Donor Bill of Rights

At Metro Theater Company, we are enormously grateful to have a community who believes in our work and who values the benefits of art and theater as a means for supporting young people and enacting social change.

In the spirit of our mission and to demonstrate our immense respect for our community of supporters, Metro Theater Company proudly endorses the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Donor Bill of Rights. We declare that all donors, of both financial gifts and gifts of time, have rights as described below by the AFP Donor Bill of 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:

I. 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.

II. 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.

III. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.

IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.

VI. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.

IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.

X. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

"Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals."

Want to learn more or have questions on what this means for you? We would love to talk! Please contact Development Manager Lauren Brooks at lauren@metroplays.org with any questions or to set up a call.

Photo: Jennifer A. Lin