Smile Charitable Trust Policies and how they Govern the Organization

Hallmark #1 The Purpose and Direction of Smile Charitable Trust

The purpose of the Smile Charitable Trust is to empower the people of Odisha, as well as all of India. The main focus of the Trust is to empower its most vulnerable citizens through a series of strategies and develop a strong society that will follow the stepping stones set in place through education and an economical upturn for all.

Hallmark #2 The Smile Charitable Trust Board of Directors

The Board of Directors (BOD) will be made up of individuals who will bring a collective and unique set of skills to the table. The BOD will always act in the best interest of the organization and will not compromise the integrity of the organization. The BOD will put the governing documents in place, from here on in called Policies and Procedures, for the organization and review those policies and procedures regularly to make sure the organizations is always on track and within reach of their goals. The BOD will be the management system of the organization and set the course for actions taken by the organization.

Hallmark #3 Fit for Purpose of the Smile Charitable Trust

The organization will regularly review the policies and procedures to ensure the governing documents are up to date and are effective to allow board members the power necessary to achieve the mission and goals and manage the resources efficiently.

The organization will always take the necessary steps to protect the mission and goals of the organization. The work of the organization is the product and represents the reputation of the organization. It is critical to protect that work as it is the vehicle that attracts donors for the organization and assures the beneficiaries their needs will be met. The policies and procedures put in place will protect the beneficiaries, as well as the staff, BOD, volunteers and people who donate to the organization.

The policies and procedures will be reviewed on a regular basis, along with the necessary risk assessment in the area of the work being done to provide the necessary opportunities and the management of those risks.

It is imperative to review the policies and procedures on a regular basis to make sure they always continue to support the work and always deliver the mission and goals of the organization. The structure of the organization includes the board of directors, the beneficiaries, the support staff, employees and volunteers.

The organization should always look for ways to strengthen the abilities of the group through partnerships and collaboration with entities that will bring an upgrade in offerings and a more efficient manner of working. Being mindful of the environment and impact of the activities and events on it brings about a sense of responsibility and the placement of a sustainable approach for the organization.

Hallmark #4 Smile Charitable Trust Learning and Improving

The organization will always look for ways to improve the function and performance of the organization and a more efficient manner to deliver the mission and goals. It is important to identify the positive and negative of the organization, including how it affects the beneficiaries, volunteers, BOD, employees and people who donate to the foundation.

The true rudder of the organization is the feedback received from others, whether it is positive, negative or a combination of both. It will be an indication of what works, what does not work and what should be improved, eliminated or added. It will also indicate where programs are needed and identify future trends as they are beginning to formulate.

Goals will only be accomplished if they are based on achievable increments. The measure of success is a combination of striving to meet the set bench mark and then exceeding the bench mark whenever possible. This measurement will gauge the quality of services and the available resources, as well meeting the needs of the beneficiaries. This will also indicate to donors whether the budgets are fulfilling the strategies and if the efficient use of funds is being realized. This in no way reflects upon the manner in which the organization is being run, it simply reflects the outcome.

One of the keys to success for Smile Charitable Trust is to find innovative ways of achieving the desired goals, contained under the Smile mission. It often takes outside the box thinking to realize methods to attract donors, volunteers, staff and individuals to serve on the BOD. Emerging trends of a societal nature are often best used as part of the planning process to identify the needs to be addressed and the manner in which they will be addressed.
The Smile Charitable Trust, like any similar organization will only be successful if it undergoes continuing improvement based on constant, critical review.

Hallmark #5 The Smile Charitable Trust - Financially Sound and Prudent

One of the most important tasks for any charitable organization is financial management. Even though there are costs associated with operating an effective organization, delivering the goals as designed according to the overall mission. Financial policies are necessary to manage and control the funds to make sure there are always sufficient funds in place, investments are appropriate and borrowing does not have an adverse impact of the stability of the funds.
The financial planning for the organization will be hand in hand with the planning and management of the overall organization. Funding has to match the strategies to achieve the goals and used in the most effective manner possible. Managing the funds and reviewing the performance of those funds is critical for the success of the organization and it allows the BOD to take the necessary corrective action as necessary.

To maintain financial health, Smile Charitable Trust will have a solid plan in place for the purpose of raising the necessary funds to realize the goals of the organization. Creating channels of income is imperative and a diversity of income channels is prudent to the financial health of the organization.

The BOD will be responsible to review the sources of income on a yearly basis to make sure they are in keeping with best financial management practices. Sometimes, ethics plays an important role when raising funds for a charitable organization and must be dealt with in a manner fitting the organization.

The organization must always be aware of the risks involved with each venture, strategy or method of raising funds and delivering on the goals established under the mission. The risk must be evaluated and then managed to minimize loss and waste and to eliminate fraud. Part of the success of the organization is to create a healthy and robust financial foundation with effective and efficient controls in place.

The annual report takes into account the fund raising efforts and how those funds are spent, as well as the implementation of the programs and goals and the success or the less than success of the program and organization. The report is provided on a yearly basis and is required to be filed in a timely manner.

Hallmark #6 Smile Charitable trust - Accountability and Transparency

To be effective, Smile Charitable Trust must be accountable to the BOD, volunteers, employees, beneficiaries and most of all, the people that donate financially. Reporting to the public must be executed in a simple and mindful manner, describing the work completed and in progress, and an explanation of the elements and events the charity has accomplished for the public good.

The report must be easy to understand and include the decisions made on behalf of the organization, a description of the activities undertaken and the outcome of each, how the fund raising methods were implemented and level of management and success attributed to each. Another important feature to impart to those with an interest in the organization is the manner in which complaints and praise were handled.