Leadership role
VP of Compliance
Leads the program that keeps a nonprofit within the laws, regulations and funding rules that govern its work.
Reporting and scope
Reports to the CEO, General Counsel or Chief Compliance Officer, often with a line to the board's audit or compliance committee. Authority covers the organization-wide compliance program.
Core responsibilities
- Runs the compliance program, including policies, training and a reporting hotline
- Monitors rules tied to government funding, such as Medicare, Medicaid or federal grants
- Leads internal investigations and corrective action plans
- Oversees privacy and conflict-of-interest processes
- Reports compliance risks and activity to the board committee
- Coordinates responses to regulators and outside auditors
How it differs
The Chief Compliance Officer is the top compliance executive; a VP of Compliance may hold that job without the title or report to it. Director of Compliance runs day-to-day monitoring at a lower level. General Counsel gives legal advice, while compliance runs the program.
By organization size
The role is most common in health care, where it may carry the formal compliance officer designation. In smaller organizations compliance sits with the CFO or legal counsel rather than a separate VP.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: VP of Compliance; VP Compliance; VP, Compliance; Vice President Compliance; Vice President of Compliance; VP - Compliance