Understanding and identifying conflicts of interest extend beyond just monetary or financial benefits.
Conflicts can also arise from situations of undue influence, where individuals or entities might gain non-financial advantages that could affect their decisions or actions inappropriately. For instance, it is considered a conflict of interest for a public interest organization to select members for its oversight committee, as this could compromise the committee’s ability to function independently and impartially.
I would argue that AADAO is similar to a public, grant making organization bc it was established with an endowment derived from what can be characterized as “public resources.”
This being the case, all the more important to ensure that your selection processes for oversight do not lead to biases that influence the oversight committee’s judgments and decisions, thereby undermining the governance and accountability mechanisms the committee is meant to uphold.
Adopting a broader view of conflicts of interest beyond the financial, is necessary to ensure integrity and fairness within organization ops. Many daos tend to forget this. But we can do better.