Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. Donor Disclosure Policy – Q & A
April 16, 2015
Q: Why is CHAI’s policy different from the Clinton Foundation’s policy?
CHAI is an independent 501c3 charitable organization, separate from the Clinton Foundation. CHAI operates in over 30 countries and has nearly 1,500 employees, over 80 percent of whom are stationed in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Ukraine, and the Caribbean. As such, a separate policy that is unique to CHAI is necessary.
Q: Did President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton review and approve these new guidelines?
The CHAI Board of Directors, including President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, reviewed and approved these new guidelines.
Q: Will this be the practice going forward or just while Secretary Clinton runs for President?
CHAI recognizes and values the importance of complete transparency. We will continue the donor disclosure practices moving forward.
Q: Why not ban foreign government money altogether?
Foreign governments are among the largest funders of global health programs. Accordingly, a large percentage of CHAI funding comes from foreign government grants for specific projects where the governments and CHAI share common goals, for example to lower prices for medicine and vaccines or improve systems to deliver AIDS care and treatment, deliver vaccines effectively or prevent maternal and newborn mortality. Governments fund CHAI because they believe that CHAI is the best equipped to successfully carry out programs in order to achieve these goals.
Q: Doesn’t this policy allow you to take money from anyone?
Foreign governments that CHAI has an existing and current relationship with and that CHAI is working with will continue to fund CHAI under this policy. There will be a review process for any new foreign government donors. All funds and their sources will be publically disclosed.
Q: What countries are included in the “country government in which CHAI is or already has plans to work and the funds would directly support work in the same country?”
A list of CHAI donors and all countries where CHAI is currently working can be found on the CHAI website.
Q: Why these countries?
Governments fund CHAI for different projects where their goals and CHAI goals and capabilities overlap. The countries listed on our website represent countries where CHAI works.
Q: What are the criteria against which these contributions will be reviewed?
Foreign governments that do not have a funding history with CHAI will be required to go through a review and approval process before contractual agreements can be signed. The review process will assess whether:
• The government has an aid program whose goals are consistent with those of CHAI and whether the particular grant in question meets these goals;
• The grant is being given solely for the purpose of carrying out these shared goals with no other ulterior motives;
• The work and its results can be effectively measured;
• And the government is one in general that shares the values that CHAI represents.
If approved, the foreign government donor will be publically disclosed within seven days of the approval of the contribution and funds will be disclosed in the next quarterly release.
Q: Will CHAI post the contracts/agreements with the foreign governments it is receiving money from?
CHAI will disclose a list of donors on a quarterly basis, publishing new contributors beginning in July 2015, and then each quarter thereafter. Specific proposals and agreements are often quite substantial documents because they require very specific goals, work plans and demonstrations of capability. US government contracts with its aid delivery partners are typically not made public. Many foreign governments do allow contracts and agreements to be made public. Where it is allowed, CHAI will make available specific contract agreements with foreign governments on request.
Q: Are funds received contributions or contractual agreements?
Over 95 percent of funds received by CHAI today are from contractual grant agreements for specific programmatic goals. Grant agreements contain highly detailed documentation and are often times subject to detailed external evaluations.
