Donors Have Rights Too

Before you donate to a non-profit, have you thought about what your rights are?

Over 25 years ago, the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), adopted and created 10 rules that non-profits should abide by so that donors and prospective donors could have confidence in an organization. As a donor, you should have confidence in the organization you are donating to follows the established principles.

The Emergency Assistance Foundation prides itself on making its employee-assistance program simple to use for recipients of employer sponsored hardship aid and is 100 percent compliant from a tax, legal, and regulatory standpoint, and follows the established rules.

The Emergency Assistance Foundation pledges to have its donors:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
4. Be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
5. Receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
6. Be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
7. Expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
8. Be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
9. Have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
10. Feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

The text of the donors’ rights was developed by the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and adopted in November 1993.