Donor Bill of Rights

Friends of Casco Bay recognizes that philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. This tradition of giving and sharing is primary to 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 nonprofit causes they support, Friends of Casco Bay declares 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.

VII.
To expect that all relationships

with individuals representing

organizations of interest to the donor

will be professional in nature.

VII.
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.

This Donor Bill of Rights is based on the template developed by Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits.