FUNDER SAFEGUARDING
IS AN INITIATIVE OF
Keeping people safe from abuse and harm requires committed, collaborative effort. FADICA’s Safeguarding Initiative engages funders and their grantee partners as they work to develop, build, and sustain safeguarding best practices within philanthropic, non-profit, and faith-based organizations.
Safeguarding refers to measures and interventions that protect people from abuse, harm, exploitation, or violence. You may be familiar with the terms abuse prevention, safe environment, or abuse risk management.
Educating all organizational stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, Board members, program participants, and beneficiaries of service
Developing written policy that communicates clear behavioral expectations for all individuals served by or serving the organization
Implementing minimum training requirements for employees and high-access volunteers
Establishing written procedures for responding to and documenting policy violations, inappropriate behaviors, and incidents or allegations of abuse
Publicizing clear and safe pathways for individuals to raise concerns and make reports, internally and externally
Promoting healthy boundaries and empowering individuals to be observant and attentive to situational risk
Normalizing questions and dialogue about individual and organizational safety
Supporting healing and assuring justice for victims and survivors of abuse
Informed service providers, participants, and beneficiaries help create and sustain safe environments. A proactive team is a conscientious team, knowledgeable of boundaries, aware of risks, and committed to continuing education and development.
Communicating an organization’s zero tolerance for abuse, affirmed by a written safeguarding policy, is a necessary first step in establishing safeguarding best practices.
FADICA believes that philanthropy must boldly proclaim the priority of safeguarding. By working together, funders and grantee partners can educate their communities, normalize safeguarding best practices, and change organizational culture.
FADICA’s safeguarding approach is predicated on accompaniment—funders and grantee partners walking together to understand gaps, shape responses, and implement solutions. Funders are well-placed to offset capacity-building costs for partners and deliver accessible resources, yet safeguarding learnings and experiences must be shared by both parties:
Funders should seek to understand the challenges that a grantee partner may face in implementing best practices. A funder with lived safeguarding experience is an empathetic funder that can identify stumbling blocks and deliver support.
Grantee partners must develop trust with a funder to make disclosures about their safeguarding journey. It is critical for partners to see that a foundation is sincere and committed to its own internal learning and development, despite being some degrees removed from direct service.
Shared values inform many philanthropic relationships, and safeguarding, rooted in acknowledging and protecting the dignity of all persons, is no exception. Safeguarding efforts from funders and grantees can complement existing efforts from nonprofits, government, and religious institutions.
FADICA believes that philanthropy must boldly proclaim the priority of safeguarding.
Questions? Comments? Keep the conversation going! Whether you would like to discuss safeguarding goals, planning, or resources available to your organization, our team is here to help. Connect with us via email below, and let us know how we can support you.
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