Privacy policy

Animal Humane Society (AHS) is the leading animal welfare organization in the Upper Midwest, dedicated to engaging and serving local and regional communities of people and animals. Through comprehensive programs and services, Animal Humane Society provides resources that compassionately serve all the stages of an animal’s life.

AHS is an independent, nonprofit organization. It is not affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States or any other national humane group such as the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and it receives no support from them. AHS does not receive funding fromthe federal government, the state of Minnesota, or the counties or cities where its facilities are located. Every dollar raised comes through earned revenue (adoption and program fees, retail sales, and dividends from the for-profit subsidiary, Now Boarding), donations, bequests and special events. 

Contributions from individual donors, corporations and foundations make up approximately 60% of Animal Humane Society’s base of support and our relationship with our contributors is the highest expression of our mutual commitment to the mission of engaging the hearts, hands, and minds of the community to help animals.

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

Donor information

AHS 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
• Giving information
• Information on events attended, publications received and special requests for program information
• Information provided by the donor in the form of comments and suggestions

This confidential information is kept on file for IRS purposes. 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

Animal Humane Society does not sell, rent, trade or share its donor list with any other organization. AHS never sends out mailings on behalf of other organizations.

Discontinuing contact upon request

It is the policy of AHS to communicate with donors according to their expressed preferences whenever possible. AHS 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.

AHS shall maintain a record of all requests by persons who indicate to Animal Humane Society, its professional fundraiser, or other agents, that they do not wish to be contacted by or on behalf of Animal Humane Society.

This policy does not prohibit contact by an individual or group voluntarily soliciting on behalf of Animal Humane Society, 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 Animal Humane Society discontinue further contacts, the person’s name and address will be promptly modified in Animal Humane Society’s donor database to ensure that no further contact is made with the person. Animal Humane Society 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 Animal Humane Society’s control.

Permanent Record: Animal Humane Society will maintain an electronic record of all requests for discontinuance of contacts, effective with the adoption of this policy by Animal Humane Society’s board of directors. Oral requests will be noted in writing by the staff of Animal Humane Society and then permanently recorded in the electronic donor database. The records of persons who have made such a request will be maintained by Animal Humane Society to the extent necessary for legal or liability purposes.

Donor Bill of Rights

AHS 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.

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:

I. 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.

II. 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.

IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.

VI. 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.

IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.

X. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.