A Donor Bill of Rights
PHILANTHROPY is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition
of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that
philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public and donors and
prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations
and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these
rights:
To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization
intends to use donated resources and of its capacity to use donations effectively
for their intended purposes.
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s
governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its
stewardship responsibilities.
To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were
given.
To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect
and confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations
of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of
the organization or hired solicitors.
To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists and
to be assured that mailing lists will not be shared with other organizations.
To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt,
truthful and forthright answers.
DEVELOPED BY
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP)
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits
