Governance & Safeguards

Trust built through transparency. Our comprehensive governance framework ensures fairness, accountability, and sustainable community impact from day one through every pilot and beyond.

View Policy Framework See Safeguards

What Makes Pilots Work From Day One

Four foundational principles that ensure trust, fairness, and measurable outcomes in every Impact Exchange interaction

Transparent Valuation

Conservative FMV methodology using IRS-compliant standards

  • eBay sold prices for comparable items
  • Independent Sector volunteer time benchmarks
  • Conservative Fair Market Value calculations
  • Lawyer + accountant review for ambiguous cases
  • Public methodology documentation

Verified Agency Partnerships

Launch with 1-2 trusted agencies focused on efficiency gains

  • Pre-vetted local agencies with proven track records
  • Established verification protocols and standards
  • Focus on reducing administrative burden, not adding work
  • Clear partnership agreements and expectations
  • Regular performance reviews and feedback loops

Equity & Bias Protections

Public rules with simple appeals process ensuring fairness and trust

  • Transparent eligibility criteria and verification rules
  • Bias monitoring through demographic impact analysis
  • Simple, accessible appeals process for all decisions
  • External review board for equity monitoring
  • Regular bias audits with public reporting

Incident Response

72-hour breach notification with comprehensive incident management

  • Immediate notification of security incidents
  • Public status page for transparency
  • Comprehensive incident response procedures
  • Regular security audits and assessments
  • Continuous monitoring and threat detection

Comprehensive Policy Framework

Detailed policies ensuring operational integrity, financial transparency, and community trust

No Cryptocurrency Policy

Clear Position: Contributions are records of verified community impact, not monetary tokens or cryptocurrency.

What This Means:

  • No Token Economy: No blockchain tokens, coins, or digital currencies
  • Record Keeping: Contributions tracked as verified community impact records
  • Regulatory Compliance: Avoids cryptocurrency regulatory complications
  • Trust Building: Focus on real-world value, not speculative digital assets

Technical Implementation:

  • Impact records stored in traditional databases with audit trails
  • No mining, staking, or token-based incentive systems
  • Clear separation from any blockchain or crypto technologies
  • Standard accounting practices for all valuations

Fair Market Value (FMV) Methodology

Conservative Approach: Public methodology with professional review for all ambiguous valuations.

Valuation Standards:

  • Goods & Inventory: eBay sold prices, wholesale databases, retail comparables
  • Professional Services: Industry standard rates, local market research
  • Volunteer Time: Independent Sector national benchmarks by skill level
  • Equipment & Assets: Depreciated replacement cost, professional appraisal

Review Process:

1
Automated Assessment

System generates FMV using established databases and algorithms

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2
Threshold Review

Values over $1,000 or ambiguous items flagged for manual review

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3
Professional Validation

Lawyer + accountant review ensures IRS compliance and accuracy

Documentation Requirements:

  • Photos and condition assessment for all donated goods
  • Comparable sales data with sources and dates
  • Professional service documentation with hourly rates
  • Signed valuation certificates for items over $5,000

Appeals & Corrections Process

Immutable Audit Logs: Corrective entries preserve history while enabling fair appeals process.

Appeal Triggers:

  • Verification decision disputes
  • FMV valuation disagreements
  • Eligibility determination challenges
  • System errors or technical issues

Appeals Workflow:

Day 1
Appeal Submission

Online form with supporting documentation, automatic acknowledgment

Day 3
Initial Review

Internal review team assessment, stakeholder notification

Day 7
Resolution

Decision communicated with reasoning, corrective action if needed

Correction Protocol:

  • No Destructive Edits: Original records always preserved
  • Additive Corrections: New entries document changes with reasoning
  • Audit Trail Integrity: Complete history maintained for compliance
  • Stakeholder Notification: All affected parties informed of corrections

Equity & Bias Monitoring

Proactive Fairness: Regular cohort analysis with external review board oversight.

Monitoring Metrics:

Demographic Analysis
  • Geographic distribution of benefits
  • Income level representation
  • Age and family structure inclusion
  • Language accessibility measures
Process Fairness
  • Verification approval rates by demographic
  • Average processing times across groups
  • Appeal success rates and patterns
  • Resource allocation equity measures

External Review Board:

Board Composition (5 members):
  • Community Advocate: Local social justice or community organization leader
  • Academic Researcher: Social policy or public administration expert
  • Legal Expert: Civil rights or nonprofit law specialist
  • Agency Representative: Social services professional
  • Community Member: Individual with lived experience of resource needs
Quarterly Responsibilities:
  • Review demographic impact data and trends
  • Assess fairness of verification and allocation processes
  • Recommend policy improvements and corrections
  • Publish public summary of findings and recommendations

Security & Compliance Safeguards

Enterprise-grade security with transparency and accountability built into every system

Data Protection

Encryption & Storage

  • AES-256 encryption for data at rest
  • TLS 1.3 for all data in transit
  • Zero-trust network architecture
  • Regular penetration testing and security audits

Access Controls

  • Role-based access control (RBAC) with least privilege
  • Multi-factor authentication for all user accounts
  • Session management with automatic timeout
  • API rate limiting and abuse prevention

Audit & Compliance

Audit Logging

  • Immutable audit logs for all system actions
  • User activity tracking with timestamps
  • Data modification trails with before/after states
  • Automated log analysis and anomaly detection

Compliance Standards

  • SOC 2 Type II compliance preparation
  • GDPR and CCPA privacy regulation alignment
  • HIPAA-level security for sensitive data
  • Regular third-party security assessments

Incident Response

Monitoring & Detection

  • 24/7 security monitoring and alerting
  • Automated threat detection and response
  • Real-time system health and performance monitoring
  • Behavioral analysis for fraud prevention

Response Procedures

  • Immediate containment and impact assessment
  • 72-hour notification commitment to affected parties
  • Public status page for transparency during incidents
  • Post-incident analysis and improvement planning

Public Transparency Reports

Regular public reporting on system performance, equity outcomes, and governance effectiveness

Quarterly Impact Report

  • Total community value generated
  • Number of verified needs served
  • Stakeholder participation rates
  • Geographic distribution of impact
View Latest Report

Equity Assessment

  • Demographic impact analysis
  • Verification approval rate equity
  • Resource allocation fairness metrics
  • External review board findings
View Assessment

Security & Privacy Report

  • Security incident summaries
  • Privacy compliance metrics
  • System availability and performance
  • Third-party audit results
View Security Report

Governance Review

  • Policy effectiveness analysis
  • Appeals process outcomes
  • Stakeholder feedback summary
  • Governance improvement initiatives
View Governance Report

Continuous Improvement

Our governance framework evolves based on community feedback, pilot learnings, and best practices

Stakeholder Feedback

Regular surveys, focus groups, and feedback sessions with all stakeholder groups to identify improvement opportunities.

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Pilot Analysis

Each pilot program generates learnings about governance effectiveness, policy gaps, and operational improvements.

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External Review

Independent experts and community representatives review proposed changes for fairness and effectiveness.

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Implementation

Approved improvements are implemented with clear timelines, training, and community notification.

Recent Policy Updates

Q3 2024

Enhanced Equity Monitoring

Added demographic impact tracking and external review board oversight based on pilot program feedback.

Q2 2024

Appeals Process Streamlining

Reduced average appeal resolution time from 14 days to 7 days through improved workflows and automation.

Q1 2024

FMV Methodology Update

Enhanced valuation accuracy through integration of additional market data sources and professional review thresholds.

Questions About Our Governance?

Our governance framework is designed to be transparent and accessible. We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions for improvement.

Policy Questions

General inquiries about policies and procedures

governance@datus.work

Report Concerns

Security issues, policy violations, or improvement suggestions

security@datus.work

Submit Appeals

Formal appeals process for decisions or determinations

appeals@datus.work

Additional Resources

Download Policy Documentation View Compliance Certificates Join a Pilot