Donor Bill of Rights

The Michigan Youth Education Fund understands the importance of donors to our organization and is committed to creating a strong partnership. We understand that without your support, the MiYEF could not make a difference within our communities. 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 not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
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1. 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.
2. 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.
3. To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
6. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.​

eDonor Bill of Rights

In addition to the rights outlined in the Donor Bill of Rights, online donors should expect that the Michigan Youth Education Fund pledges:
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1. To be clearly and immediately informed of the organization’s name, identity, nonprofit or for-profit status, its mission, and purpose when first accessing the organization’s website.
2. To have easy and clear access to alternative contact information other than through the website or email.
3. To be assured that all third-party logos, trademarks, trustmarks and other identifying, sponsoring, and/or endorsing symbols displayed on the website are accurate, justified, up-to-date, and clearly explained.
4. To be informed of whether or not a contribution entitles the donor to a tax deduction, and of all limits on such deduction based on applicable laws.
5. To be assured that all online transactions and contributions occur through a safe, private, and secure system that protects the donor’s personal information.
6. To be clearly informed if a contribution goes directly to the intended charity or is held by or transferred through a third party.
7. To have easy and clear access to an organization’s privacy policy posted on its website and be clearly and unambiguously informed about what information an organization is gathering about the donor and how that information will be used.
8. To be clearly informed of opportunities to opt out of data lists that are sold, shared, rented, or transferred to other organizations.
9. To not receive unsolicited communications or solicitations unless the donor has “opted in” to receive such materials.

​The text of this statement in its entirety was developed by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
The Donor and eDonor Bill of Rights was adopted by the Board of Directors on the 17th of June 2020.