Ethics and Values Policy

Purpose and Applicability

The Musella Foundation (“Foundation”) is dedicated to ethical excellence in all actions and decisions. This Ethics and Values Policy (“Policy”) protects the trust placed in us by patients and families, other beneficiaries, donors, and the wider community.

Key Values

• Integrity: We act honestly and in good faith in all activities.
• Patient Centric: We prioritize the needs, voices, and well-being of brain tumor patients, driven by the conviction that helping others is the highest calling.
• Confidentiality: We protect patient information and data to preserve trust and the integrity of our work.
• Agile: As a streamlined, no-frills organization, we take prompt, effective action for the benefit of patients.
• Pioneering: We relentlessly pursue better therapies and treatments through perseverance and innovation.
• Compassionate: We provide clear, accessible resources and empathetic support at every stage of the patient journey.
• Collaborative: We foster teamwork and partnership across patients, families, researchers, and supporters.
• Focused: We stay intentional about our mission by prioritizing what matters most for patients now.

Compliance with Laws and Regulations

• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Follow internal policies and procedures, including financial controls and data safeguarding.

Conflicts of Interest

• Avoid situations where personal interests could conflict with the Foundation’s mission.
• Promptly disclose any potential conflicts to Foundation management.

Handling of Funds, Resources, and Data

• Use funds, resources, and data solely to advance the Foundation’s mission.
• Prohibit misuse, fraud, theft, or destruction of Foundation assets.
• Ensure financial activities are documented, transparent, and auditable.
• Follow sound documentation practices for data accuracy and integrity.
• Adhere to security procedures to protect systems and data from unauthorized access, use, modification, disclosure, or destruction.

Relationships and Conduct

• Treat patients, management and medical advisors, donors, and volunteers with respect and fairness.
• Maintain a safe and comfortable working environment for all members.
• Avoid behavior that could bring the Foundation into disrepute and report concerns promptly to management.
• Decline gifts or hospitality that could improperly influence decisions.

Grants Strategy

Recognizing that brain tumor treatments represent one of the greatest unmet needs in medicine, we continuously seek promising opportunities to advance research. Awards are made consistent with our Key Values and these principles:

• Basis of Award: The litmus test for every action and dollar spent is, “Will it benefit patients?”
• Sense of Urgency: We are impatient to find better therapies and focus on opportunities that directly benefit patients and decrease time to adoption.
• Data Driven: We seek opportunities positioned to produce measurable, verifiable impact. We recognize the responsibility to make wise selections to avoid depriving patients of better options.
• Transparency: We promote openness in decisions, plans, and results to uphold integrity.

Policy Administration

Whistleblowing and Reporting

• Report perceived violations confidentially to appropriate management.
• Whistleblowers are protected from retaliation.
• Reports will be investigated promptly and fairly.

Declaration

Adherence to this Policy is a shared responsibility that extends beyond individual compliance to the collective stewardship of our mission and values. All members are to read, understand, and comply with this Policy, which is continuously accessible online. Members should remain responsive to changes and are encouraged to contribute feedback or suggestions for improvement.

This Policy is a living document and will be reviewed and updated as needed.