IWF Colombia Forum in Good Standing Policy

(approved by the IWF Board, February 8, 2024)

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The International Women’s Forum (IWF) is built on the strength of our local member Forums, and thus has significant interest in ensuring that all Forums that are members of IWF meet and remain in compliance with established membership criteria adopted by the IWF Board of Directors (IWF Board). This Policy establishes the criteria for a Forum to be deemed a Forum in Good Standing and sets forth procedures to be followed in the event a Forum does not meet these criteria. 

 

General

A Forum in Good Standing embraces IWF’s Vision, Mission and Value Proposition www.iwforum.org and conducts itself in a manner that demonstrates its commitment to our unifying mission of advancing women’s leadership and championing equality worldwide.

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Criteria

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(1) A Forum in Good Standing pays the IWF Board-established dues to IWF in a timely

manner for every individual member of the Forum, regardless of membership class or

characterization.

(2) A Forum in Good Standing conducts itself in a manner that recognizes and supports IWF’s status as a tax exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, does not engage in political advocacy or lobbying (as regulated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code) or otherwise engage in activities that jeopardize IWF’s status as a tax exempt public charity or raise financial or reputational risks for IWF.

(3) A Forum in Good Standing meets the threshold requirements for all Forums (including but not limited to the criteria that must be met by new Forums) that are established from time to time by the IWF Board and made available to Forums, including the following:

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(a) Maintenance of not less than twenty-five (25) members;

(b) Establishment and operation of a membership corporation or other business entity under the legal requirements of the jurisdiction in which the Forum operates, including (but not limited to) applicable requirements related to tax matters, protection of personal information, and insurance;

(c) Adoption of and compliance with bylaws or other customary governance documents that meet applicable legal requirements for the corporation or other business entity in the jurisdiction in which the Forum operates;

(d) Election of directors (or equivalent) by members and election of officers (or equivalent) by member-elected directors or by members, in each case not less than every three (3) years, with director and officer term limits of not more than six (6) consecutive years;

(e) Maintenance of a nominating, membership or other board-level committee or group that considers and recommends invitations to new members meeting the IWF selection criteria for new Forum members, not less than every two (2) years and seeks to ensure growth of the Forum;

(f) Maintenance of high standards of financial integrity, including the maintenance of complete and accurate books and records of financial transactions and generation and distribution to Forum members of complete and accurate financial statements for the Forum on at least an annual basis;

(g) Compliance with licensing and other agreements with IWF that address the use of IWF branding, trademarks and other intellectual property and all related Board-approved policies that are made available to Forums; and

(h) Attendance by the Forum President or her designate (in person or virtually) at a minimum of one (1) Presidents’ Council meeting annually.

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(4) A Forum in Good Standing operates in compliance with all other IWF Board-approved policies and requirements applicable to Forums that are made available to Forums.

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Warning Notice. If a Forum fails to comply with the criteria identified in subsections (1) or (2) under “Criteria,” and/or fails to comply with any two or more other criteria identified in this Policy, IWF management will provide such Forum with written notice identifying the criteria in this Policy that have not been satisfied (Warning Notice).

 

Removal. A Forum will be subject to removal from membership in IWF in the following

circumstances:

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(1) The Forum fails to pay the IWF Board-established dues to IWF for every individualmember of the Forum, regardless of membership class or characterization, on or prior to the due date for payment, after a Warning Notice from IWF and a sixty (60) day opportunity to cure such failure through payment.

(2) The Forum acts in a manner that, in the opinion of counsel to IWF, constitutes political advocacy or lobbying or otherwise could jeopardize the determination that IWF is a tax exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise raises financial or reputational risks for IWF, after a Warning Notice from IWF and a thirty (30) day opportunity to cure through actions sufficient to address the risks to IWF from the Forum’s activities.

(3) Beginning on February 8, 2026, the Forum fails to achieve any other criteria identified in a Warning Notice from IWF after a one (1) year opportunity to cure such failure.

 

Removal of a Forum will occur after the issuance of a Warning Notice and the opportunity to cure described above, upon the affirmative vote of a two-thirds of the members of the entire IWF Board in accordance with the IWF Bylaws, provided, that the IWF Board may act prior to the end of a cure period if necessary to address significant legal, financial, or reputational risks to IWF from a Forum’s activities.

 

Healthy Forum. Although related, these criteria and this Forum in Good Standing Policy are separate from Forum “health checks” conducted by the Presidents’ Council to review on a regular basis the factors indicating a healthy Forum.