The Animal Welfare Association (AWA) maintains the highest level of respect for the privacy of its donors and endeavors to ensure that current and prospective donors have confidence in AWA and is using donations solely to fulfill its mission. The following is our donor privacy policy, which guides our volunteers and staff on how they may and may not use your personal information while honoring your rights as a contributor. Questions about these policies should be directed to either 856.424.2288, ext. 107 or info@awanj.org.

You can view the text in its entirety below.

Donor Privacy

Background

AWA collects and maintains the following types of donor information when it is voluntarily provided to us, whether online or offline:

  • Contact information such as name, address, telephone number and e-mail address
  • Payment and billing information (excluding credit card numbers which are used only for donation or payment processing and are not otherwise used or retained)
  • Information on events attended, publications received and special requests for program information
  • Information provided by the donor in the form of comments and suggestions

AWA uses this information to complete a transaction and communicate with donors, and keeps the information on file for financial and tax purposes. AWA also uses this information to make more accurate budget projections, as well as to understand donors’ interests in our mission and to update donors on AWA’s plans and activities. Statistical information is shared with staff, board members, volunteers and consultants only on a confidential and need-to-know basis.

List Sharing: Mailings for Other Organizations

AWA will not sell, trade, rent or share a donor’s personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations.

Communications with Donors

AWA endeavors to communicate with donors according to their expressed preferences. AWA will discontinue or change the method used to contact any donor upon that person’s oral or written request directed to AWA (including any professional fundraiser or other agent acting on AWA’s behalf).

AWA will maintain a record of all requests by persons who indicate to AWA (including any professional fundraiser or other agent acting on AWA’s behalf) that they do not wish to be contacted by or on behalf of AWA.

Upon a donor’s (or a donor’s authorized representative’s) request that AWA discontinue further contacts, the donor’s name and address will be promptly modified in AWA’s donor database to ensure that no further contact is made with the person. AWA will also take steps to ensure that no further contact is made with the donor and that the donor’s name is removed from any external databases or records under the control of AWA.

Based on the donor’s preferences, AWA may use the contact information (e-mail, telephone number and address) of donors for the following purposes:

  • Distribute receipts for donations
  • Thank donors for their donation
  • Inform donors about news, upcoming fundraising events and other activities of AWA
  • Internal analysis and record keeping
  • Reporting to relevant U.S. and State agencies (these reports are not for public inspection)
  • Contact donors about changes to this policy

Permanent Record

AWA will maintain an electronic record of all requests for discontinuance of contacts, effective with the adoption of this policy by AWA’s Board of Directors. Oral requests will be noted in writing by the staff of AWA and then permanently recorded in the electronic donor database.

Donor Bill of Rights

AWA subscribes to the following “Donor Bill of Rights”, which was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits:

“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.”