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.
[1]
These ten points are taken from A Donor Bill of Rights, developed by
the American Association of Fund Raising Counsel, the Association for
Healthcare Philanthropy, the Council for the Advancement and Support of
Education, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and are
endorsed by Independent Sector.
Donor Bill of Rights
