Trust, integrity,
and governance.
Fourteen ratified internal policies form the institutional backbone of how RFLD operates. They define what we owe to our staff, our member organisations, our partners, and the women whose lives our work serves.
Our governance, by category.
RFLD's institutional policies are organised into four categories: governance and ethics, safeguarding and inclusion, financial integrity, and operations and compliance. Each policy is ratified by RFLD's leadership and available to partners and donors on request.
The founding instrument defining RFLD's mission, vision, strategic objectives, and governance structure. Operating through four regional offices — Porto-Novo, Accra (Africa Office), Dakar (Francophone Hub), and Banjul (AU Liaison Hub).
Establishes the moral principles and behavioural standards for all RFLD associates. Built around seven values: integrity, transparency, respect, equity, accountability, solidarity, and professionalism.
Operational standards of professional behaviour, including a strict prohibition on sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEA/PSEAH), anti-fraud rules, and whistleblower protection.
Protects children under 18 from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation in all RFLD programmes. Covers staff conduct, parental consent for media, training requirements, and disciplinary consequences for violation.
Guarantees a safe, respectful work environment with zero tolerance for harassment, discrimination, and abuse. Defines prohibited conduct (verbal, physical, digital, sexual), protections for vulnerable adults, and impartial investigation procedures.
The strategic framework for integrating gender equality across RFLD's operations and programmes. Aligned with CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol. Sets goals on equal opportunity, equal pay, and the systematic use of sex-disaggregated data.
An intersectional framework grounded in feminist practice, addressing language justice, disability inclusion, LGBTQI+ safety, generational inclusion, class equity, religious pluralism, and migration status. Includes annual public reporting commitments.
Zero-tolerance framework for fraudulent conduct. Establishes preventive controls including risk assessments, dual signatures on high-value transfers, competitive bidding for procurement, and a clear sanctions regime.
Applies to staff, board members, partners, and suppliers. Strictly prohibits bribery, facilitation payments, kickbacks, and embezzlement. Requires segregation of duties and multi-level authorisations.
Systematic framework for distributing shared operational costs across programmes. Built on principles that costs must be reasonable, allocable, consistent, and authorised. Prohibits cost-shifting between projects.
The governance framework for managing RFLD's operations and regranting to grassroots organisations in our network. Covers the annual budget cycle, asset management, payroll, and the grant lifecycle. Serves as primary reference for external auditors and donors.
Normative framework for institutional and project audits, aligned with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and donor requirements. Details internal audit procedures, sub-recipient audit thresholds, and an anomaly classification system.
Standardised directives ensuring value-for-money in RFLD's purchasing. Establishes purchasing categories based on financial thresholds — from simplified processes for low-value items to formal tenders for major procurement. Mandates a seven-year record retention.
The complete HR management framework. Sets professional behaviour standards, confidentiality rules, staff structure, and the merit-based recruitment process. Defines probation periods, annual performance evaluations, and disciplinary procedures.
Standards we are aligned with.
RFLD's internal policies are designed to be interoperable with the standards and frameworks our institutional funders, regulators, and peers use. The list below reflects the standards we currently apply or are accredited to.
- NGOsource 501(c)(3) Equivalency Determination (2026)Direct US giving to RFLD — including via donor-advised funds — without fiscal sponsorship.
- African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights — Observer StatusAccredited engagement at the continental human rights body.
- GIZ / BMZ SEA-T Cohort — selected after full institutional auditOne of twelve African feminist organisations selected; RFLD holds the 2026 Presidency of the Advisory Council.
- Annual external financial auditAudited annually; 2025 audit complete. 85% of total delivery reaches the field.
- International Standards on Auditing (ISA)Internal audit procedures aligned with ISA framework, applied to both institutional and project audits.
- GDPR and African data protection frameworksAligned with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, the AU Malabo Convention, and the national data protection laws of Benin (Code du Numérique), Ghana (Act 843), and Senegal (Loi 2008-12).
- Maputo Protocol and CEDAWRFLD's gender policy and programmatic work explicitly reference the African and UN frameworks on women's rights.
Policies that extend to our network.
RFLD's policies do not stop at our offices. They extend through the WAFF Fund regranting relationship and through formal partnerships with the 670+ member organisations in our network.
Mandatory adherence for sub-grantees
All organisations receiving funds through the WAFF Fund or as RFLD sub-grantees commit in writing to the safeguarding, anti-fraud, and code-of-conduct standards in our policies. Adherence is a condition of disbursement, not an aspiration.
Sub-recipient audit framework
Partners receiving substantial annual funding through RFLD are subject to external audit and to RFLD's own compliance review process. Thresholds are set in our Audit Procedures and proportionate to grant size.
Suspension and exclusion
Organisations found responsible for fraud, financial mismanagement, or safeguarding violations are subject to immediate funding suspension, exclusion from future grant cycles, and where required by law, referral to relevant authorities.
Capacity strengthening, not compliance theatre
Our framework includes proactive support to grassroots partners on financial systems, safeguarding policies, and governance — recognising that many member organisations are smaller and earlier-stage than RFLD. We help build to standard, not punish for not yet meeting it.
Training, oversight, and the Ethics Committee.
Policies only work if people know them, training reaches everyone, and oversight is independent of the management chain. RFLD operates the following framework to translate documents into daily practice.
Training & institutionalisation
Active compliance is sustained through structured education, not one-off briefings. RFLD's training framework includes:
- Onboarding briefings — all new staff and interns complete ethics, safeguarding, and data-protection training as part of their first 30 days.
- Annual refreshers — staff and board members reaffirm policy commitments yearly through written acknowledgments.
- Partner capacity strengthening — sub-grantees and member organisations receive technical support to meet RFLD's safeguarding and financial standards.
The Ethics Committee
To guarantee fairness and avoid conflicts of interest, reports submitted to integrity@rflgd.org are reviewed by RFLD's Ethics Committee, which operates independently of the management chain.
The Committee has authority to launch investigations, impose interim measures during inquiries, and make corrective-action recommendations directly to the Board of Directors. Reports involving the Executive Director are routed directly to the Board.
The whistleblower journey.
The four steps below describe how RFLD handles reports of policy breach. The sequence is designed to protect reporters, ensure impartial review, and lead to action where action is warranted.
RFLD strictly prohibits any form of retaliation against individuals who report misconduct in good faith. "Good faith" means you honestly believe the information you are reporting is true, even if a subsequent investigation finds no breach. Retaliation against a good-faith reporter is itself a serious violation of RFLD's Code of Conduct, treated with the same seriousness as the original concern.
Open governance, by default.
As an organisation funded by institutional donors and held accountable to the women in our network, RFLD commits to public transparency about our governance, our finances, and our outcomes.
Common questions.
The following are the questions we are most often asked by donors, partners, and prospective member organisations about RFLD's governance and policies.