Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Policy

Heritage & Opportunity Alliance, Inc.

Effective date: Upon Board Adoption
Approved by: Board of Directors
Applies to: Directors, officers, committees, advisory members, volunteers, employees, contractors, partners, and program participants as applicable

Purpose

This Policy affirms that Heritage & Opportunity Alliance, Inc. will operate programs, governance, volunteer opportunities, partnerships, and community engagement in a lawful, inclusive, and non-discriminatory manner.

Scope

This Policy applies to directors, officers, committee members, advisory members, volunteers, employees, contractors, applicants, program participants, donors, sponsors, partners, and members of the public interacting with the corporation.

Policy Statement

The corporation shall not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law. The corporation may lawfully focus charitable and educational efforts on historically impacted, underserved, underrepresented, low-income, youth, elder, redevelopment-affected, or displacement-vulnerable communities when such focus is consistent with charitable purposes and applicable law.

Program Access

Programs should be designed with reasonable access, respectful communication, and fair participation standards. Eligibility limits may be used when required by grant terms, age, safety, geography, program purpose, facility limits, or law.

Harassment and Retaliation

Harassment, intimidation, retaliation, or hostile conduct is prohibited. Concerns may be reported to an officer, Board member, or designated program lead.

Reasonable Accommodation

The corporation shall consider reasonable accommodations for disability, language access, scheduling, or participation barriers when practical and consistent with program capacity, safety, and resources.

Partner Conduct

The corporation may decline or end partnerships that conflict with this Policy, threaten participant safety, create unlawful discrimination risk, or undermine public trust.

Records

The Secretary, Treasurer, or other Board-authorized records officer shall maintain records created under this Policy according to the Records Retention and Document Control Policy. Records may include approvals, disclosures, invoices, receipts, reports, correspondence, minutes, incident reports, releases, agreements, restricted-fund logs, or other supporting documents.

Violations

Violations of this Policy may result in corrective action, reassignment, removal from a committee or volunteer role, termination of a contract, repayment, report to the Board, or other action permitted by law and organizational policy. Retaliation against a person who raises a good-faith concern is prohibited.

Review and Amendment

This Policy may be reviewed at least annually and may be amended by the Board of Directors. The Board may adopt more detailed procedures, forms, checklists, and approval schedules consistent with this Policy.

Board Adoption

This Policy is adopted by the Board of Directors and remains in effect until amended, replaced, or rescinded by the Board.

Policy 007

The webpage above presents the complete policy text for accessible reading. The official PDF is retained for printing and formal records.