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This Policy on Corporate Relationships sets out the standards by which the ľ¹ÏÖ±²¥ (the “Association”) evaluates and approves corporate relationships at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The Association’s mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. The Association works with many different organizations that share the Association’s goal to see a world free of cardiovascular diseases, ; including other not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, corporate foundations and government-related entities. While these relationships are essential to the Association reaching its goals for improving health, the Association must exercise care not to endorse or appear to endorse a commercial product, process, service or enterprise.

A “Corporate Relationship” is a relationship between the Association and one or more organizations in which the Association’s name, trademark or other intellectual property is associated with a third-party product, brand, process, service or enterprise.

There are various types of Corporate Relationships including (but not limited to) sponsorships, promotions, strategic relationships, consumer product purchases, licensing, and certifications, which are defined in the Procedures for Corporate Relationships.

All Corporate Relationships are intended to advance the Association’s mission by providing meaningful benefits to the public, and to be conducted in a manner that enhances the Association’s reputation and the integrity and credibility of the Association’s name and logos. To that end, the Association will evaluate a Corporate Relationship in the context of whether it aligns with the Association’s Guiding Values, public policy and science positions, health goals, and other Association criteria. The Association will exercise independent judgment in all decision-making related to any Corporate Relationship.

1. Guiding Values: The Association’s Guiding Values are our fundamental principles and provide the lens through which the Association evaluates its programs and activities, including its relationships with other organizations.
    
2. Health-Related Corporate Relationship: A “health-related Corporate Relationship” is one that involves a product, service or process that has health impact (positive or negative) or a company that claims its products or services have benefits, and includes but are not limited to:
   1. Liquor, beer and wine;
   2. Candy (including chocolate);
   3. Sugar-sweetened beverages;
   4. Food companies and food brands and products;
   5. Restaurants and restaurant meals;
   6. Pharmaceutical drugs, over the counter drugs, and other non-prescription substances (supplements, vitamins, marijuana, etc.);
   7. Medical devices;
   8. Health-related technology products or services; and
   9. Health plans, hospitals and healthcare providers.
3. ľ¹ÏÖ±²¥’s Public Policy Positions, Science Positions and Health Goals: The Association will evaluate for alignment with the Association’s Guiding Values, public policy positions, science positions and health goals for any Corporate Relationship that: 1) involves health-related companies, brands, products, services and processes; 2) has a health impact; or 3) claims a health benefit. All proposed health-related Corporate Relationships at the local, regional, national, or international level will:
   1. Be positioned and marketed in a manner that is consistent with the Association’s public policy positions, science positions or other health criteria;
   2. Be reviewed and approved in accordance with the Procedures for Corporate Relationships, and by the Association Legal Department.
4. Tobacco, Cannabis and Nicotine: The Association will not have relationships with tobacco, cannabis or synthetic nicotine product manufacturers or growers or their corporate subsidiaries, parent entities or foundations (“subsidiary” and “parent” are defined as an entity in which there exists a direct or indirect ownership of 5% or more in, or control by or of, a tobacco, cannabis or synthetic nicotine manufacturer or grower). This does not restrict support from individual employees of these prohibited entities.
    
5. ľ¹ÏÖ±²¥ Criteria: Corporate Relationships must not materially detract from the Association’s reputation for evidence-based science, objectivity, independence, integrity, credibility, social responsibility and accountability or otherwise be inconsistent with the mission and values of the Association. All Corporate Relationships will comply with applicable laws and the Association policies and procedures. All Corporate Relationships and any use of the Association name or service marks or other Association intellectual property in any relationship with the Association will be documented in a contract approved by the Association’s Legal Department.
    
6. Disclosure: The Association must always have the right to publicly disclose the nature of a Corporate Relationship, including the amount of the financial contribution to the Association. Other commercial or competitive information which is customarily subject to non-disclosure restrictions may be treated as confidential when subject to reasonable non-disclosure agreements.
    
7. Non-Endorsement: Caution must always be exercised in developing relations with or accepting monies from business interests under circumstances that might imply endorsement of commercial products or services. The Association shall not enter into any agreement or take any action that may imply support or endorsement of a specific commercial product, process, service or organization. The Association will implement operational controls to ensure that Corporate Relationships do not create a risk of influence on public policy positions or science positions, although industry comments and research on commercial markets may be considered as appropriate in developing those positions when approved by Legal.
   
   

   The Association’s Board of Directors, upon recommendation of an appropriate committee or Council may make an exception to permit a qualified Association certification program for products, services, individuals, and/or organizations; and, in exceptional circumstances, authorize use of the Association’s brand on a third-party commercial product when the Board determines that this action is in the interest of the public and compatible with the mission of the Association.

8. Procedures for Corporate Relationships: The Chief Executive Officer shall oversee the development of Procedures for Corporate Relationships to set forth the requirements for internal review of proposed Corporate Relationships and specify which types of local, regional, national and international Corporate Relationships require review. All health-related Corporate Relationships require review as specified in the Procedures, as well as any other Corporate Relationship types listed in the Procedures for Corporate Relationships.
   
   The Procedures for Corporate Relationships shall set out the following:
   1. the types of Corporate Relationships;
   2. the review process, including due diligence review, risk/benefit analysis and compliance with policy;
   3. the approval process, including a definition of companies, brands and/or Corporate Relationships that are pre-approved and those that require CEO, senior management or national volunteer committee review; and
   4. specific requirements for third party use of the Association’s names and logos.