Donor Bill of Rights

A 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 organisations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

1. To be informed of the organisation’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.

2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organisation’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgement in its stewardship responsibilities.

3. To have access to the organisation’s most recent financial statements.

4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.

6. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organisations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organisation or hired solicitors.

9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organisation may intend to share.

10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

Developed by:
American Association of Fund Raising Counsel (AAFRC)
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP)
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)

Endorsed by: (in formation)
Independent Sector
National Catholic Development Conference (NCDC)
National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG)
Council for Resource Development (CRD)
United Way of America

Return to Fundraising Questions