Earthwatch Donor Privacy Policy

At Earthwatch, we believe that ethical business standards and principles are one of the cornerstones of our relationships with our donors. To protect the privacy of our current and future donors and their relationships with Earthwatch Institute, we have enacted the following Bill of Donor Rights:

Donor Bill of Rights

The tradition of giving is a generous act of kindness that directly impacts the lives of others. To ensure that Earthwatch merits the respect and trust of the general public and to better protect our current and future donors, we declare our donors have these rights:

  1. To be informed of Earthwatch’s mission, of the way we use philanthropic gifts, and of our ability use those contributions effectively for their intended purposes.

  2. To be kept informed of the identity of those serving on our Board of Directors and to expect the Board to exercise prudent judgment in guiding the organization to its next level of success.

  3. To have access to Earthwatch’s most recent financial statements in timely manner.

  4. To be assured that gifts will be used as the donor has requested.

  5. To receive timely and appropriate acknowledgment and recognition for their contributions.

  6. To be assured that sensitive information related to their gifts will be kept confidential to the extent as required by law and will not be publicly acknowledged without the donor’s permission.

  7. To expect that all interactions with staff within the organization will be professional.

  8. When being solicited, to be informed whether those seeking support are volunteers, employees, or hired solicitors.

  9. To request to have their names not released as part of any shared mailing lists or to limit their Earthwatch communications if they so choose.

  10. To ask questions and to receive a timely and truthful responses.

The text of this statement was developed in conjunction with reviewing national standards put forth by the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).