The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the 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. It is considered a sector standard for fundraising professionals and is encouraged reading for adopting these practices as your own.
Outside Resource
In Fall 2012, Charity Dynamics and NTEN partnered to develop a first-of-its-kind donor engagement survey, which sought to understand how people prefer to engage with nonprofits across traditional and digital media. The results of the study unequivocally clarify the importance of being a donor's #1 nonprofit of choice: Nonprofits that establish themselves as a donor's favorite charity are more likely to receive greater support from the donor—not just in terms of financial contributions, but also through sharing information, volunteering, event participation, and issue advocacy.
Four sample gift acceptance policies from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center.
Planning to start an endowment? Read this series of articles by Kim Klein for Grassroots Fundraising Journal to find answers to your questions about whether it is appropriate for your situation and how to best go about establishing an endowment.
Charitable solicitation compliance is not optional. It is the law. Charitable solicitation is regulated on the state-level and the requirements vary by state. Forty-one states require registration and four additional states require disclosure statements to be included on solicitations. Charitable solicitation can take on many forms of asking for a donation, including fundraising online. In addition to registration, many states require foreign qualification of the nonprofit corporation and appointment of a registered agent.
A memorandum by Dianne Chipps Bailey of Robinson Bradshaw to describe the state and federal rules applicable to the solicitation of charitable contributions by Section 501(c)(3) organizations in the State of North Carolina.
Charitable Solicitation - Licensing, Disclosures and Acknowledgement (North Carolina)
Used strategically, crowdfunding helps nonprofits build meaningful engagement, inform their work, spread their messages, and expand their donor base to increase their overall funding and impact. Crowdfunding can still still a relatively new concept, and many nonprofits face the same questions when considering it for the first time. The Stanford Social Innovation Review looks at some of the most common questions: Crowdfunding Campaigns for Nonprofits.
Your Form 990 asks whether a nonprofit has a "gift acceptance policy" that requires the review of any "non-standard gifts" (gifts other than cash or check). Additionally, a written gift acceptance policy can help manage the expectations of donors, (while treating them with respect) and also serve as guidance for board and staff members who are either on the asking, or receiving, end of contributions.
A series of guidelines by the Association of Fundraising Professionals which "explores a way to frame the conversation about your board's give-or-get policy so that you can gain consensus from all board members and come to a satisfactory conclusion."
Getting Your Board Members to Give, Get, or Get Off
Ethical standards and principles are the foundation for maintaining public trust in your organization and the nonprofit sector as a whole. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) first published its code of ethical standards for fundraising professionals in 1964, and "believes that ethical behavior fosters the development and growth of fundraising professionals and the fundraising profession, and enhances philanthropy and volunteerism."