Fundraising Disclosures

Part of ethical fundraising is be open, showing your costs, overheads and being open about how your services are being delivered. If you need to hide or ‘fudge’ anything, then are you being ethical?

Some organisations disclose their Fundraising Principles on their website or other collateral, this is good to see, not only does it make donors feel more comfortable, but it also shows that these organisations have a strong belief in transparency in the sector.

Are you prepared to state your fundraising principles on your website etc? If you do, how about also including a ‘statement’ such as

We are committed to ethical fundraising and the below (your statement) reflects our respect to our donors and clearly puts the onus on us to be open, honest, and transparent in the attracting, investing, and disbursing of donated funds. 

You could go further and clearly state your policies across areas such as Fundraising, Administration Costs, Financial Statements, Governance, Confidentiality and more.

Examples:

Confidentiality

• Every reasonable efforts are made to ensure all personal information we collect is complete and accurate
• All donor records are kept confidential and not shared with any third party, all donors have a right to see and update their personal record at any time
• No donor information will be released without written authorisation specifically agreeing to such release

Financial Information

• All financial records are available on request

• Financial records are maintained and available to ensure ongoing confidence in your dealings with us
• Financial statements accurately represent the financial activities and overall financial position of our organisation
• All fundraising activities contacted by us are accurately portray our activities and the intended use of funds raised.

Fundraising Costs

• All overhead costs, administrative and fundraising, are kept low while still ensuring we meet our objectives

Do you have principles like the above you share with your donors etc; is it something you would consider?