The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation is pleased to announce it is a recipient of the Standards for Excellence Institute’s Seal of Excellence for successfully completing the rigorous accreditation program.
The fundraising arts nonprofit voluntarily opened itself up to analysis by a jury of its peers. The peer review team examined the organization for compliance with the Standards for Excellence®: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector, in areas including: mission, strategy and evaluation; leadership: board, staff, and volunteers; legal compliance and ethics; finance and operations; resource development; and public awareness, engagement, and advocacy.
The Standards for Excellence Institute evaluates fundamental values such as honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability, all of which are inherently important in the nonprofit world.
The Foundation’s programs — which include The Freeman Stage as well as its arts in education and community access programs — and services, management, fundraising and financial practices were subjected to in-depth examination prior to earning accreditation.
“The trust from our donors and the public is paramount for success and sustainability,” said Patti Grimes, executive director. “Achieving and maintaining the rigors required by The Standards for Excellence Institute provides additional assurances to our donors that integrity, transparency and systems are in place in our organization. We are a stronger organization from the Standards for Excellence process.”
The Standards for Excellence Institute is committed to raising the level of principled and responsible practices within the nonprofit sector. The Institute offers a model for organizations to implement in their operating plans so they can gain a deeper understanding of their effectiveness, improve their decision-making and minimize risks. Nonprofits that adhere to the principles and practices of strong nonprofit management and governance can become formally accredited under the Standards for Excellence® program.
The Standards for Excellence program provides a structured approach to improved operations and quality management, delivering years of benchmarking and best practices to organizations’ leadership, and a “Good Housekeeping”-type seal of approval to outside stakeholders, indicating that the organization is performing as promised after comprehensive evaluation by practitioners and industry experts.
About The Freeman Stage
The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, that’s mission is to partner to present memorable performances and provide inspired arts education for all, while creating opportunities to elevate the human spirit. With The Freeman Stage, an outdoor performing arts venue located near Fenwick Island, we act on that mission by presenting diverse programming in the genres of dance, live music, theatre and children’s programming. This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.
About the Standards for Excellence Institute
The Standards for Excellence originated as a special initiative of Maryland Nonprofits in 1998 and has since expanded into a national program to help nonprofit organizations achieve the highest benchmarks of ethics and accountability in nonprofit governance, management and operations. The program has been formally adopted by ten state, regional and national affiliate organizations, and is supported by nearly 80 Licensed Consultants and over 100 volunteers with professional experience in nonprofit governance and administration. Since its inception, the program has accredited or recognized over 200 individual nonprofit organizations that completed a rigorous application and review process to demonstrate adherence to the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector. www.standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org.
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