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:

•  To be informed of our organization’s mission, of the way our 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 their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given
  
• To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition
  
• To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality (if requested) to the extent provided by law
  
• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing our organization to the donor will be professional in nature
  
• To be informed whether those seeking donations are members of our organization, employees of our organization, volunteers, or hired solicitors
  
• To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that our organization maintains
  
• To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers