Donor Bill of Rights

In raising funds from the public, the organization will respect the rights of donors, taking steps to assure that its donors are:

• informed of the mission of the organization, the way resources will be used and the organization’s capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes;
• informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board and board of trustees and can expect those boards to exercise prudent judgment in their stewardship responsibilities;
• given access to the organization’s most recent financial reports;
• assured that their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given;
• able to receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition;
• assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by the law;
• able to expect that all donor relationships with individuals representing the organization will be professional in nature;
• informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors;
• given the opportunity for their names to be deleted from organizational mailing lists and given the confidence that the organization will not sell or share its mailing lists; and,
• free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.[1]

The organization will respond promptly to and act upon complaints brought to its attention about any of its fund-raising practices, privacy policy violations or other issues.