|
A
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 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:
- 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 fullest extent provided
by the 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 intends to share.
- To
feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive
prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Developed
by: American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association
for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support
of Education (CASE), National Society of Fund-Raising Executives
(NSFRE).
Initial Endorsers: INDEPENDENT SECTOR, National Catholic Development
Conference (NCDC), National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG),
National Council for Resource Development (NCRD), United Way of
America.
|
Fighting
Intolerance
Five years ago Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO, shared
these wise words which we find even more relevant today:
"We
must act now to ensure the viability of mixed societies, because
every society in the world today is diverse in its own way, and
not one of them is beyond the danger posed by the infernal cycle
of intolerance and violence.
Fighting
intolerance takes both state action and individual responsibility.
Governments must adhere to the international standards for human
rights, must ban and punish hate crimes and discrimination against
all vulnerable groups, must ensure equal access to justice and equal
opportunity for all. Individuals must become tolerance teachers
within their own families and communities. We must get to know our
neighbors and the cultures and the religions that surround us in
order to achieve an appreciation for diversity. Education for tolerance
is the best investment we can make in our own future security.
The
wealth of human hope are within each child. Through lifelong education
for all, we can forge new attitudes within each human being - young
or old. What matters in the end is not the world we will leave to
our children, but the children we will leave to the world."
Helping
Kids
"I learned that it's a real waste of water to run the dishwasher
or washing machine if they are not full. So I made a sign for each
to remind everyone to make sure that it's full. Sometimes people
forget."
|
