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:
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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.
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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.
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To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
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To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were
given.
- To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
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To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect
and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
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To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations
of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
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To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of
the organization or hired solicitors.
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To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists
that an organization may intend to share.
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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.