The ePhilanthropy Foundation exists to foster the effective
and safe use of the Internet for philanthropic purposes. In
its effort to promote high ethical standards in online fundraising
and to build trust among contributors in making online transactions
and contributions with the charity of their choice, this code
is being offered as a guide to all who share this goal. Contributors
are encouraged to be aware of non-Internet related fundraising
practices that fall outside the scope of this Code.
Ethical Online Practices and Practitioners
will:
Section A: Philanthropic Experience
- Clearly and specifically display and describe the organization's
identity on the organization's website;
- Employ practices on the website that exhibit integrity,
honesty, and truthfulness and seeks to safeguard the public
trust.
Section B: Privacy and Security
- Seek to inspire trust in every online transaction;
- Prominently display the opportunity for supporters to
have their names removed from lists that are sold to, rented
to, or exchanged with other organizations;
- Conduct online transactions through a system that employs
high-level security technology to protect the donor's personal
information for both internal and external authorized use;
- Provide either an 'opt in' and 'opt out' mechanism to
prevent unsolicited communications or solicitations by organizations
that obtain email addresses directly from the donor. Should
lists be rented or exchanged, only those verified as having
been obtained through donors or prospects 'opting in' will
be used by a charity;
- Protect the interests and privacy of individuals interacting
with their website;
- Provide a clear, prominent, and easily accessible privacy
policy on its website telling visitors, at a minimum, what
information is being collected, how its is being collected,
how it can be updated or removed, how this information will
be used, and who has access to the data.
Section C: Disclosures
- Disclose the identity of the organization or provider
processing an online transaction;
- Guarantee that the name, logo, and likeness of all parties
to an online transaction belong to the party and will not
be used without express permission;
- Maintain all appropriate governmental and regulatory designations
or certifications;
- Provide both online and offline contact information.
Section D: Complaints
- Provide protection to hold the donor harmless of any problem
arising from a transaction conducted through the organization's
website;
- Promptly respond to all customer complaints and to employ
best efforts to fairly resolve all legitimate complaints
in a timely fashion.
Section E: Transactions
- Ensure contributions are used to support the activities
of the organization to which they were donated;
- Ensure that legal control of contributions or proceeds
from online transactions are transferred directly to the
charity or expedited in the fastest possible way;
- Companies providing online services to charities will
provide clear and full communication with the charity on
all aspects of donor transactions, including the accurate
and timely transmission of data related to online transactions;
- Stay informed regarding the best methods to ensure the
ethical, secure, and private nature of online ePhilanthropy
transactions;
- Adhere to the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable
laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, charity
solicitation and tax laws;
- Ensure that all services, recognition, and other transactions
promised on a website, in consideration of gift or transaction,
will be fulfilled on a timely basis;
- Disclose to the donor the relationship between the organization
processing the gift or transaction and the charity intended
to benefit from the gift.
http://www.ePhilanthropy.org
Approved: November 12, 2000
Revised: January 25, 2001; September 23, 2002; September 23,
2004; December 8, 2005
1101 15th Street, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005 |
