Donor Bill of Rights

The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the American Association of Fund Raising 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.

The 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 ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the
general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit
organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

I. 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.

II. 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.

III. To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.

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

V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.

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

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

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

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

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