A volunteer committee from a nonprofit organization is working to create a detailed conflict of interest (COI) policy, but they are facing opposition from the organization’s president, who is also a volunteer. The draft policy includes provisions for non-financial conflicts of interest—situations where personal relationships or other non-monetary factors could influence decision-making. These are not included in the standard template provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which focuses mainly on financial conflicts. The committee believes non-financial conflicts are common in their self-governing organization, where individuals enforcing rules are often close to those being disciplined. A recent incident, in which a rule was improperly enforced by a close associate of the person who violated it, has underscored the need for such a policy. The president has expressed opposition to the proposed policy but has not offered specific, reasonable arguments against it. Instead, they have misinterpreted the policy and dismissed the concerns raised by the committee members. The president also refuses to acknowledge that other nonprofit organizations have implemented non-financial conflict of interest policies. This lack of engagement has made it difficult for the committee to move forward in their discussions. The committee has tried both supportive and assertive approaches in their conversations with the president, but these have not yielded results. They are now considering more direct strategies, such as publicly addressing the president’s behavior or confronting them directly about their resistance. At the same time, the committee is looking into whether they can push the proposal forward through a vote, as allowed by the organization’s bylaws. They are also considering seeking help from external experts or consultants who could mediate the situation and offer guidance on developing and implementing a COI policy. This situation highlights the challenges of self-governance in nonprofit organizations, where internal conflicts can complicate efforts to establish clear ethical guidelines. The committee’s next steps may influence how the organization handles future governance and transparency issues.