Drafting a document that establishes indications and methods in relations with sponsors can be useful and necessary to maintain the autonomy of the association and transparency in its initiatives. There are several examples of this type at international and national level (for example, EPHA, ECPC, EUROPOADONNA Europe, Alzheimer Italia, etc.): from some of these documents the following suggestions have been derived.
• Conditions for the approval of funds or financing: an association should maintain complete control of the initiatives or projects that have received financial support from a sponsor, who must not intervene in any way in the contents or method of the project. An association should not accept funds from sponsors whose philosophy of work is considered unacceptable by the association, or which could damage its reputation.
• No privileged relationship with individual sponsors: an association should not have exclusive relationships with a particular sponsor for raising funds, in order to guarantee its autonomy.
• An association should not enter into contracts with sponsors that undermine or conflict with the status of a non-profit organization.
• An association should not promote or advertise the sponsor's products (eg a drug); on the other hand a sponsor should in no case declare funds given to the association as promotion of a product or of the sponsor itself.
• A sponsorship does not entitle the sponsor to determine the contents of publications or information materials produced by an association.
• An association should only disclose information written by persons independent of the pharmaceutical industry or sponsors, and equally independently should decide speakers and programs of conferences and congresses
• Association members should declare their conflicts of interest.
• An association name and logo should never be used by a sponsor in any promotional or promotional material produced by the sponsor. An association should approve the content of any material – leaflets, brochures, posters – in which it is mentioned.
• Conditions for the approval of funds or financing: an association should maintain complete control of the initiatives or projects that have received financial support from a sponsor, who must not intervene in any way in the contents or method of the project. An association should not accept funds from sponsors whose philosophy of work is considered unacceptable by the association, or which could damage its reputation.
• No privileged relationship with individual sponsors: an association should not have exclusive relationships with a particular sponsor for raising funds, in order to guarantee its autonomy.
• An association should not enter into contracts with sponsors that undermine or conflict with the status of a non-profit organization.
• An association should not promote or advertise the sponsor's products (eg a drug); on the other hand a sponsor should in no case declare funds given to the association as promotion of a product or of the sponsor itself.
• A sponsorship does not entitle the sponsor to determine the contents of publications or information materials produced by an association.
• An association should only disclose information written by persons independent of the pharmaceutical industry or sponsors, and equally independently should decide speakers and programs of conferences and congresses
• Association members should declare their conflicts of interest.
• An association name and logo should never be used by a sponsor in any promotional or promotional material produced by the sponsor. An association should approve the content of any material – leaflets, brochures, posters – in which it is mentioned.
• In the case of federations: individual association sponsorships should be evaluated and approved by the federation and information on members/individual associations/donors should not be made available to others.
Paola Mosconi, Cinzia Colombo
from www.partecipasalute.it
Paola Mosconi, Cinzia Colombo
from www.partecipasalute.it
