Donor Bill of Rights

To ensure that donors to the Canadian Red Cross Society have full confidence in the Society and its appeals, the following donors’ rights are recognized. All Donors have the following rights:

To be clear about our mission and how The Canadian Red Cross Society intends to spend their donations
To know that their donation will be used for the purpose for which it was given
To trust that information about their donation will remain confidential to the Society to the extent provided by law
To be assured that their donation will be banked promptly and spent within a reasonable time
To receive appropriate thanks and recognition
To receive, upon request, all published financial statements
To know that complaints will be taken seriously, handled promptly and responses will be sent swiftly
To seek accurate professional advice on tax efficient giving methods
To receive prompt and accurate answers to questions
To be provided with reports on the way that funds have been spent
To be treated professionally and with respect during fund-raising campaigns
To choose to be excluded from any future solicitations
To expect that there is a fair and proper balance between the interests of donors and the aims and objectives of The Canadian Red Cross Society
To know that there is no obligation to buy an incentive or to return it
To know whether an individual soliciting funds is a volunteer, an employee, a hired solicitor or other
To have the right to remain anonymous
To know that donor names will never be sold
To request that their name not be exchanged for fundraising purposes
To have the right to escalate a complaint to The Canadian Red Cross Society’s Board of Directors and if still not satisfied to submit a complaint directly to the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy.

* Adapted from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s Donor Bill of Rights as approved at the 43rd Session of Executive Council, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - ref CE/11/1.