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BANCROFT FUND LTD.
ELLSWORTH FUND LTD.
(THE FUNDS)
AMENDED AND RESTATED
AUDIT COMMITTEES CHARTER
(Amended effective April 12, 2010)
1. Membership;
Qualifications.
a. Each Audit Committee shall have at least three members. [Section
803B(2)(a) of the NYSE AMEX Company Guide (“NYSE AMEX Guide”).]
b. Each member of the Audit Committees shall be able to read and
understand fundamental financial statements, including a Fund’s
balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. [Section
803B(2)(a)(iii) of the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
c. At least one member of each Audit Committee must be “financially
sophisticated” in that he or she has past employment experience in
finance or accounting, requisite professional certification in
accounting or other comparable experience or background which
results in the individual’s financial sophistication, including but
not limited to being or having been a chief executive officer, chief
financial officer, or other senior officer with financial oversight
responsibilities. [Section 803B(2)(a)(iii) of the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
d. At least one member of each Audit Committee must be an “audit
committee financial expert” as such term is defined in Form N-CSR.
Such member is presumed to qualify as financially sophisticated.
[Section 803B(2)(a)(iii) of the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
e. Each member of the Audit Committees shall be free of any material
relationship with the Funds that, in the opinion of the Boards of
Trustees of the Funds (the “Boards”), would interfere with his or
her individual exercise of independent judgment. [Section 121A(2) of
the AMEX Company Guide.]
f. No member of the Audit Committees shall, other than in his or her
capacity as a member of the Audit Committees, the Boards, or any
other Board committee, accept directly or indirectly any consulting,
advisory, or other compensatory fee from the Funds. Compensatory
fees do not include the receipt of fixed amounts of compensation
under a retirement plan (including deferred compensation) for prior
service with the Funds (provided that such compensation is not
contingent in any way on continued service). [Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(iii)
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”)]
g. No member of either of the Audit Committees shall be an
“interested person” of any of the Funds as defined in Section
2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“1940 Act”). [Section 803A(3) and 803B(2)(a)(i) of the NYSE AMEX
Guide; Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(iii) promulgated under the Exchange Act]
h. No member of either of the Audit Committees shall have
participated in the preparation of the Funds’ financial statements
during the past three years. [Section 803B(2)(a)(ii) of the NYSE
AMEX Guide.]
2. Purposes. The purposes of the Audit Committees are:
a. in their capacity as committees of the Boards, to be directly
responsible for the appointment (subject to ratification by a
majority of the Boards who are not “interested persons” of the Funds
as defined in the 1940 Act (“disinterested trustees”)),
compensation, retention and oversight of the work of any independent
registered public accountants (the “independent auditors”) employed
by the Funds (including resolution of disagreements between
management and the auditor regarding financial reporting) for the
purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work;
[Section 10A(m)(2) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(2) adopted
thereunder, and Section 803B(4) of the NYSE AMEX Guide]
b. to oversee the Funds’ accounting and financial reporting policies
and processes, its internal controls and, as appropriate, the
internal controls of their investment adviser; [Section 803B(1)(c)
of the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
c. to oversee the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ financial
statements and the independent audit thereof; [Section 803B(1)(c) of
the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
d. to the extent required by Section 10A(h) and (i) of the Exchange
Act, to preapprove all audit and permissible non-audit services that
are provided to the Funds by their independent auditors;
e. to pre-approve, in accordance with Item 2-01(c)(7)(ii) of
Regulation S-X, certain non-audit services provided by the Funds’
independent auditors to the Funds’ investment adviser and/or
administrator if the Funds’ independent auditors are the same as, or
affiliated with, the investment adviser’s auditors;
f. to the extent required by Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act,
to prepare an audit committee report for inclusion in a Fund’s
annual proxy statement; and
g. to serve as the Funds’ qualified legal compliance committee (“QLCC”)
within the meaning of Part 205 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
– Standards of Professional Conduct for Attorneys Appearing and
Practicing before the Commission in the Representation of an Issuer
(the “Attorney Conduct Rules”).
3. Duties and Powers. To carry out their purposes, the Audit
Committees shall have the following duties and powers:
a. to be directly responsible for the appointment (subject to
ratification by a majority of the Boards of the Funds who are not
interested persons of the Funds (the “independent trustees”)),
compensation, retention and oversight of the work of any independent
auditors employed by the Funds, including reviewing with such
auditors the proposed audit plans and meeting with the auditors
after completion of the audit to review the work done in connection
with the audit and to discuss and resolve any disagreements between
management and the auditor regarding financial reporting. All of the
foregoing shall be for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit
report or performing other audit, review or attest services, and
each such independent auditors must report directly to the Audit
Committees; [Section 10A(m)(2) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(2)
adopted thereunder, and Section 803B(4) of the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
b. to evaluate the independence of the Funds’ independent auditors,
including whether such auditors provide any consulting services to
the Funds’ investment adviser and/or administrator; to receive from
such auditors a formal written statement delineating all
relationships between such auditors and the Funds, consistent with
Independence Standards Board Standard 1; and to actively engage in a
dialogue with the independent auditors with respect to any disclosed
relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and
independence of the auditors and for taking, or recommending that
the full Boards take, appropriate action to oversee the independence
of the outside independent auditors; [Section 803B(1)(b) of the NYSE
AMEX Guide]
c. to oversee the accounting and financial reporting process of the
Funds and the audits of the financial statements of the Funds, and
in connection therewith, to meet with the Funds’ independent
auditors, including private meetings, as necessary (i) to review the
arrangements for and scope of the annual audit and any special
audits and any audit plans prepared by the independent auditors for
the Funds; (ii) to discuss any matters of concern relating to the
Funds’ financial statements, including any adjustments to such
statements recommended by the independent auditors, or other results
of said audit(s); (iii) to consider the independent auditors’
comments with respect to the Funds’ financial policies, procedures
and internal accounting controls and management’s responses thereto;
and (iv) to review the form of opinion the independent auditors
propose to render to the Boards and shareholders; [Section
803B(1)(c) of the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
d. to receive and review the written disclosures and the letter from
the independent auditors regarding their independence that are
required by Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K, to discuss with such
auditors their independence, and to consider whether the provision
by such auditors of permissible non-audit services to (i) the Funds,
(ii) their advisor or (iii) any person that controls, is controlled
by or is under common control with such advisor that provides
services to the Funds, is compatible with maintaining such auditors’
independence; [Item 7(e), Item 9(e)(8) of Schedule 14A, Item
22(b)(16)(i) and Item 407(d)(3) of Regulation S-K]
e. to review and discuss audited financial statements contained in
annual and other periodic reports to shareholders with management
and the independent auditors to determine that such auditors are
satisfied with the disclosure and content of the annual financial
statements and the quality of the Funds’ accounting and financial
reporting policies, procedures and internal control over financial
reporting (including the Funds’ critical accounting policies and
practices), and also to discuss with management and the independent
auditors the clarity, consistency and completeness of accounting
policies and disclosures; [Item 7(e) and Item 22(b)(16)(i) of
Schedule 14A, and Item 407(d)(3) of Regulation S-K]
f. based upon a review of the items discussed in (d) and (e) above,
to recommend to the Boards that the Funds’ audited financial
statements be included in the Funds’ annual reports to shareholders;
[Item 7(e) and Item 22(b)(16)(i) of Schedule 14A, and Item 407(d)(3)
of Regulation S-K]
g. the Audit Committees shall prepare the audit committee report
that SEC rules require to be included in the Funds’ annual proxy
statement. [Item 7(e) and Item 22(b)(16)(i) of Schedule 14A, and
Item 407(d)(3) of Regulation S-K]
h. to consider the effect upon the Funds of any changes in
accounting principles or practices proposed by management or the
independent auditors and to review information received from
management and such auditors regarding regulatory changes and new
accounting pronouncements that affect net asset value calculations
and financial statement reporting requirements;
i. to the extent that certifications by officers of the Funds (the
“signing officers”) as to the Funds’ financial statements or other
financial information are required by applicable law to be included
with or in the Funds’ periodic reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”), to receive from such officers
notifications if such certifications are not included for any
reason; [Item 12 of Form N-CSR]
j. to meet as necessary with counsel to the Funds, counsel to the
disinterested trustees of the Funds and, if applicable, independent
counsel or other advisers to the Audit Committees and to review
information provided by all such persons on legal issues having the
possibility of impacting the financial reporting process, including
items of industry-wide importance and internal issues such as
litigation;
k. to the extent required by Section 10A(h) and (i) of the Exchange
Act, to preapprove all audit and permissible non-audit services that
are proposed to be provided to the Funds by their independent
auditors before they are provided to the Funds. Such pre-approval
shall also include the proposed fees to be charged by the
independent auditors for such services. The Audit Committees may
delegate the pre-approval of audit and permissible non-audit
services and related fees to one or more members of the Audit
Committees who are “independent,” as such term is defined in Rule
10A-3(b)(1)(iii) under the Exchange Act. Any such member’s decision
to pre-approve audit and/or non-audit services and related fees
shall be presented to the full Audit Committees, solely for
informational purposes, at their next scheduled meeting; [Section
10A(h) and (i) of the Exchange Act.]
l. to the extent required by Item 2-01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X,
to pre-approve non-audit services to be provided by the Funds’
independent auditors to the Funds’ investment adviser and/or
administrator if the engagement relates directly to the operations
and financial reporting of any Fund and if the Funds’ independent
auditors are the same as, or affiliated with, the investment
adviser’s or certain affiliated entities’ auditors; [Item
2-01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X and Item 9(e)(8) of Schedule 14A]
m. in connection with any pre-approval of any permissible tax
service that is proposed to be provided by the independent auditors
to a Fund, its investment adviser or administrator, to (i) receive
in writing a description of (A) the scope of the service, the fee
structure for the engagement, and any side letter or other amendment
to the engagement letter, or any other agreement (whether oral,
written or otherwise) between the independent auditors, and such
entity, relating to the service, (B) any compensation arrangement or
other agreement, between the independent auditor (or affiliate of
the auditor) and any person (other than any such entity) with
respect to the promoting, marketing, or recommending of a
transaction covered by the service, (ii) discuss with the
independent auditors the potential effects of the services on the
independence of the independent auditors; and (iii) document the
substance of the discussion with the independent auditors; [Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board Rule 3524]
n. to investigate improprieties or suspected improprieties in fund
operations, including but not limited to receiving and reviewing
disclosures by the Funds’ signing officers to the Audit Committees
of (i) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
internal controls which could adversely affect the Funds’ ability to
record, process, summarize, and report financial data and (ii) any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in the Funds’ internal
controls; [Item 12(a)(2) of Certification 5 of Form N-CSR]
o. to establish procedures for (i) the receipt, retention and
treatment of complaints received by the Funds regarding accounting,
internal accounting controls or auditing matters and (ii) the
confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Funds (or the
Funds’ investment adviser and administrator) of concerns regarding
questionable accounting or auditing matters [Section 10A(m)(4) of
the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(3) adopted thereunder, and Section
803B(4) of the NYSE AMEX Guide]
p. to receive and review information provided by management and the
independent auditors regarding the Funds’ accounting system and
controls, including but not limited to receiving from the Funds’
independent auditors information concerning (i) all critical
accounting policies and practices to be used, (ii) all alternative
treatments of financial information within generally accepted
accounting principles that have been discussed with management
officials of the Funds, ramifications of the use of such alternative
disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by such
independent auditors, and (iii) other material written
communications between such independent auditors and the management
of the Funds such as the management letter or schedule of unadjusted
differences; [Section 10A(k) of the Exchange Act]
q. to carry out the responsibilities of a QLCC as set forth in the
Attorney Conduct Rules, and in connection therewith: (i) to adopt
written procedures for the confidential receipt, retention and
consideration of any report of evidence of a material violation of
an applicable United States federal or state securities law, a
material breach of fiduciary duty arising under United States
federal or state law, or a similar material violation of any United
States federal or state law (a “Material Violation”); (ii) to report
to a Fund’s chief executive officer any report of evidence of a
Material Violation (iii) to determine whether an investigation is
necessary regarding any report of evidence of a Material Violation
by the Fund, its officers, trustees, employees or agents and, if it
determines an investigation is necessary or appropriate, to: (A)
notify the full Board; (B) initiate an investigation, which may be
conducted by outside attorneys; and (C) retain such additional
expert personnel as the Audit Committee deems necessary; and (iv) at
the conclusion of any such investigation, to: (A) recommend, by
majority vote, that the Fund implement an appropriate response to
evidence of a Material Violation; and (B) inform the chief executive
officer and the Board of the results of any such investigation and
the appropriate remedial measures to be adopted; and (v) acting by
majority vote, to take all other appropriate action, including the
authority to notify the Commission in the event that the Fund fails
in any material respect to implement an appropriate response the
Audit Committee has recommended the Fund to take; [Attorney Conduct
Rules § 205.2(k)]
r. to receive reports of violations and potential violations of the
Funds’ Code of Ethics for Principal Financial Officers (the “Code”)
from the Funds’ Compliance Officer or his/her designee, and
determine whether a violation has occurred;
s. to inform the disinterested trustees of the Funds of any
violation of the Code; and
t. to report their activities to the full Boards on a regular basis
and to make such recommendations and/or decisions with respect to
the above and other matters as the Audit Committees may deem
necessary or appropriate.
4. Appointment of Independent Auditors. The Audit Committees shall
appoint the Funds’ independent auditors at an in-person meeting. If,
at any time, the approval by the Audit Committees of the Funds’
independent auditors constitutes an approval of such auditors by
less than a majority of the disinterested trustees, such approval
shall be ratified by a majority of the Funds’ disinterested trustees
at the next regularly scheduled in-person meeting of the Boards;
[Section 32(a)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended]
5. Meetings. The Audit Committees shall meet on a regular basis as
often as necessary to fulfill its responsibilities, including at
least annually in connection with the issuance of the Funds’
financial statements. The Audit Committees may meet either on their
own or in conjunction with meetings of the full Boards. Meetings of
the Audit Committees may be held in person or by telephone or video
conference. Where appropriate, the Audit Committees may take action
by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting. [Section 803B(3)
of the NYSE AMEX Guide]
The Audit Committees shall regularly meet with the Chief Financial
Officer of the Funds.
6. Authority; Funding.
a. The Audit Committees shall have the resources and authority
appropriate to carry out their duties, including the authority to
engage independent counsel and other advisers, experts or
consultants as they deem necessary to carry out their duties, all at
the expense of the appropriate Fund(s). [Section 10A(m)(5) of the
Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(4) adopted thereunder, and Section
803B(4) of the NYSE AMEX Guide]
b. The Funds shall provide for appropriate funding, as determined by
the Audit Committees, in their capacity as committees of the Boards,
for payment of compensation (i) to the independent auditors employed
by the Funds for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report
or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Funds
and (ii) to any independent counsel or other advisers employed by
the Audit Committees. [Section 10A(m)(6) of the Exchange Act, Rule
10A-3(b)(5) adopted thereunder, and Section 803B(4) of the NYSE AMEX
Guide]
7. Annual Internal Performance Evaluation. Each year the Audit
Committees shall conduct an internal evaluation of the performance
of the Audit Committees.
8. Good Faith Reliance. In performing their duties under this
Charter, members of the Committees shall be entitled to rely in good
faith upon the records of the Funds and upon such information,
opinions, reports and statements presented to the Audit Committees
by the officers and employees of the Funds and of Dinsmore Capital
Management Co. and by the Funds’ independent auditors.
9. Review of Charter. The Audit Committees shall review and reassess
the adequacy of this Charter at least annually and recommend any
changes to the full Boards. This Charter may be amended only by the
approval of the Boards and a majority of the disinterested trustees.
[Section 803B(1) of the NYSE AMEX Guide.]
Maintenance of Charter. Each Fund shall maintain and preserve in an
easily accessible place a copy of this Charter and any modification
to this Charter.
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