Sample Ethics Case—Donor Privacy: Breach of Donor Privacy

Ethical Dilemma:

You are the Executive Director of a mid-size arts nonprofit.  With a staff of fewer that 10 employees, fundraising is one of your major responsibilities, including managing the various grants made to your organization.

You are aware of AFP’s Code of Ethics and your organization has adopted the Donor Bill of Rights.

Your organization recently received a generous donation from a prominent art collector, to fund a special exhibition showcasing local artists. This donor’s contribution was instrumental in supporting the organization’s mission to promote local art and culture. However, during a fundraising event, a staff member mistakenly included the donor’s name and amount of the donation in a public acknowledgment speech without the donor’s prior knowledge and consent.  This inadvertent disclosure of donor information caused embarrassment and discomfort to the donor, who valued her privacy.

Who’s involved:

• Donor
• You, the fundraiser
• The staff person who included the donor’s name and gift without prior consent

What are the possible ethical issues; who else might be impacted?

• Breach of donor privacy

What are some possible considerations or solutions?

• Ensure that donors give permission prior to announcing donor name or amount of gift

Related Ethical Standards:

• Donor privacy: Giving is a personal choice. In relationships with donors, fundraisers have access to information about individuals and their giving that they must respect. Organizations have an obligation to ensure donors’ rights to privacy. This includes but is not limited to data protection standards and list management practices.

Steps you can take:

• Implement an opt-in/opt-out policy where donors must either agree to have their name/gift publicized; or opt out where donor information cannot be shared without prior permission.

What are the likely outcomes if nothing changes?

• Organization loses donor respect, and possibly future giving.
• Organization is seen as careless, not respectful of donor intentions.

What could have made the outcome(s) more ethical?

• Maintain high standards of proofreading
• Apologize to the donor
• Don’t make individual gift amounts public.  Use gift ranges.