Leadership role
Chief Compliance Officer
The senior executive who runs the organization's compliance program, making sure it follows the laws, regulations and funder rules that apply to it.
Reporting and scope
Reports to the Executive Director / CEO or General Counsel, with a direct line to the board's audit or compliance committee. Authority covers compliance risk across the organization.
Core responsibilities
- Designs and runs the compliance program, including policies, training and monitoring
- Operates the hotline and investigates reported concerns
- Tracks federal award, Medicare and Medicaid billing, or research compliance where relevant
- Reports to the board committee on compliance risks and investigations
- Coordinates conflict of interest disclosures and the related Form 990 questions
- Works with auditors and regulators during reviews
How it differs
The Director of Compliance and VP of Compliance run parts of the program at a lower level. The General Counsel gives legal advice and represents the organization; the Chief Compliance Officer monitors and enforces. The Chief Risk Officer covers a wider set of risks, not only regulatory ones.
By organization size
The role is most common in health care, where federal program guidance expects a dedicated compliance officer. In smaller nonprofits compliance is usually a part-time duty of the finance lead or counsel.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: CCO; Chief Compliance Officer; Vice President & CCO; VP & CCO; VP Chief Compliance Officer; VP, Chief Compliance Officer