Donor Bill of Rights


As Amended March 2006

The Cadillac Area Community Foundation recognizes the importance of its donors. Without the generous contributions of these donors, the Foundation would not be able to carry out its Mission, Goals, and Objectives. To assure that the Foundation merits the respect and trust of its donors in particular and the public in general, the Board of Trustees establishes this DONOR’S RIGHTS POLICY.

The Foundation’s Donors have the right:

  1. To receive the appropriate acknowledgement and recognition for all donations made to the Foundation, which includes the appropriate Tax Statement for these donations.
  2. To be kept anonymous at the explicit request of the donor.
  3. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and staff.
  4. To have access to the Foundation’s most recent financial statements.
  5. To be assured that the donor’s gifts will be used for the purpose for which they were intended if such purposes are designated by the donor.
  6. To be assured that all grants awarded by the Foundation are in keeping with its By-laws, Grant-Making Policies, State and Federal Laws governing foundation, and common practices of community foundations.
  7. To be assured that the Foundation’s assets are professionally and prudently managed in keeping with its Investment Policies.
  8. To feel free to ask questions about the operations and policies of the Foundation and to be assured that such questions will be answered in a truthful and forthright manner.
  9. To expect that the Foundation’s relationships with its grantees, donors, asset managers, and all other parties with whom it does or may do business, as well as the general public, will be conducted in a professional and responsible manner.
  10. To be informed of the Foundation’s mission, the way the Foundation intends to use donated resources to represent the donor’s charitable intent to the best of its abilities and in keeping with the objectives of the Foundation.
  11. To have competent administration that can implement procedures to carry out board policies.

The National Standards Seal by our name indicates official confirmation from the Council on Foundations that we have met the most rigorous standards in philanthropy. It affirms our commitment to financial security, transparency and accountability. It says our grantmaking includes an open, competitive process designed to address the changing needs of our community. The National Standards Seal also confirms our history of honoring donors’ wishes.