Donor Privacy Policy

ComonBond Communities respects the privacy of its donors and has put in place a Donor Privacy Policy to honor these rights.

Donor Information 

CommonBond Communities collects and maintains the following types of donor information: 

• Contact information such as name, address, telephone number and email address 
• Giving information 
• Information on events attended, publications received and special requests for program information 
• Information provided by the donor in the form of comments and suggestions 
• Notes from meetings or conversations with donors or prospective donors

This confidential information is kept on file for IRS purposes. It is also used to analyze overall giving patterns in order to make more accurate budget projections, as well as to understand donors’ interests in our mission and to update them on the organization’s plans and activities. This information is shared with staff, board members, volunteers and consultants only on a confidential and need-to-know basis.

As a rule, CommonBond publicly recognizes a donor by publishing a donor’s name unless the donor explicitly indicates that he or she wishes to be “anonymous”.

List Sharing 

CommonBond Communities does not sell, trade, or share our donor’s personal or contact information with any other organization. Use of donor information will be limited to the internal purposes of the organization and only to further the program activities and purposes of CommonBond Communities.

Discontinuing Contact Upon Request

It is the policy of CommonBond Communities to communicate with donors according to their expressed preferences whenever possible. CommonBond Communities will discontinue or change the method used to contact any person upon that person’s oral or written request directed to the organization. CommonBond shall maintain a record of all requests by persons who indicate that they do not wish to be contacted by or on behalf of CommonBond Communities. Upon a person’s request that CommonBond discontinue further contacts, the person’s name and address will be promptly noted in CommonBond’s donor database to ensure that no further contact is made with the person.

Donor Bill of Rights

CommonBond Communities subscribes to the Donor Bill of Rights. 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 has been endorsed by numerous organizations. 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 ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit 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. 
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.

If you have any further questions, please contact Marilyn Peller Nelson, Associate Vice President of Resource Development at 651-290-6254 or Marilyn.Nelson@commonbond.org.

Last updated 5/19/2011