Governance
GOED is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade association committed to transparency and proper governance.
Bylaws
Our organization is governed by our bylaws, which set forth the responsibilities and commitments of our board and committee members, as well as the rights of our members.
Code of Ethics and Business Practices
GOED members commit to following GOED's Code of Ethics and Business Practices, as well as the standards in the GOED Voluntary Monograph, as a condition of membership in our organization. We have a defined process for investigating ethics and Monograph violations by our members. Any member of the public may make an allegation against our members to our board, which will form a special task force to investigate the issue and determine any sanctions, if necessary.
- GOED Ethics Guidelines (updated January 2017)
- GOED Ethics Investigation Process
Rules & Compliance
All GOED members sign an affidavit when joining the membership agreeing to comply with our Code of Ethics and the GOED Voluntary Monograph.
GOED has two compliance programs, a randomized testing program and a claims enforcement program. Any company or individual may make an allegation to GOED that one of our members is not adhering to the Code of Ethics or is marketing products that are not compliant with the GOED Voluntary Monograph and we will initiate the investigation process for allegations of non-compliance as defined by GOED's board and legal counsel. To submit a complaint, please email Ellen Schutt, Executive Director. Complaints can be made anonymously.