Conflict of Interest Policy

1. Purpose

The Danish Siddiqui Foundation (“Foundation”) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and public trust in all its activities.

This Conflict of Interest Policy is intended to protect the Foundation’s reputation and decision-making processes by ensuring that the personal, professional, financial, or other interests of individuals associated with the Foundation do not improperly influence, or appear to influence, Foundation decisions or activities.

2. Scope

This Policy applies to all individuals acting on behalf of the Foundation, including but not limited to:

Trustees and Board Members
Advisors and Committee Members
Award Jurors and Evaluators
Staff Members and Consultants
Volunteers and Representatives
Program Review Panels
Scholarship, Fellowship, and Grant Selection Committees
Any individual participating in Foundation decision-making processes

3. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when an individual’s personal, professional, financial, familial, or organizational interests could compromise, influence, or reasonably appear to influence their ability to act objectively and in the best interests of the Foundation.

A conflict may be actual, potential, or perceived.

4. Examples of Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to:

Financial Interests

Receiving personal financial benefit from a Foundation decision.
Ownership, investment, or business interests in an entity seeking funding, partnership, sponsorship, or contractual engagement with the Foundation.

Personal Relationships

Evaluating, selecting, supervising, or making decisions involving a spouse, family member, relative, close friend, or domestic partner.
Participating in decisions affecting individuals with whom the person has a significant personal relationship.

Professional Relationships

Reviewing applications, nominations, or submissions from a current or former employer.
Evaluating work created by a current colleague, business partner, client, collaborator, or student.

Awards and Program Selection

Serving as a juror or evaluator for an award, scholarship, fellowship, grant, or competition involving a nominee or applicant with whom the reviewer has a significant professional or personal connection.
Participating in decisions concerning an organization with which the reviewer is affiliated.

5. Duty to Disclose

All individuals covered by this Policy have a continuing obligation to promptly disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.

Disclosures should be made as soon as the conflict becomes known and before participating in any related discussion, review, recommendation, evaluation, or decision.

6. Recusal and Management of Conflicts

When a conflict of interest is identified:

The individual shall disclose the conflict to the appropriate Foundation authority.
The Foundation may determine appropriate measures to manage the conflict.
The individual may be required to recuse themselves from discussions, deliberations, evaluations, voting, scoring, recommendations, or decisions related to the matter.
The Foundation may appoint an alternate reviewer, evaluator, or decision-maker where appropriate.

The Foundation reserves the right to determine whether a disclosed circumstance constitutes a conflict of interest and what remedial action is necessary.

7. Awards, Scholarships, Grants, and Jury Independence

To preserve the credibility and integrity of Foundation programs:

Jury members and evaluators shall assess submissions fairly, independently, and solely on their merits.
Jurors and evaluators must disclose any relationship that could compromise impartiality.
Individuals with conflicts relating to a particular submission or applicant shall not participate in the evaluation or selection of that submission or applicant.
The Foundation may establish additional procedures for specific awards, scholarships, grants, fellowships, or competitions.

8. Gifts, Hospitality, and Benefits

Individuals acting on behalf of the Foundation shall not solicit or accept gifts, favors, hospitality, payments, or other benefits that could improperly influence, or appear to influence, Foundation decisions.

Reasonable and customary hospitality may be accepted where permitted by applicable laws and where it does not create a conflict of interest or appearance of impropriety.

9. Confidentiality

Individuals subject to this Policy shall maintain the confidentiality of non-public information obtained through Foundation activities and shall not use such information for personal benefit or for the benefit of any third party.

10. Annual Disclosure

The Foundation may require trustees, jurors, advisors, committee members, staff, or other designated individuals to periodically disclose potential conflicts of interest and update such disclosures as circumstances change.

11. Violations of this Policy

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest or comply with this Policy may result in appropriate corrective action, including:

Removal from a review panel, jury, committee, or advisory role;
Termination of volunteer, consultant, or contractual relationships;
Disqualification from participation in Foundation activities; or
Any other action deemed appropriate by the Foundation.

12. Policy Administration

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees or designated authority shall oversee the implementation and interpretation of this Policy and may establish additional procedures where necessary.

Questions regarding this Policy or potential conflicts should be directed to the Foundation before participation in any relevant matter.