Donor Bill of Rights
The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits. It has been endorsed by numerous organizations.
The 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
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:
I. 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.
II. 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.
III. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they
were given.
V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
VI. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with
respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing
organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers,
employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing
lists that an organization may intend to share.
X. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive
prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), all rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising
Professionals.