The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation is pleased to announce the renewal of its Standards for Excellence Institute’s Seal of Excellence.
The foundation — a fundraising arts nonprofit, with programs that include Freeman Arts Pavilion, an outdoor performances venue in Selbyville and its Arts Access Initiative, which provides students and underserved families of Delmarva year-round, high-quality arts experiences at no cost — was first awarded the Standards for Excellence Institute’s Seal of Excellence in 2019 after the organization 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 Freeman Arts Pavilion performances as well as its Arts Access Initiative — and services, management, fundraising and financial practices were subjected to in-depth examination prior to earning accreditation.
The Standards for Excellence Institute requires organizations to renew after the initial three years to ensure they are maintaining the policies and good governance and compliance as well as their programs continue to reflect their mission. This accreditation is good for five years, at which time Freeman Arts will have to renew again.
“Achieving our renewed accreditation for Standards for Excellence is a measure of our commitment to the people and communities we serve,” said Patti Grimes, executive director. “As a public charity, we want to assure our stakeholders that we remain committed to delivering on our mission and serving our community while achieving and implementing the highest standards in governance, management and operating systems.”
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.
