Valliant Foundation

Ethics, Oversight & Research Integrity

Independent ethical oversight supporting responsible research, transparent nonprofit governance, organizational accountability, and the protection of the communities we serve.

Jacob Derin, Esq.
Legal & Ethics Leadership

Jacob Derin, Esq.

Attorney & Ethics Council Legal Mentor

Jacob Derin is a graduate of the University of California, Davis School of Law (King Hall) and a member of the State Bar of California.

He previously served as an Appellate Fellow at Horvitz & Levy LLP and currently serves as a law clerk to the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

At Valliant Foundation, Jacob supports ethics and legal-oversight initiatives and provides mentorship to law students contributing to the Ethics Council.
Public Ethics Records

Ethics Committee Docket

Selected Ethics Committee decisions and supporting records are published to promote transparency and institutional accountability.

Case 0001 — In Re Photographs of Homeless Individuals
Ethics Reporting

Report an Ethics Concern

Employees, volunteers, board members, service recipients, research participants, and community members may report concerns involving ethics, research practices, organizational policy, conflicts, discrimination, harassment, or potential misconduct.

1

Describe the Concern

Explain what occurred, when and where it happened, and the individuals or organizational processes involved.

2

Provide Relevant Information

Include supporting documents, communications, witnesses, or other information that may assist the Council’s review.

3

Council Review

VOEC reviews submitted concerns and determines appropriate next steps, which may include further information gathering, review, or mediation.

Submit a Report or Supporting Documents

Reports may include your contact information or be submitted anonymously. Contact information may help the Council seek clarification when needed.

Email ethics@valliant.org
Valliant Foundation Oversight and Ethics Council
Independent Oversight

Valliant Oversight & Ethics Council

The Valliant Oversight and Ethics Council (VOEC) provides independent internal oversight intended to promote ethical, transparent, and accountable operations across Valliant Foundation programs.

The Council reviews ethics concerns, supports conflict resolution, evaluates organizational policies, promotes responsible research practices, and addresses matters involving organizational integrity and compliance.

Research Ethics
Policy & Compliance
Conflict Review
Organizational Accountability
Human Research Protections

Research Oversight & Federal Registration

Valliant Foundation maintains institutional human-research registrations and is completing the remaining federal administrative steps required for eligible funding opportunities.

Research Oversight

Institutional Human-Research Protections

The Valliant Foundation IRB reviews applicable research involving human participants and supports protections related to informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, risk assessment, vulnerable populations, and the ethical conduct of research.

OHRP Institutional Registration IORG0012734
Institutional Review Board IRB00015049
Federalwide Assurance FWA00036487
About these registrations: OHRP registration and an FWA support institutional human-research oversight. They do not constitute approval of a specific study or indicate that every Foundation project is federally funded.
Federal Registration

Funding & Award Readiness

The Foundation is completing federal entity registration and tax-exemption processes. Current status is summarized below without implying activation or award eligibility before those reviews are complete.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) YYU8ZMEPXK18
SAM.gov Entity Registration Submitted August 2, 2026 — activation pending. IRS TIN/name validation and CAGE Code assignment/validation remain in progress.
IRS Form 1023-EZ Filed — awaiting IRS determination.
Ethics Council

Ethics Officers

Ethics officers support the Council’s work involving organizational accountability, ethics review, policy, and responsible decision-making.

Naoshin Rahman

Naoshin Rahman

Ethics Officer

Supports ethics review and organizational accountability through the Valliant Foundation Ethics Council.

Shayla Benoit

Shayla Benoit

Ethics Officer

Contributes to ethics review, policy discussion, and responsible organizational governance.

Camille Gerolymatos

Camille Gerolymatos

Ethics Officer

Camille earned a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from San Francisco State University with a minor in Special Education and is pursuing graduate study in philosophy.

Ethics, Accountability & Responsible Research

Contact Valliant Foundation regarding ethics concerns, Ethics Council service, research oversight, or human-research protection activities.

Contact ethics@valliant.org