Approved:  Amputee Coalition of America
Board of Directors
12-04-08

This Bill of Rights for charitable givers was developed by the following four industry experts: the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. It is industry-accepted, and all quality charities should subscribe to the beliefs espoused here.

“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 that 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 acknowledgment 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.”