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HOW TO MAKE A GIFT TO THE MASSACHUSETTS BAPTIST
CHARITABLE SOCIETY

The Charitable Society welcomes your tax deductible gifts to be used for the benefit of clergy who are serving -- or if retired -- have served in Massachusetts.

You may make a gift to the Society and mail your check, made out to the Charitable Society, to the Executive Director, The Rev. Dr. G. Jean Wright. The address is as follows: The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, 167 Prescott Street Groton, MA 01450.

Congregations may direct gifts to TABCOM (The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts) and note on the Mission Offerings Form, line 9, that the monies are designated for the Massachusetts Baptist charitable society. TABCOM will then forward your gift to the Charitable Society.

In February 2008, the Executive Committee or the Massachusetts Baptist Charitable Society voted unanimously to accept the Donor Bill of Rights, included below.

HISTORY
The Donor Bill of Rights has been created jointly by the American Association of Fundraising Council (AAFRC), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP ), and the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE). It has been embraced and/or expanded upon essentially by all associations supporting nonprofit organizations in Canada and the US.

The Charitable Society also embraces the Donor Bill of Rights as part of an ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability with our donors. The Executive Committee unanimously voted to accept the Donor Bill of Rights and to share it with our constituency on February 7, 2008.

THE DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS
Preamble
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 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 organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization¹s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
3. To have access to the organization¹s 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, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

If you have questions about making gifts to the Society, contact Executive Director G. Jean Wright.