Principles & policies

The rules, in the open

Good governance is not decoration. These are the 22 adopted policies that hold the work accountable — what the Organization has committed to, and what it has committed to refuse.

22 policies

Governance & accountability

How decisions get made, who is answerable for them, and what happens when something goes wrong.

Bylaws adopted

The constitutional document of the Organization. It establishes Deconstructing Design as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware and binds it to comply with all federal, state, and local laws governing nonprofit organizations.

What it commits us to

Delaware nonprofit incorporation, governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Board structure, officer roles, meeting requirements, and amendment procedure are fixed in writing.

Source Bylaws of Deconstructing Design Adopted document · full text available on request

Code of Ethics & Conduct adopted

Establishes the ethical framework guiding decision-making, behavior, and accountability. It binds board members, employees, volunteers, contractors, and partners alike, and applies across financial management, procurement, fundraising, digital asset creation, investment strategy, and community engagement.

What it commits us to

Integrity and accountability: responsibility for one's actions, and an obligation to report ethical concerns.
Mission-driven commitment: every action must advance the work of deconstructing systemic inequities.
Equity, diversity and inclusion, including a commitment to partnering with diverse vendors.
Transparency and public trust: accurate records, honest communication with donors and the public.

Source Code of Ethics & Conduct Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Conflict of Interest adopted

Ensures that decisions and activities are made with integrity and free from conflicts that could harm the Organization or compromise its mission to dismantle colonial legacies and promote justice, inclusivity, and sustainability.

What it commits us to

Disclosure of any financial, professional, or personal interest that could conflict with the Organization's activities.
Recusal from decision-making where a conflict exists.

Source Conflict of Interest Policy V2 Adopted document · full text available on request

Whistleblower Protection adopted

Encourages and protects directors, officers, employees, contractors, volunteers, and other stakeholders who raise concerns about the Organization's conduct. Protection is the point: reporting a concern in good faith must never cost the person who reports it.

What it commits us to

Good-faith reports are protected from retaliation.
Reporting channels exist that do not require going through the person concerned.

Source Whistleblower Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Document Retention & Destruction adopted

Maintains compliance with IRS 501(c)(3) regulations, Delaware General Corporation Law, and federal and state recordkeeping law, with a defined retention schedule covering governance, financial, fundraising, programmatic, and digital-asset records.

What it commits us to

A written retention schedule per record class, not case-by-case judgment.
Secure destruction procedures, with specific provisions for digital assets.

Source Document Retention and Destruction Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Money & stewardship

Where funds come from, how they are controlled, and the rules that keep the reinvestment promise enforceable.

Financial Management & Internal Controls adopted

Establishes a transparent, accountable, and sustainable financial framework, ensuring all financial activity aligns with the mission, IRS 501(c)(3) requirements, Delaware nonprofit law, and ethical best practice.

What it commits us to

Segregation of duties and defined financial authorization limits.
Fraud prevention paired with whistleblower protection.
An annual budget process with ongoing financial reporting and monitoring.

Source Financial Management & Internal Controls Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Fundraising & Grant Compliance adopted

Governs ethical, transparent, and mission-aligned fundraising, including the Organization's stated commitment to equity and decolonization as a condition on the funds it will pursue and accept.

What it commits us to

Restricted and unrestricted funds are tracked separately.
Earmarked proceeds are honored as designated.
Fundraising practice is bound to the Organization's equity and decolonization commitments.

Source Fundraising & Grant Compliance Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Gift Acceptance adopted

Sets guidelines for the receipt, evaluation, and stewardship of charitable contributions, so that accepting a gift is a decision the Organization makes rather than a default.

What it commits us to

Gifts are evaluated against mission alignment before acceptance.
The Organization reserves the right to decline a contribution.

Source Gift Acceptance Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Investment Policy Statement & Governance adopted

Establishes the framework for managing investment assets, ensuring prudent investment practice in compliance with applicable law and with the Organization's social responsibility guidelines.

What it commits us to

Funds are invested ethically and in alignment with social responsibility guidelines.
Cryptocurrency and NFT-related financial activity is governed by the Digital Asset policy.

Source Investment Policy Statement & Governance (IPSG) Adopted document · full text available on request

Procurement & Vendor Selection adopted

Governs the acquisition of goods and services, ensuring ethical, cost-effective, and mission-aligned procurement — with vendor selection criteria that are published rather than discretionary.

What it commits us to

Transparent vendor selection criteria and competitive bidding requirements.
Sustainable and socially responsible purchasing as a named procurement category.
Defined handling for grant-funded purchases and emergency exceptions.

Source Procurement & Vendor Selection Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Tax-Exempt Purchases adopted

Ensures purchases qualify for sales tax exemption in line with the Organization's charitable, educational, and artistic mission, while maintaining accurate records and complying with federal and state-specific regulation.

What it commits us to

Exemption is claimed only where the purchase genuinely serves the exempt purpose.
Records are maintained to evidence each exempt purchase.

Source Policy on Tax-Exempt Purchases Adopted document · full text available on request

Insurance & Liability adopted

Protects the Organization from financial, operational, and legal risk through appropriate insurance coverage and risk management practice — including for public installations and community programming.

What it commits us to

Coverage is matched to actual programmatic risk, including public art and site work.

Source Insurance and Liability Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Practice & community

The rules governing the actual work: public art, land, partnership, and digital assets.

Public Art & Exhibitions adopted

Sets ethical, mission-aligned procedures for commissioning, curating, and managing public art and exhibitions — including an explicit section on ethical curation and decolonization principles.

What it commits us to

Curatorial decisions prioritize historically underrepresented artists and challenge extractive exhibition practices.
Indigenous, Black, and other marginalized cultural narratives must be told by artists and curators from those communities.
Historical artifacts and archival materials must be contextualized with consent from originating communities.
Conservation, maintenance, deinstallation, and legacy planning are decided before installation, not after.

Source Public Art and Exhibitions Guidelines and Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Community Engagement & Partnership adopted

Governs collaboration with local organizations, schools, community groups, and government agencies, including urban ecology and community garden partnerships and the terms on which public art partnerships are formed.

What it commits us to

Partnerships must align with the Organization's commitment to decolonization and sustainability.
Decision-making is decolonized and community-led, not community-consulted.
Projects must reflect anti-displacement principles.
Annual partnership review and public transparency reporting.

Source Community Engagement and Partnership Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Environmental & Sustainability adopted

Integrates sustainable design, green construction, and urban ecology into all projects, partnerships, and operations, covering ethical land stewardship, community gardens and food systems, green purchasing, and climate resilience.

What it commits us to

All projects align with sustainable, regenerative, and decolonized environmental practices.
A zero-waste commitment paired with sustainable procurement guidelines.
Climate resilience and disaster preparedness are planned for, and audited annually.

Source Environmental & Sustainability Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Digital Assets (NFTs) adopted

Governs the creation, management, and use of NFTs and other digital assets as a means of fundraising, awareness-building, and audience engagement — structured so that a digital asset program cannot drift away from charitable purpose.

What it commits us to

Energy-efficient blockchains only.
Third-party smart-contract audit before deployment.
Structured to avoid securities classification and to satisfy 501(c)(3) obligations.
Revenue follows the fixed allocation; no profit is distributed.

Source Policy on the Creation and Management of Digital Assets (NFTs) Adopted document · full text available on request

People, data & communications

Employment, access, privacy, and how the Organization speaks in public.

Equal Employment Opportunity adopted

Commits the Organization to a workplace reflecting the diversity of the communities it serves, and to actively dismantling the systems of oppression that perpetuate inequity — in alignment with its mission of dismantling colonial legacies.

What it commits us to

Hiring, promotion, and partnership without discrimination.
Roles designed to widen access rather than gatekeep it.

Source Equal Employment Opportunity Document Adopted document · full text available on request

Affirmative Action Plan adopted

Adopted to ensure equal employment opportunity and prevent discrimination on the basis of race, gender, disability, age, and other protected characteristics — framed by the Organization explicitly as dismantling colonial legacies in design and in the workplace.

What it commits us to

Equal opportunity is pursued as an active plan, not a passive statement of intent.

Source Affirmative Action Plan Adopted document · full text available on request

Employee & Volunteer Handbook adopted

The working document for everyone inside the Organization — employees and volunteers alike — covering mission and values, employment classification, volunteer rights and responsibilities, remote work, and professional development.

What it commits us to

Volunteers are given stated rights, not only responsibilities.

Source Employee and Volunteer Handbook Adopted document · full text available on request

Remote Work & Technology Use adopted

Supports a flexible, secure, and productive working environment, covering approved devices and software, data protection, digital asset compliance, technology stipends, and remote work abroad.

What it commits us to

Technology stipends and IT support are provided rather than assumed.
Digital asset and NFT activity carries specific compliance requirements.

Source Remote Work and Technology Use Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Data Privacy & Confidentiality adopted

Governs how confidential donor, staff, and community data is collected, stored, managed, and protected, including consent, access authorization, encryption, retention, disposal, and breach response.

What it commits us to

Data collection requires consent; access requires authorization.
Defined retention periods and secure disposal, not indefinite storage.
An incident response plan exists before an incident occurs.
Third-party vendors are held to the same compliance standard.

Source Data Privacy and Confidentiality Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Social Media & Public Relations adopted

Governs engagement with the public, press, and online communities, covering organizational representation, moderation, crisis communication, and brand and digital asset management.

What it commits us to

Mission-driven storytelling that amplifies marginalized voices.
Accurate, ethical, and decolonized narratives in public discourse.
Engagement policies designed to prevent harm.
No unauthorized political lobbying or endorsement on the Organization's behalf.

Source Social Media and Public Relations Policy Adopted document · full text available on request

Why these are public

A policy that only exists internally is a promise to ourselves. A policy published is a promise anyone can hold us to.

Full policy documents are available on request. If something here does not match what you have experienced of this organization, that gap is worth telling us about — the Whistleblower Policy exists precisely so that raising it costs you nothing.

Request a policy document The methodology these govern