Donor Bill of Rights

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have the following 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 identify of those serving on the organizations 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 acknowledgment and recognition.
• To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations or 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.

The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). It has been endorsed by numerous organizations.