email: sandiego@burningman.com
2801 B St. Suite 13
San Diego, Ca. 92102
Draft
Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to ensure that SUNDBURN LLC manages data in an efficient and effective manner, maintains historical records related to its financial and administrative operations, and purges documents as part of its normal management process. By establishing a specific timeline for document purging, this shall also ensure compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which prohibits the alteration, falsification or destruction of documents that are part of any official proceeding. If anyone associated with the LLC becomes aware of any investigation, the LLC Program Coordinator shall be notified immediately so that document purging will cease and all relevant documents will be appropriately identified and protected.
Definitions:
a. “Document” refers to any item listed in the table below, in either hard copy, or electronic form.
b. “Administrative” refers to documents pertinent to the day-to-day operations of the LLC.
c. “Historic” refers to documents that are valuable for maintaining knowledge of the history of the LLC, and its work.
d. “Legal” refers to any document that is a contract or agreement between parties that contains financial information relevant to IRS filings, or that must be maintained to comply with laws and regulations.
e. “Recycle/scrap paper” includes disposal by normal recycling methods or reuse as scrap paper for internal reuse.
f. “Shred” means using a shredder machine to properly shred and dispose of documents.
g. “Delete” means to delete an electronic file.
Labeling and Storage: All files, both hard copy and electronic, shall be labeled by topic and year (if applicable). Electronic copies shall be saved ****WHERE****. Hard copies shall be stored ****WHERE****. Archived hard copy files shall be stored in firm, water and animal proof containers, clearly labeled with “SUNDBURN LLC,” topic, and year. If documents of similar type and with the same retention and destruction requirements are stored together, they shall also be labeled with a “destroy after” date so that they do not have to be reviewed additional times.
Review and Purging: Review and purging of files may take place in an ongoing manner, but must occur at least every two years in even numbered years, and must follow the minimum retention requirements stated below. Such review and purging must also occur prior to archival storage of any files.
Document Drafts: Once the final copy of a document has been completed, the drafts may be recycled or deleted, unless they are documents of legal value. For documents determined to be of legal value, drafts containing comments shall be saved for a minimum of two years, and drafts without comment may be destroyed once the final version is complete.
Electronic Document Primacy: The primary document record is electronic, including scans of printed materials. If a document does not need to be printed it is not printed, it is emailed, showing the approval from appropriate people in the email history. The hard and soft copies are stored according to the following Guide.
|
Document Type |
Value |
Minimum Retention Requirement |
Destruction Method |
|
Organizational founding documents (e.g. Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, IRS Letter of Determination) |
Legal, historic |
Permanently |
N/A |
|
Formal meeting notes (e.g. Development Committee, Grant Review Committee) |
Administrative, historic |
Permanently |
N/A |
|
Informal (handwritten) meeting notes (e.g. staff meetings |
Administrative |
2 years, or longer if topics remain relevant |
Shred financial/private, recycle the rest, delete digital copies |
|
Funded grant proposals, reports, correspondence, etc. |
Administrative, historic, legal |
7 years after closure |
Shred financial/private, recycle the rest, delete digital copies |
|
Rejected grant proposals, correspondence, etc. |
Administrative, Historic |
2 years after rejection |
Shred financial/private, recycle the rest, delete digital copies |
|
Timesheet |
Administrative, historic, legal |
7 years after end of Employment |
Shred financial/private, recycle the rest, delete digital copies |
|
Expense reports |
Administrative, historic, legal |
7 years after end of Employment |
Shred financial/private, recycle the rest, delete digital copies |
|
Budget |
Administrative, historic, legal |
7 years |
Shred financial/private, recycle the rest, delete digital copies |
|
Subscriptions/memberships |
Administrative, historic, legal |
2 years after end of subscription |
Shred financial/private, recycle the rest, delete digital copies |
|
Document Type |
Value |
Minimum Retention Requirement |
Destruction Method |
|
Employee evaluations |
Administrative, historic, legal |
7 years while employed, 2 years after end of employment. |
Shred, delete |
|
Contracts with vendors & invoices from Vendors |
Administrative, historic, legal |
7 years after expiration/payment |
Shred; delete |
|
Workshop files, Marketing, Attendee list, Invoices from consultants or payment record from attendees, Contracts with consultants Payments for food/supplies, General information |
Administrative, historic, and/or legal |
7 years Permanently Permanently Permanently 7 years 2 years |
Recycle/scrap; delete N/A N/A N/A Shred Recycle/scrap; delete |
|
General mail received from groups (e.g. newsletters, invitations) |
Administrative, Historic |
2 years for active groups, or permanently once group has disbanded |
Recycle/scrap; delete |
|
Topical information |
Administrative |
2 years, or as long as still relevant |
Recycle/scrap; delete |
|
Correspondence (general) |
Administrative, Historic |
2 years; permanent if from a group who has since disbanded |
Recycle/scrap; delete |
|
Correspondence (Assistance requests) |
Administrative, Historic |
2 years after completion, or as long as still relevant |
Recycle/scrap; delete |
|
Assistance request log |
Administrative, Historic |
7 years after closure |
Delete |
|
Document Type |
Value |
Minimum Retention Requirement |
Destruction Method |
|
Presentations given: Presentations that can be reused Presentations for one use |
Administrative, Historic |
7 years 2 years |
Recycle/scrap; delete |
|
Photographs High quality with details of event Photos missing details of event Low quality |
Administrative, Historic |
10 years or permanently 2 years 2 years |
Recycle/scrap; delete |
|
Press clippings |
Historic |
Permanently if hard copy without back up or electronic; 2 years for hardcopy with backup |
Recycle/scrap |
|
Listserv emails Weekly announcements Sign-on letters |
Historic, administrative |
2 years 7 years |
Delete Delete |
Source: http://www.thewatershedinstitute.org/resources/publications/FinalDocPolicy.pdf