Philanthropy
is based on voluntary action for the common good. It
is a tradition to 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 donation is handled with respect and with 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 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.
Developed
by the American Association of Fund Raising Council,
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Council for
Advancement and Support of Education, and the National
Society of Fund Raising Executives.