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Glasspockets Find: Embracing Transparency

Jennifer Pedroni, vice president of administration at the North Penn Community Health Foundation, has written an excellent article for the Fall 2011 issue of GMN Examiner, the newsletter of the Grants Managers Network (GMN). She rhetorically asks, “… how transparent is GMN? How easily does GMN show itself?” and then proceeds to answer with some terrific examples—and makes it all sound so refreshingly natural and simple. 

GMN strives to be a model for accountability and transparency. At its meeting in March, the GMN board adopted the Principals for Good Governance and Ethical Practice framework as well as a transparency policy. In keeping with this commitment, the GMN web site includes its mission and values; bylaws, board of directors list, staff bios, annual reports, strategic plan, budget, audited financial statements, and tax returns.

As a member of the board, Pedroni concludes by asking her readers (i.e., primarily GMN’s members and funders) to evaluate the board’s progress in achieving the organization’s accountability/transparency goal—and issues a call for yet additional information that could be made visible.

Glasspockets applauds the Grants Managers Network for promoting transparency so extensively within the organization. Through these values and practices, GMN is leading by example.

-- Mark Foley