The sample policies contained in this Guide are not intended to be lifted wholesale for use as your guiding principles. Rather they are included to illustrate what may be useful in your organization. Every organization will and should have different needs and purposes to express through policy statements. It will be up to each board to dictate which policies will be required for the organization’s unique way of operating. Not all policies and procedures presented here will be warranted, or applicable, or of benefit to your agency. Use this as a menu of available options to kickstart your board’s discussions, and from which you may customize and adapt for your organization.
Policies by their very nature imply choices, defining one action as correct while another is not. Community Literacy of Ontario (CLO) does not necessarily prescribe or endorse the policies contained within this document. However we believe in the importance of the process of developing policies and procedures. Some sample statements provided are real policies, while most are composite expressions of ideas. Where legal implications are involved, this Guide can be no substitute for legal counsel.