Ethics in Fundraising

Jan 8

Since 2007, I have been a proud member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the premier organization for guiding the growth and development of philanthropy professionals around the world. As a professional fundraiser, there are two documents that have shaped my actions and mindset for how I work with donors and fundraising organizations - the AFP Code of Ethical Standards and the Donor Bill of Rights. As important as these documents have been to me, I believe it is equally important to share them with the donors and fundraising organizations with whom I engage.

If you are a member of a fundraising organization, I encourage you to print these documents and post them prominently for your organization’s staff and donors to regularly visit and review.

If you are a donor to any nonprofit organization, I recommend that you review these to know your rights as a donor and to understand the best practices for how nonprofit organizations should behave to maximize public trust, ensure proper usage of donor’s funds and information, and receive appropriate compensation.

The AFP Code of Ethical Standards (English) | Spanish | French

The Donor Bill of Rights (English) | Spanish | French

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The Donor Bill of Rights was developed by Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and The Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits.