Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It’s a tradition of giving and sharing that’s primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

  1. To be informed of the St. Joseph’s mission, of the way we intend to use donated resources, and of our capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
  2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on St. Joseph’s governing boards, and to expect the boards to exercise prudent judgment in their stewardship responsibilities.
  3. To have access to St. Joseph’s most recent financial statements.
  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 information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
  7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
  8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, St. Joseph’s employees or hired solicitors.
  9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share. (St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation Guelph does not share its donor lists.)
  10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.