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Donor Bill of Rights

Feed America adopts the AFP / Giving USA Donor Bill of Rights verbatim. Below: each of the 10 rights, plus our specific implementation policy.

Origin. The Donor Bill of Rights was created jointly 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. It is the industry-standard donor-protection framework for US nonprofits.

The 10 rights

"Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. 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:"

  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.
    Our policy: Feed America's mission is published at /about. Feed America files IRS Form 990-N (e-Postcard); no independent audit report is published. To request the financial statements that are available, email info@feedam.org. Our capacity to use donations effectively is documented in our data-quality methodology and the live program-scope on /atlas.
  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.
    Our policy: Feed America files IRS Form 990-N, which does not list directors. To request the board roster and governance documents, email info@feedam.org. Details at /board.
  3. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
    Our policy: Feed America files IRS Form 990-N (e-Postcard); no independent audit report is published. To request the financial statements that are available, email info@feedam.org. Details at /financials.
  4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
    Our policy: Restricted contributions are tracked in a separate net asset class per FASB ASC 958-205. Each restricted gift gets a separate sub-account. Restricted-gift reports are issued at the cadence the donor specifies (typically annually). Misuse of restricted funds would violate federal law and FASB reporting standards — none has occurred, and the structural protections above are designed to prevent it.
  5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
    Our policy: Every donor receives an IRS-compliant gift acknowledgement letter within 5 business days of gift receipt. The letter contains: gift amount, date received, gift method, statement that no goods or services were provided in exchange (or fair-market value if any), Feed America's legal name + EIN, and a statement that the contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors who prefer anonymity may opt out of public recognition (see right #6 below).
  6. To be assured that information about their donations is handled with the respect and with the confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
    Our policy: Donor information is stored encrypted at rest. We do not sell, trade, or share donor lists. We do not publicly identify donors without written consent. Aggregate giving data may appear in the organization's financial reporting and IRS filings (legally required), but individual donor identities are kept confidential except where required by law. See full privacy policy at /privacy.
  7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
    Our policy: Feed America staff and contractors are bound by a code of professional conduct. We do not engage in high-pressure fundraising tactics, in-person solicitation without invitation, or telephone fundraising. We respect "do not contact" requests immediately and permanently. Concerns about staff conduct can be reported confidentially to info@feedam.org.
  8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization, or hired solicitors.
    Our policy: Feed America does NOT use hired professional fundraisers, telemarketers, or solicitation firms. All donor outreach is conducted by Feed America employees, board members, or vetted volunteers — never on commission. If you receive a solicitation claiming to be on behalf of Feed America, verify the caller's identity by calling our published number at /donate/find-us or emailing info@feedam.org.
  9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
    Our policy: We do not share, sell, rent, or trade mailing lists. Period. To remove yourself from any Feed America mailing list (donor newsletter, partner updates, etc.), email info@feedam.org or use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email. Removal is processed within 1 business day and is permanent.
  10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers.
    Our policy: Donor questions are answered within 1 business day at info@feedam.org. For grant-specific questions, email info@feedam.org. For finance / W-9 / banking, email info@feedam.org. We commit to truthful answers — including answers to uncomfortable questions about indirect cost, executive compensation, sister-entity relationships, or donor-routing and EIN verification.

Beyond the bill of rights

Feed America voluntarily commits to additional donor-protection practices beyond the 10-right baseline:

How to file a concern

If you believe Feed America has violated any of the 10 rights or our additional commitments:

External oversight

Feed America is subject to oversight from:

Related

The Donor Bill of Rights is a service mark of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and the Giving Institute. Feed America (EIN 92-1761881) adopts the bill verbatim and provides implementation policies for each right. Current review date is not recorded.