invoices, beneficiary lists or reports.
  • Bribery — offering, giving, requesting or accepting anything of value to improperly influence a decision.
  • Corruption — abuse of entrusted power for private gain.
  • Kickback — return of a portion of a payment as a condition of awarding a contract or benefit.

3 Prohibited conduct

  • Charging any person for access to our assistance, for selection into a programme, or for applying for a job, volunteer place or internship.
  • Requesting or accepting a payment, gift or favour from a supplier, contractor or beneficiary in connection with a decision.
  • Falsifying any financial or programme record.
  • Directing procurement to a person or business in which you have an undisclosed interest.
  • Holding Foundation funds in a personal account, or receiving donations personally on the Foundation's behalf.

4 Controls

  1. Financial authority and programme authority are held separately, so that no individual both commits and approves expenditure.
  2. All funds are held in a bank account in the Foundation's name.
  3. Expenditure above defined thresholds requires two authorised signatories.
  4. Procurement above defined thresholds requires competitive quotations, documented and retained.
  5. Beneficiary lists are verified independently of the person who compiled them.
  6. Accounts are to be externally audited and published annually, starting with our first full operating year.

5 Fraud committed in our name

Individuals sometimes solicit money by falsely claiming to represent an organisation. Women's Light Foundation never charges anyone to apply for a role, to volunteer, to be selected for a programme, or to receive assistance, and never requests payment to a personal account. Any such request is fraudulent and should be reported to contact@womenslight.org.

6 Consequences

Substantiated fraud or corruption results in immediate termination and may be referred to Cameroonian authorities. The Foundation will seek recovery of misappropriated funds, and will disclose material incidents to affected donors.