Whistleblower Policy

Generate a Whistleblower Policy here!

Click the button to start the wizard. Answer the questions about your organization and at the end you’ll get a customized document designed for your organization’s needs. The document comes out as a fully editable MS Word document which is yours to keep.

DISCLAIMER: Documents generated through Mission Guardian are legally sufficient for Minneapolis neighborhood associations. Clients assume the risk of editing generated documents. Birken Law Office cannot guarantee edits you make will result in a policy / procedure that complies with Neighborhoods 2020 requirements, state law, federal law, IRS regulations or nonprofit sector best practices.

Why do we need a Whistleblower policy?

In 2002, the Enron and Worldcomm scandals had rocked the US. And the US government enacted laws to protect individuals who come forward with information about financial mismanagement. This known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Most of this law only applies to publicly traded companies, a few provisions, including whistleblower protection, apply to nonprofit organizations filing an IRS Form 990. That’s us.

Whistleblower policies set out procedures for addressing complaints from employees regarding financial improprieties or misuse of organizational resources and help foster an ethical and more transparent workplace.

Minnesota state law also forbids employer retaliation against whistleblowers that report violations of state or federal law to an employer or government body. The statute also prohibits retaliation against an employee that won’t follow orders if they have a basis to believe the behavior is illegal and they have said so when refusing to do the work.

The IRS “encourages the board of directors to adopt an effective policy for handling employee complaints and to establish procedures for employees to report in confidence any suspected financial impropriety or misuse of the charity’s resources.”

So now you know you need this, and that’s why the City is requiring it.