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Enforcement Procedures

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Donor Bill of Rights
To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, AFP and other fundraising organizations declare that all donors have the following rights.

Ethics Sanctions
AFP members who have been sanctioned in violation of the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Fundraising Ethics
AFP has prepared an FAQ for ethical behavior in fundraising (revised February 2009). The document is available here as a PDF download. 

Guidelines for the Code of Ethical Principles and Standards
These guidelines are provided to assist AFP members and others in interpreting and using the Code of Ethical Principles and Standards. They are intended only as suggestions to help guide thinking about ethical behavior and not as prescriptions for all possible situations.

Principles of the E-Donor Bill of Rights
An "E-Donor Bill of Rights" is being created to ensure that prospective donors have greater confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support online.

The Accountable Nonprofit Organization
"The Accountable Nonprofit Organization" is a statement of principles. It outlines the operations and procedures a charity undertakes to show it is accountable to donors, the people it serves, and the general public.

Code of Ethical Principles and Standards
The foundation of philanthropy is ethical fundraising, and a key mission of AFP is to advance and foster the highest ethical standards through its Code of Ethical Principles and Standards.

Code of Ethics: enforcement principles
The fundamental goal of the procedures for enforcing the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards is to eliminate unethical behavior, not to impose punishment.

Code of Ethics: the appeal process
The enforcement procedure includes an appeals process for members found guilty of violating the Code.

Code of Ethics: the complaint process
The complaint process permits any AFP member or person holding an AFP-sanctioned credential to report an alleged violation of the AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards.

Code of Ethics: the enforcement process
The AFP Ethics Committee carries out the enforcement process if there is an alleged violation of the Code that is supported by a formal complaint and sufficient documentation.

Training the Trainers for the Fundraising Profession
(June 26, 2006)  Teaching fundraisers how to be better educators, mentors and presenters is the purpose of the AFP Faculty Training Academy (FTA), held most recently June 13-15 in Miami.

Ethics Enforcement: Handling and Preventing Unethical Behavior
From the January/February 2003 issue of Advancing Philanthropy... The stature of any self-regulated profession depends on how successfully it enforces ethical standards. Professional codes embody not just codifications of right and wrong but also the calling's ideals, aspirations, and sense of trusteeship for society. AFP's Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Professional Practice, which includes detailed enforcement procedures, clearly expresses the association's vision of philanthropy promoted through responsible fundraising.