Donor Bill of Rights

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the Texas State Aquarium (TSA) and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have the following rights:



Donor Bill of Rights
  1. To be informed of TSA’s mission, of the way TSA intends to use donated resources, and of TSA's capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.

  2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on TSA’s Board of Trustees, and to expect the Board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
  3. To have access to TSA’s most recent financial statement.
  4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
  5. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
  6. To be assured that donation information is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
  7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing TSA to the donor will be professional in nature.
  8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are TSA employees, TSA volunteers or hired solicitors.
  9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that TSA may intend to share.
  10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers.


E-Donor Bill of Rights

  1. To be clearly and immediately informed of the organization's name, identity, nonprofit or for-profit status, its mission, and purpose when first accessing the organization's website.
  2. To have easy and clear access to alternative contact information other than through the website or email.
  3. To be assured that all third-party logos, trademarks, trustmarks and other identifying, sponsoring, and/or endorsing symbols displayed on the website are accurate, justified, up-to-date, and clearly explained.
  4. To be informed of whether or not a contribution entitles the donor to a tax deduction and of all limits on such deduction based on applicable laws.
  5. To be assured that all online transactions and contributions occur through a safe, private, and secure system that protects the donor's personal information.
  6. To be clearly informed if a contribution goes directly to the intended charity, or is held by or transferred through a third party.
  7. To have easy and clear access to an organization's privacy policy posted on its website and be clearly and unambiguously informed about what information an organization is gathering about the donor and how that information will be used.
  8. To be clearly informed of opportunities to opt out of data lists mailing lists that TSA may intend to share that are sold, shared, rented, or transferred to other organizations.
  9. To not receive unsolicited communications or solicitations unless the donor has "opted in" to receive such materials.


The Donor Bill of Rights template was created by the American Association of Fund Raising Counsel (AAFRC), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). It has been endorsed by numerous organizations.