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 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.
Adopted 1964, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Copyright AFP, all rights
reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
