CCH Foundation
Donor Bill of Rights
Philanthrophy
Philanthropy is the effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. Gifts are considered philanthropic if the donor has the intent to make a charitable contribution, does not impose contractual requirements on the donation and awards the gift irrevocably. There should be no expected return or benefit from the gift. Often the words gift, grant and contribution are used interchangeably when discussing charitable donations.
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 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 that 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.
© Association of Fundraising Professionals, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted –Aesop
