A
Donor's 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 assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the
general public, and that 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 with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
- To expect that all relationships with individuals representing the
organisations 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 that an organization may intend to share.
- To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to
receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
The text of this statement represents the recommended standards and
practices of North America’s largest and most influential associations of
fundraising professionals. It was developed by the American Association of
Fund-Raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP),
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association
of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). |
