Respecting the privacy of our clients, donors, members, staff, volunteers and of The Dara Ashley Foundation itself is a basic value of The Dara Ashley Foundation. Personal and financial information is confidential and should not be disclosed or discussed with anyone without permission or authorization from the Executive Director & the concerning party. Careshall also be taken to ensure that unauthorized individuals do not overhear any discussion of confidential information and that documents containing confidential information are not left in the open or inadvertently shared. Employees, volunteers and board members of The Dara Ashley Foundation may be exposed to information which is confidential and/or privileged and proprietary in nature. It is the policy of The Dara Ashley Foundation that such information must be kept confidential both during and after employment or volunteer service. Staff and volunteers, including board members, are expected to return materials containing privileged or confidential information at the time of separation from employment or expiration of service. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential or privileged information is a serious violation of this policy and will subject the person(s) who made the unauthorized disclosure to appropriate discipline, including removal/dismissal. All information concerning clients, former clients, our staff, volunteers, and financial data, and business records of The Dara Ashley Foundation is confidential. “Confidential” means that you are free to talk about The Dara Ashley Foundation and about your program and your position, but you are not permitted to disclose clients’ names or talk about them in ways that will make their identity known. No information may be released without appropriate authorization. This is a basic component of client care and business ethics. The board of directors, staff and our clients rely on paid and volunteer staff to conform to this rule of confidentiality. The Dara Ashley Foundation expects you to respect the privacy of clients and to maintain their personal and financial information as confidential. All records dealing with specific clients must be treated as confidential. General information, policy statements or statistical material that is not identified with Copyright © National Council of Nonprofits

Rationale Confidentiality is the preservation of privileged information. By necessity, personal and private information is disclosed in a professional working relationship. Part of what you learn is necessary to provide services to the applicant or client; other information is shared within the development of a helping, trusting relationship. Therefore, most information gained about individual clients through an assignment is confidential in terms of the law, and disclosure could make you legally liable. Disclosure could also damage your relationship with the client and make it difficult to help the person. Before you begin your assignment as a staff member/volunteer, you should be aware of the laws and penalties for breaching confidentiality. Although the agency is liable for your acts within the scope of your duty, giving information to an unauthorized person could result in the agency's refusal to support you in the event of legal action. Violation of the state statutes regarding the confidentiality of records is punishable upon conviction by fines or by imprisonment or by both.