Version: 1.0
Status: draft for approval
Adopted by the Executive Board on: [date]
Approved by the Supervisory Board on: [date]
Effective from: [date]
Public name: Civilized World Foundation
Abbreviation: CWF
Mission: Make War Obsolete

1. Core principle

Civilized World Foundation is established to serve one public-benefit mission: Make War Obsolete.

All financial decisions, including compensation and reimbursement, must be consistent with this mission, the foundation’s ANBI status, its public-benefit character, and its responsibility to donors, supporters and society.

The first principle of this remuneration policy is:

No remuneration, compensation or reimbursement will be introduced unless and until Civilized World Foundation has sufficient financial resources to do so responsibly. Until that moment, all work for the foundation is performed pro bono.

This means that, in the start-up and founding phase, members of the Supervisory Board, the Executive Director and other contributors may support the foundation without remuneration.

Any future introduction of compensation will require a formal decision by the Supervisory Board and must always be modest, transparent, proportionate, independently approved and publicly explainable.

2. Distinction between supervision and execution

Civilized World Foundation distinguishes clearly between:

1. Supervisory roles
   This includes members of the Supervisory Board and other non-executive policymakers.
2. Executive roles
   This includes the Founder, Executive Director, executive board members, employees, contractors or other professionals who perform operational, organisational or executive work for the foundation.

This distinction is important. Supervisory roles are not treated in the same way as executive roles.

The Supervisory Board provides independent oversight. The Executive Director and other executive contributors are responsible for building and executing the foundation’s activities within the approved mandate, budget and governance framework.

3. Supervisory Board

Members of the Supervisory Board do not receive a salary for their supervisory duties.

As long as the foundation does not have sufficient financial resources, Supervisory Board members perform their work fully pro bono.

If and when the foundation has sufficient financial resources, the Supervisory Board may decide to introduce:

• reimbursement of reasonable and actually incurred expenses; and/or
• modest attendance fees for preparing and attending formal Supervisory Board meetings.

Any such attendance fees will remain within the limits considered non-excessive under Dutch ANBI guidelines and must be appropriate to the size, phase, financial position and public-benefit character of the foundation.

In the initial professionalisation phase, if introduced at all, Civilized World Foundation expects to apply a sober compensation level, for example:

Member of the Supervisory Board: EUR 200 per formal meeting

Chair of the Supervisory Board: EUR 300 per formal meeting

These amounts are indicative only. They create no entitlement. They may only be introduced after formal approval by the Supervisory Board and only if the financial position of the foundation allows it.

The foundation may decide to keep the Supervisory Board fully unpaid for a longer period if this is more appropriate to the stage of development, financial position or public legitimacy of the foundation.

4. Expense reimbursement

Reasonable and actually incurred expenses may only be reimbursed if:

• the expense is necessary for the work of the foundation;
• the expense is reasonable and proportionate;
• the expense is properly documented;
• the expense is submitted in accordance with the foundation’s internal procedure;
• the financial position of the foundation allows reimbursement.

Examples may include reasonable travel expenses, parking costs, necessary meeting expenses or other costs directly related to the role.

Expense reimbursement is not automatic. It must be transparent, documented and publicly explainable.

1. Executive Director

The Executive Director may, in principle, receive remuneration for actual executive work, but only if and when the foundation has sufficient financial resources.

Until that moment, the work of the Founding Director is performed pro bono.

If remuneration is introduced, it must meet the following conditions:

• the role, responsibilities and deliverables are clearly described in writing;
• the remuneration is approved in advance by the Supervisory Board;
• the Executive Director does not participate in any decision-making about their own remuneration or contract terms;
• the remuneration is reasonable and market-conform;
• the remuneration is modest and appropriate to the phase of the foundation;
• the remuneration is proportionate to the foundation’s financial position;
• the remuneration is publicly explainable;
• the arrangement does not compromise the foundation’s independence, ANBI status or public trust.

The remuneration of the Executive Director must relate only to actual executive work, such as:

• building the foundation;
• preparing and executing the annual plan;
• fundraising;
• platform development;
• stakeholder engagement;
• community-building;
• public communication;
• operational management;
• reporting to the Supervisory Board;
• preparing public accountability.

Remuneration may not be paid for merely holding a title, being the initiator of the foundation, or exercising policy influence.

6. Employees, contractors and professional service providers

Civilized World Foundation may, when financially possible, engage employees, contractors, freelancers, advisors or professional service providers.

Any remuneration or fee must be:

• necessary for the foundation’s mission;
• reasonable in relation to the work performed;
• market-conform;
• agreed in writing;
• approved according to the foundation’s governance procedures;
• consistent with the approved budget;
• publicly explainable where relevant.

The foundation may ask professional partners to support the mission pro bono, at a reduced rate or through deferred billing. Such arrangements must be transparent and may not create hidden influence, dependency or conflicts of interest.

7. No private benefit

Civilized World Foundation does not aim to generate profit.

No founder, executive, director, Supervisory Board member, advisor, donor, employee, contractor or other party may dispose of the foundation’s assets as if they were their own.

Payments may only be made for:

• reasonable and documented expenses;
• modest attendance fees within ANBI limits;
• actual executive work;
• actual professional services;
• activities that are directly or demonstrably connected to the foundation’s mission.

All payments must serve the public-benefit purpose of the foundation.

8. Conflict of interest

No person may participate in deliberation or decision-making about their own remuneration, fee, contract terms or reimbursement.

Potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed in advance.

Transactions involving founders, directors, Supervisory Board members, advisors, related companies, donors or other connected parties require extra scrutiny and must be approved independently.

Such transactions must always be:

• necessary or clearly useful for the foundation;
• market-conform;
• transparent;
• documented in writing;
• consistent with the foundation’s mission and public-benefit character.

9. Review and transparency

This remuneration policy is reviewed periodically by the Supervisory Board.

The foundation publishes its remuneration policy as part of its ANBI transparency and public accountability obligations.

Where required, actual remuneration, attendance fees and relevant expense reimbursements will be reported in the annual report or financial accountability documents.