DONORS BILL OF RIGHTS

Donors Bill of Rights

This Bill of Rights for charitable givers was developed by the following four industry experts: American Association of Fund Raising Counsel, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, National Society of Fund Raising Executives. It is industry-accepted and all quality charities should subscribe to the beliefs espoused here. The Polish American Association fully subscribes to every principal of these rights. If you have any questions and wish to speak with someone about these rights, feel free to call, write or email our Executive Director. He can be reached at:

Gary Kenzer, Executive Director
Polish American Association
3834 North Cicero Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60641
Phone: 1 773 427 6317
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

"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:

• 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 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 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."