Donors’ Rights

Many countries’ professional fundraising bodies have a list of donors’ rights that their members are required to undertake to adhere to. But even if your country has no such body, it is imperative for all fundraisers everywhere to respect the rights of donors to support the causes that they care about, in the countries that they choose to fund and to give the amounts that they choose to donate.

As fundraisers, we must remember that donors owe us nothing. Just because they have money and our organisations do great work – often lifesaving work – donors are not obligated to fund us.

Donors’ rights go further too and include the right to stop giving when they so choose. Even if a donor has supported an organisation for decades, they have the right to cease such funding at any stage and not be harassed to reinstate their giving.

They have the right to be thanked quickly. And they have the right to remain anonymous if they so choose. Remember too that non-profit organisations have the right to decline funding if it comes with strings attached.