Conflict of Interest Policy

A conflict of interest exists if a Region 2 Arts Council Board member, AAI Council member, Approved Delegate, or Community Panel member 

  • Serves, with or without pay, as an advisor or consultant to an applicant organization being reviewed.
  • Receives direct financial benefit from the applicant or grant proposal being reviewed.
  • Receives gifts, free tickets or any other favors or benefits from the applicant being reviewed.
  • Is unduly biased due to an adversarial relationship or personal affiliation with an applicant.
  • Has a familial relationship (beyond that of immediate family defined as spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, child’s spouse, brother, brother’s spouse, sister, or sister’s spouse) with an applicant.
  • Is an immediate family member of an applicant, grant writer, or project director. (Immediate family member is defined as spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, child’s spouse, brother, brother’s spouse, sister, or sister’s spouse).

Conflict of Interest Procedure

  • Any Region 2 Arts Council Board member, AAI Council Member, Approved Delegate, or Community Panel Member with a conflict of interest relating to any grant application will declare such a conflict on a conflict of interest form prior to the review and again declare their conflict of interest at the review meeting.
  • If a Board, Staff, or AAI Council member is the immediate family member of an applicant, grant writer, or project director, the grant will be deemed ineligible, the applicant will be notified, and the grant will be excluded from the grant review.
  • If a Board, Staff, or AAI Council member serves as an employee or governing board member of the applicant organization, the grant will be deemed ineligible, the applicant will be notified, and the grant will be excluded from the grant review.
  • If an Approved Delegate or Community Panel Member is the immediate family member of an applicant, grant writer, or project director, or serves as an employee or governing board member of the applicant organization, the Approved Delegate or Community Panel member must declare a conflict of interest, but the grant will remain eligible.
  • In cases in which there exists a conflict of interest, but a grant is still eligible, the panelist will refrain from online discussion, leave the room during the face-to-face discussion of that grant, and abstain from voting on that grant.