Scroll to top

Org Independence

Overview

The Policy on Organizational Independence of of The Alvan Ikoku Philanthropies, a division of The Alvan Ikoku Group LLC (the “Organizational Independence Policy”) is a primary means by which The Ikoku Philanthropies holds and maintains its independence as essential to its founding, formation, mission, and purposes, to its administration, governance, management, and operation, to its personnel, properties, and rights, as well as to their protections.

Therefore, persons engaged in any activity involving, referring to, relating to, or otherwise pertaining to The Ikoku Philanthropies are expected to uphold the principles delineated below.

I — Your Independence Agreements

— first, with respect to the Agreement you enter into with The Ikoku Philanthropies via the Organizational Independence Policy, the Codes and Polices, and The Ikoku Philanthropies User Agreement and Code of Conduct, you understand and adhere to the following:

i. Your Agreement
that you understand the Codes and Policies, including the Organizational Independence Policy, to be an integral part of The Ikoku Philanthropies User Agreement and Code of Conduct you enter into with The Ikoku Philanthropies.
ii. Your Consent
that your consent to The Ikoku Philanthropies User Agreement and Code of Conduct includes your legally equivalent consent to the Codes and Polices and to the Organizational Independence Policy.
iii. Your Adherence
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by the Organizational Independence Policy and the Codes and Policies, in their entirety without modification, including as they are amended from time to time by The Ikoku Philanthropies.
iv. Your Duty
that you have read, understood, consented to, and accepted your attendant duty to the Organizational Independence Policy as well as to the Codes and Policies — which is limited to specifically include your legally binding agreement to refrain from and report any breach, diminishment, disruption, impediment, interference, or other violation pertaining to these Policies; as well as any diminishment, impediment, or interference with, in any way, the sole ability, discretion, opportunity, and right of The Ikoku Philanthropies and the sole Founder, Owner and Manager, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku, to determine compliance with the Codes and Policies and to have their decision be final and binding and not subject to challenge or appeal.
vi. Your Accordance with Ethics
that any of your activity subject to the Organizational Independence Policy shall further remain in accordance with the Founding and Governing Code of Ethics.
vii. Your Accordance with Integrity
that any of your activity subject to the Organizational Independence Policy shall further remain in accordance with the Policy on Organizational Integrity.
viii. Your Accordance with Mission
that any of your activity subject to the Organizational Independence Policy shall further remain in accordance with the founding mission and purposes of The Ikoku Philanthropies, without incompatibility, as described and delineated in the Codes and Policies and the Founder’s Operating Agreement.
ix. Your Knowledge
that you are aware that The Ikoku Philanthropies strongly recommends you develop and maintain your knowledge of all the Codes and Policies, and so asks that you read, understand, and regularly visit this section and other communications regarding the Organizational Independence Policy, as well as the Codes and Policies; that you agree that updating this section constitutes legally sufficient notice; and that you therefore acknowledge that The Ikoku Philanthropies takes your continued engagement in any activity involving, referring, relating, or otherwise pertaining to The Ikoku Philanthropies as active indication of your current and updated knowledge, understanding, and legally binding acceptance of and agreement to the Organizational Independence Policy as well as the Codes and Policies, as they are amended from time to time.

II — Your Independence Understandings

— second, with respect to the Organizational Independence Policy, you understand and adhere to the following:

i. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Philanthropies in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy.
ii. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence Principles
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Philanthropies in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy, to be fulfilled and respected and not infringed or violated, in any way, by you.
iii. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence Rights
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Philanthropies in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy, to be fulfilled and respected and not infringed or violated, in any way, by you.
iv. Your Understanding of Organizational Independence Protections
that you have read, understood, consented to, and agreed to be legally bound by and abide by understandings of organizational independence as they are defined and provided for in applicable law and regulation, and by The Ikoku Philanthropies in the Codes and Polices, including as delineated in this Policy, to be fulfilled and respected and not breached or violated, in any way, by you.

III — Your Independence Commitments

— third, given the aforementioned, your commitment to this understanding of organizational independence of its principles, of its rights, and of its protections shall entail the following:

i. Basis for Your Activities
its basis for any activity you engage in with respect to The Ikoku Philanthropies — including the divisions, series, subsidiaries, and affiliates, as well as the Products and Services — and that any such activities you engage in shall be free of any incompatibility with, inconsistency with, or violation of the Organizational Independence Policy or any applicable law or regulation.
ii. Commitment to Organizational Independence
that this commitment include but not be limited to upholding for every person at The Ikoku Philanthropies the most humane, protective, respectful, robust and strictest interpretations of organizational independence, including as such organizational independence is provided for in the Organizational Independence Policy, in the Codes and Policies, and in applicable law and regulation.
iii. Commitment to Organizational Independence Principles, Rights and Protections
that this commitment include but not be limited to upholding for every person at The Ikoku Philanthropies the most humane, protective, respectful, robust and strictest interpretations of organizational independence principles, rights, and protections, including as such principles, rights, and protections are provided for in the Organizational Independence Policy, in the Codes and Policies, and in applicable law and regulation.
iv. Commitment to Respectful and Protective Practices
that you respectfully assist solely via Your Duty as described in the Organizational Independence Policy and in no way interfere with or impede the reasonable efforts taken by The Ikoku Philanthropies to translate the above commitments into practices for developing and maintaining protections pertaining to organizational independence; for determining compliance with those protections; and for fulfilling, respecting, and safeguarding persons, properties, and interests relating to organizational independence of its principles, of its rights, and of its protections, including but not limited to those delineated in the Organizational Independence Policy and the Codes and Policies.
v. Commitment to Protections Following and Ahead of the Law
that you also respectfully assist solely via Your Duty as described in the Organizational Independence Policy and in no way interfere with or impede the reasonable efforts taken by The Ikoku Philanthropies to obtain, keep current and comply with required organizational independence law and regulation, as they pertain to applicable local, state, national and international jurisdictions, including to adopt a coupled approach to legal and substantive protections for organizational independence derived, in part, from the provision of rights and protections via advances in law and regulation, but also often beyond what the law provides for and protects.

Further Considerations

Further Agreement

 and furthermore, by engaging in any activity involving, referring to, relating to, or otherwise pertaining to The Ikoku Philanthropies, any activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent of The Ikoku Philanthropies, any activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent of the divisions, series, subsidiaries, or affiliates, as well as any activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent of the Products or Services, you accept and agree to the conditions, principles, protections, requirements, standards, statements, and terms described in this section and in the Codes and Policies, regarding the Acceptable Use Policy of The Ikoku Philanthropies, in their entirety without modification, including as amended and updated from time to time by The Ikoku Philanthropies, and you further accept and agree to fully inform The Ikoku Philanthropies in writing of any knowledge you have regarding any activity subject to this Policy.

Read Further Below

White Cross in Red Square and White Heart in Red Square Next to Each Other on White Background
Signs of Care, January 2020 (Claudio Schwarz)

Details of the Policy

Provision

Along with the above principles, the Policy on Organizational Independence requires your adherence to correlative principles delineated below.

A — On Independence

Of Administration

— that the independent administration of The Ikoku Philanthropies and the rights attendant to such independence — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent executive administration, control, governance, management, regulation, and supervision of The Ikoku Philanthropies exclusively and only by the sole Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Operation

— that the independent operation of The Ikoku Philanthropies and the rights attendant to such independence — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent executive development, evaluation, operation, provision, and review of The Ikoku Philanthropies exclusively and only by the sole Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Ownership

— that the independent ownership of The Ikoku Philanthropies and the rights attendant to such independence — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent interests-, share-, stake- and stock-holding and ownership of The Ikoku Philanthropies exclusively and only by the sole Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Government

— that the independence of The Ikoku Philanthropies from governments and the rights attendant to such independence and nongovernmental status — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Philanthropies from government and state activities, bodies, entities, offices, persons, processes, or equivalent and their agents and properties — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Politics

— that the independence of The Ikoku Philanthropies from politics and the rights attendant to such independence and nonpolitical status — including the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Philanthropies from political activities, bodies, entities, offices, persons, processes, or equivalent and their agents — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Public

— that the independence of The Ikoku Philanthropies from public control and the rights attendant to such independence and private status — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Philanthropies from collective, common, communal and public administration, control, decision-making, management, ownership, supervision, or equivalent — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Religion

— that the independence of The Ikoku Philanthropies from organized religions and the rights attendant to such independence and nonreligious status — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the independent distinction and separation of The Ikoku Philanthropies from organized religious administration, control, decision-making, management, ownership, supervision, or equivalent — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

From Surveillance

— that the independence of The Ikoku Philanthropies from surveillance or equivalent and the rights attendant to such independence — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the defense, distinction and separation of The Ikoku Philanthropies from monitoring, reviewing, surveilling, tracking, or other oversight or transparency by activities, bodies, entities, offices, persons, processes, or equivalent that are not the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku, or those explicitly appointed and employed by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder to conduct such work — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

B — On Liberties

Of Activity

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to conduct lawful activities and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to conduct such lawful activities defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Philanthropies, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those activities that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Affiliation

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to enter into lawful affiliations and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to enter into such lawful affiliations defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Philanthropies, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those affiliations, partnerships, sponsorships, third-party arrangements, or equivalent that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Association

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to form lawful associations and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to form such lawful associations defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Philanthropies, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those associations that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Autonomy

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to be and remain autonomous and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to operate autonomously and self-govern as independently determined and administered by the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Confidentiality

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to attain and maintain confidentiality and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to operate confidentially and have any of its activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent be and remain confidential, as independently determined and administered only by the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Exchange

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to engage in lawful exchange and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to engage in such lawful exchange defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Philanthropies, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those exchanges that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Inquiry

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to engage in lawful inquiry and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to engage in such lawful inquiry defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Philanthropies, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those inquiries that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Privacy

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to attain and maintain privacy and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to operate privately and have any of its activities, affairs, areas, assets, offices, parts, properties, sections, or equivalent be and remain private, as independently determined and administered only by the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Property

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to acquire and have property and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to engage in lawful activities with respect to its own property as independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Spiritual Faith

— that the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to abide by spiritual faith commitments and the rights attendant to such liberties — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to the liberties of The Ikoku Philanthropies to be based in such spiritual faith defined and delineated in the founding, formation and governance documents of The Ikoku Philanthropies, its mission and purposes, the Codes and Polices, and further limited to those spiritual faith commitments that are independently, explicitly and specifically authorized only by express written instrument signed and sealed of the Founder, Alvan Azinna Chibuzo Ikoku — be actively attained, maintained, protected, and secured, be fully enjoyed and fulfilled, and be neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated.

Of Thought

— that the basic, fundamental and natural rights of persons to liberties of mind and thought as well as their confidentiality and privacy — including that providing for, securing, and otherwise pertaining to freedoms, liberties, and rights of activities and functions of the mind, such as cognition, conscience, creativity, decision, deliberation, emotion, ideation, imagination, intellect, perception, physiology, reason, soul, spirit, thought, and will — and those liberties and rights that preclude and prohibit having the activities and functions of any individual’s mind subject to any access, imposition, intrusion, monitoring, or other activity engaged by another person, by communities, professions, publics, or states — that such liberties and rights be absolute as well as actively attained, maintained, protected, secured and neither diminished, interfered with, nor violated, and so, continually fulfilled and fully enjoyed by all persons.

Signs of Concern, Geneva, Switzerland, April 2021 (Khyta)
Signs of Concern, Geneva, Switzerland, April 2021 (Khyta)
Signs of Life, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, September 2017 (Dominik Lange)
Signs of Life, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, September 2017 (Dominik Lange)
Signs of Growth, Russia, June 2016 (Vladimir Malyutin)
Signs of Growth, Russia, June 2016 (Vladimir Malyutin)

Associated Policies

Provision

As stated earlier, The Ikoku Philanthropies User Agreement and Code of Conduct consist of several Codes and Policies that collectively govern all of your activity with, within, for or pertaining to The Ikoku Philanthropies (as well as its series, subsidiaries, and affiliates). By continuing, you indicate that you understand that the Codes and Policies include — but are not limited to — the Founding and Mission Statement, the Founding and Governing Code of Ethics, the Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality, the Terms and Conditions of Use and Service, and the Acceptable Uses Policy along with all Associated Codes and Policies. We provide access to all of the described below.

Founding and Mission

Statement on Founding and Mission of The Ikoku Philanthropies (HTML)

Founding Code of Ethics

Founding Code of Ethics (HTML)

Privacy and Confidentiality

Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality (HTML)

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions of Use and Service (HTML)

The Acceptable Uses Policy

Acceptable Use Policy (HTML)

All Policies

All Policies (HTML)

Signs of Love, London, UK, July 2021 (Luca Nicoletti)
In Stencil, October 2019 (Nicola Fioravanti)
In Stencil, October 2019 (Nicola Fioravanti)
In Snow, February 2019 (Ed Robertson)
In Snow, February 2019 (Ed Robertson)
In Sand, January 2020 (Pawel Czerwinski)
In Sand, January 2020 (Pawel Czerwinski)

Also at the Division

The Ikoku Philanthropies and its parent company, The Ikoku Group, are dedicated to developing, providing and safekeeping ideas and solutions — with the mission to foster care and creativity, culture and communities, ethics and innovation in lives and societies. And so in accordance with the above, The Ikoku Group and Ikoku Philanthropies provide the following:

I.

A Company of and about Ethics

A company and division whose ethics and policies are carefully crafted, then adhered to by a range of individuals and entities working in varied relation to The Ikoku Group and The Ikoku Philanthropies to establish, develop and operate a private company dedicated to fostering care and creativity, ethics and innovation.

II.

Built with Integrity and Respect in Mind

A company and division who take as their basis the most robust conceptions of humanity, integrity and respect as well as independence and fundamental freedoms, liberties and rights — up to and beyond what the law protects and provides for — as they carry out and embody their founding and core mission and purposes.

III.

Areas of Focus Chosen for Mission and Work

And a company and division whose areas of focus have been expressly chosen to ensure attention to issues of enduring concern to the Founder — and so committed to providing products, services, sites and spaces that remain safe, secure and respectful places to do work, to teach and learn, to form, inform and, where needed, transform local and global communities.

More About Us

The Ikoku Philanthropies