Charities See Increase in Donor Use of "Fundraising Reduction Notice"
Clients of our firm have been reporting that they have seen an increased number of their donors sending them a “Fundraising Reduction Notice”. The form of notice has appeared on the American Institute of Philanthropy’s (AIP) website for a number of years. The notice is imbedded in an article on AIP’s website entitled “Seven Tips for Reducing unwanted Mail and Phone Appeals.”
The notice informs organizations that the donor no longer wishes to receive mail or phone appeals, or only wishes to receive such appeals on a limited basis.
Most troubling is that the notice includes a check off box for donors stating that the organization should “not sell, rent, exchange, or give my name or contribution history to any other organization or business without first receiving my approval.” Encouraging donors to restrict access to their information makes it increasingly difficult for organizations to acquire additional supporters through list exchanges. It also drives up their costs by requiring donor lists to be monitored and “scrubbed” regularly to avoid disclosing donor information. |
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