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Legal Information

House of Ruth Maryland (HRM) provides comprehensive services including 24 hour Hotline, crisis counseling, abusers intervention, legal representation, training and community education, and emergency shelter to victims of intimate partner violence and their families.

HRM is an independent, nonprofit organization and is registered as a charitable organization in the state of Maryland.  It is not affiliated with other organizations called House of Ruth that are located outside of Maryland.

Contributions from individual donors, corporations and foundations make up approximately 51% of House of Ruth Maryland’s base of support and our relationship with our contributors is the highest expression of our mutual commitment to our vision that one day, every woman in Maryland will be safe in her own home.

HRM respects the privacy of its donors and has put in place a Donor Privacy Policy to honor these rights.

DONOR INFORMATION
HRM collects and maintains the following types of donor information when it is voluntarily provided to us: contact information such as name, address, telephone number and e-mail address, donation history, information on events attended, publications received and special requests for program information, and information provided by the donor in the form of comments and suggestions.

This confidential information is kept on file for historical purposes and donation information is retained due to legal requirements.  It is also used to analyze overall giving patterns in order to make more accurate budget projections, as well as to understand donors’ interests in our mission and to update them on the organization’s plans and activities.  This information is shared, with staff, board members, volunteers and consultants only on a confidential and need-to-know basis.

LIST SHARING
HRM does not sell, rent, trade or share its donor list with any other organization.  HRM never sends out mailings on behalf of other organizations.

DISCONTINUING CONTACT UPON REQUEST
It is the policy of HRM to communicate with donors according to their expressed preferences whenever possible.  HRM will discontinue or change the method used to contact any person upon that person’s oral or written request directed to the organization, its professional fundraiser, or other agent.

HRM shall maintain a record of all requests by persons who indicate to House of Ruth Maryland that they do not wish to be contacted by or on behalf of House of Ruth Maryland.

This policy does not prohibit contact by an individual or group voluntarily soliciting on behalf of House of Ruth Maryland, even if the person being contacted has requested to be placed on the “do not contact list.”

Upon a person’s (or a person’s authorized representative’s) request that House of Ruth Maryland discontinue further contacts, the person’s name and address will be promptly modified in House of Ruth Maryland’s donor database to ensure that no further contact is made with the person.  House of Ruth Maryland will also take steps to ensure that no further contact is made with the individual and that the person’s name is removed from any external databases or records under House of Ruth Maryland’s control.

Donor Bill of Rights

HRM subscribes to the Donor Bill of Rights, which was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits.

The 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 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 organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.

III. To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.

  1. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
  2. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
  3. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.

  1. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
  2. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

 

Updated February 2017