FundSvcs Community

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:42:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

It is in the Donor Bill of Rights, Joel.

Secondly, personal finances are very private matters.  I would never share any financial information without the donor's express permission - ever.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 3:16:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

I appreciate how kindly you delivered that 2x4 that I so desperately needed.

I was making this situation way more complicated than I needed to make it.

Have a great weekend.

Joel

Joel Clasemann (he, him, his) Director of Advancement Services jclasema@css.edu | 218-723-6479 css.edu/campaign

Confidentiality Notice: The content of this message is the proprietary and confidential property of The College of St. Scholastica, and should be treated as such. If you are not a designated recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copying or distribution of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited. You may not review, copy or share this message; please delete this message from your system and notify me immediately by reply e-mail. Any unauthorized use or distribution of the content of this message is not permitted and may be illegal. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this email are those of the author and are not endorsed by The College.  

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:42:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

It is in the Donor Bill of Rights, Joel.

Secondly, personal finances are very private matters.  I would never share any financial information without the donor's express permission - ever.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

John,

Would you consider other departments on campus (basically anyone outside of advancement/fundraising) a "third party" in this situation? We have always provided names, contact information, and donation information (amount, designation, date) to our campus partners when donations are made to funds supporting their departments. Are you saying this is not upholding the Donor Bill of Rights if we don't expressly tell our donors that we share this information with relevant campus partners? Or are you just suggesting better education surrounding confidentiality of this information on our campus? We are trying to involve our campus partners in stewardship, and I'm not sure how we would do that if this was not compliant with the DBR.

Thanks,
Marie

------------------------------
Marie Loson
Director of Advancement Services
SUNY Potsdam
losonme@potsdam.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2022 02:30 PM
From: John Taylor
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Ya - I wish it was a stronger board.

FWIW, there are laws on the books prohibiting the release of financial information to third parties.  But most are directed to commercial enterprises and financial institutions.  Gramm-Leach-Bliley (1999) immediately comes to mind.  Twenty years ago I spoke often on this in various privacy and confidentiality sessions.  There are lessons learned in this and other Acts for the nonprofit sector.  Even if we are not a "financial" institution.

Here's one statement from a 2004 version of my presentation:

"Fundraisers (all non-profit types) need to exercise vigilance in the protection of sensitive information in records"

The issue I was driving home was the need for all of us to build and maintain trust with our donors.  If we run around telling people how much they gave without asking their permission, not only do we lose their trust but likely future contributions.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 3:16:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

I appreciate how kindly you delivered that 2x4 that I so desperately needed.

I was making this situation way more complicated than I needed to make it.

Have a great weekend.

Joel

Joel Clasemann (he, him, his) Director of Advancement Services jclasema@css.edu | 218-723-6479 css.edu/campaign

Confidentiality Notice: The content of this message is the proprietary and confidential property of The College of St. Scholastica, and should be treated as such. If you are not a designated recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copying or distribution of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited. You may not review, copy or share this message; please delete this message from your system and notify me immediately by reply e-mail. Any unauthorized use or distribution of the content of this message is not permitted and may be illegal. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this email are those of the author and are not endorsed by The College.  

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:42:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

It is in the Donor Bill of Rights, Joel.

Secondly, personal finances are very private matters.  I would never share any financial information without the donor's express permission - ever.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:12:00 PM
From: Marie E Loson
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

Would you consider other departments on campus (basically anyone outside of advancement/fundraising) a "third party" in this situation? We have always provided names, contact information, and donation information (amount, designation, date) to our campus partners when donations are made to funds supporting their departments. Are you saying this is not upholding the Donor Bill of Rights if we don't expressly tell our donors that we share this information with relevant campus partners? Or are you just suggesting better education surrounding confidentiality of this information on our campus? We are trying to involve our campus partners in stewardship, and I'm not sure how we would do that if this was not compliant with the DBR.

Thanks,
Marie

------------------------------
Marie Loson
Director of Advancement Services
SUNY Potsdam
losonme@potsdam.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2022 02:30 PM
From: John Taylor
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Ya - I wish it was a stronger board.

FWIW, there are laws on the books prohibiting the release of financial information to third parties.  But most are directed to commercial enterprises and financial institutions.  Gramm-Leach-Bliley (1999) immediately comes to mind.  Twenty years ago I spoke often on this in various privacy and confidentiality sessions.  There are lessons learned in this and other Acts for the nonprofit sector.  Even if we are not a "financial" institution.

Here's one statement from a 2004 version of my presentation:

"Fundraisers (all non-profit types) need to exercise vigilance in the protection of sensitive information in records"

The issue I was driving home was the need for all of us to build and maintain trust with our donors.  If we run around telling people how much they gave without asking their permission, not only do we lose their trust but likely future contributions.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 3:16:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

I appreciate how kindly you delivered that 2x4 that I so desperately needed.

I was making this situation way more complicated than I needed to make it.

Have a great weekend.

Joel

Joel Clasemann (he, him, his) Director of Advancement Services jclasema@css.edu | 218-723-6479 css.edu/campaign

Confidentiality Notice: The content of this message is the proprietary and confidential property of The College of St. Scholastica, and should be treated as such. If you are not a designated recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copying or distribution of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited. You may not review, copy or share this message; please delete this message from your system and notify me immediately by reply e-mail. Any unauthorized use or distribution of the content of this message is not permitted and may be illegal. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this email are those of the author and are not endorsed by The College.  

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:42:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

It is in the Donor Bill of Rights, Joel.

Secondly, personal finances are very private matters.  I would never share any financial information without the donor's express permission - ever.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:17:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

"Other" departments would need to demonstrate a need to know.  However, I believe most donors expect the sharing of some information internally for stewardship purposes.  That, however, does not necessarily need to include dollar amounts.

Regardless, I would insist on any campus partner desiring this information sign the standard advancement confidentiality form we ask our staff and board to sign annually.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:12:00 PM
From: Marie E Loson
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

Would you consider other departments on campus (basically anyone outside of advancement/fundraising) a "third party" in this situation? We have always provided names, contact information, and donation information (amount, designation, date) to our campus partners when donations are made to funds supporting their departments. Are you saying this is not upholding the Donor Bill of Rights if we don't expressly tell our donors that we share this information with relevant campus partners? Or are you just suggesting better education surrounding confidentiality of this information on our campus? We are trying to involve our campus partners in stewardship, and I'm not sure how we would do that if this was not compliant with the DBR.

Thanks,
Marie

------------------------------
Marie Loson
Director of Advancement Services
SUNY Potsdam
losonme@potsdam.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2022 02:30 PM
From: John Taylor
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Ya - I wish it was a stronger board.

FWIW, there are laws on the books prohibiting the release of financial information to third parties.  But most are directed to commercial enterprises and financial institutions.  Gramm-Leach-Bliley (1999) immediately comes to mind.  Twenty years ago I spoke often on this in various privacy and confidentiality sessions.  There are lessons learned in this and other Acts for the nonprofit sector.  Even if we are not a "financial" institution.

Here's one statement from a 2004 version of my presentation:

"Fundraisers (all non-profit types) need to exercise vigilance in the protection of sensitive information in records"

The issue I was driving home was the need for all of us to build and maintain trust with our donors.  If we run around telling people how much they gave without asking their permission, not only do we lose their trust but likely future contributions.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 3:16:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

I appreciate how kindly you delivered that 2x4 that I so desperately needed.

I was making this situation way more complicated than I needed to make it.

Have a great weekend.

Joel

Joel Clasemann (he, him, his) Director of Advancement Services jclasema@css.edu | 218-723-6479 css.edu/campaign

Confidentiality Notice: The content of this message is the proprietary and confidential property of The College of St. Scholastica, and should be treated as such. If you are not a designated recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copying or distribution of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited. You may not review, copy or share this message; please delete this message from your system and notify me immediately by reply e-mail. Any unauthorized use or distribution of the content of this message is not permitted and may be illegal. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this email are those of the author and are not endorsed by The College.  

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:42:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

It is in the Donor Bill of Rights, Joel.

Secondly, personal finances are very private matters.  I would never share any financial information without the donor's express permission - ever.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:33:00 PM
From: Aaron Forrest
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Our data share policy has a chart of what can be shared with anyone outside Advancement. Very handy to have a stick. Feel free to borrow / adapt!

 

 

 

Aaron Forrest CPA

Senior Director Gift and Donor Services

University of Rochester Office of Advancement

585.275.2799 | aaron.forrest@rochester.edu

 

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:17:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

"Other" departments would need to demonstrate a need to know.  However, I believe most donors expect the sharing of some information internally for stewardship purposes.  That, however, does not necessarily need to include dollar amounts.

Regardless, I would insist on any campus partner desiring this information sign the standard advancement confidentiality form we ask our staff and board to sign annually.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:12:00 PM
From: Marie E Loson
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

Would you consider other departments on campus (basically anyone outside of advancement/fundraising) a "third party" in this situation? We have always provided names, contact information, and donation information (amount, designation, date) to our campus partners when donations are made to funds supporting their departments. Are you saying this is not upholding the Donor Bill of Rights if we don't expressly tell our donors that we share this information with relevant campus partners? Or are you just suggesting better education surrounding confidentiality of this information on our campus? We are trying to involve our campus partners in stewardship, and I'm not sure how we would do that if this was not compliant with the DBR.

Thanks,
Marie

------------------------------
Marie Loson
Director of Advancement Services
SUNY Potsdam
losonme@potsdam.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2022 02:30 PM
From: John Taylor
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Ya - I wish it was a stronger board.

FWIW, there are laws on the books prohibiting the release of financial information to third parties.  But most are directed to commercial enterprises and financial institutions.  Gramm-Leach-Bliley (1999) immediately comes to mind.  Twenty years ago I spoke often on this in various privacy and confidentiality sessions.  There are lessons learned in this and other Acts for the nonprofit sector.  Even if we are not a "financial" institution.

Here's one statement from a 2004 version of my presentation:

"Fundraisers (all non-profit types) need to exercise vigilance in the protection of sensitive information in records"

The issue I was driving home was the need for all of us to build and maintain trust with our donors.  If we run around telling people how much they gave without asking their permission, not only do we lose their trust but likely future contributions.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 3:16:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

I appreciate how kindly you delivered that 2x4 that I so desperately needed.

I was making this situation way more complicated than I needed to make it.

Have a great weekend.

Joel

Joel Clasemann (he, him, his) Director of Advancement Services jclasema@css.edu | 218-723-6479 css.edu/campaign

Confidentiality Notice: The content of this message is the proprietary and confidential property of The College of St. Scholastica, and should be treated as such. If you are not a designated recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copying or distribution of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited. You may not review, copy or share this message; please delete this message from your system and notify me immediately by reply e-mail. Any unauthorized use or distribution of the content of this message is not permitted and may be illegal. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this email are those of the author and are not endorsed by The College.  

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:42:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

It is in the Donor Bill of Rights, Joel.

Secondly, personal finances are very private matters.  I would never share any financial information without the donor's express permission - ever.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

------------------------------
Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 5:40:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

This is excellent, Aaron!

To confirm (I hope):  Giving "history" includes gift amounts.  Correct?  Meaning only the first category (Tier 1) are informed of actual gift amounts.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:33:00 PM
From: Aaron Forrest
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Our data share policy has a chart of what can be shared with anyone outside Advancement. Very handy to have a stick. Feel free to borrow / adapt!

 

 

 

Aaron Forrest CPA

Senior Director Gift and Donor Services

University of Rochester Office of Advancement

585.275.2799 | aaron.forrest@rochester.edu

 

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:17:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

"Other" departments would need to demonstrate a need to know.  However, I believe most donors expect the sharing of some information internally for stewardship purposes.  That, however, does not necessarily need to include dollar amounts.

Regardless, I would insist on any campus partner desiring this information sign the standard advancement confidentiality form we ask our staff and board to sign annually.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2022 3:12:00 PM
From: Marie E Loson
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

Would you consider other departments on campus (basically anyone outside of advancement/fundraising) a "third party" in this situation? We have always provided names, contact information, and donation information (amount, designation, date) to our campus partners when donations are made to funds supporting their departments. Are you saying this is not upholding the Donor Bill of Rights if we don't expressly tell our donors that we share this information with relevant campus partners? Or are you just suggesting better education surrounding confidentiality of this information on our campus? We are trying to involve our campus partners in stewardship, and I'm not sure how we would do that if this was not compliant with the DBR.

Thanks,
Marie

------------------------------
Marie Loson
Director of Advancement Services
SUNY Potsdam
losonme@potsdam.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2022 02:30 PM
From: John Taylor
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Ya - I wish it was a stronger board.

FWIW, there are laws on the books prohibiting the release of financial information to third parties.  But most are directed to commercial enterprises and financial institutions.  Gramm-Leach-Bliley (1999) immediately comes to mind.  Twenty years ago I spoke often on this in various privacy and confidentiality sessions.  There are lessons learned in this and other Acts for the nonprofit sector.  Even if we are not a "financial" institution.

Here's one statement from a 2004 version of my presentation:

"Fundraisers (all non-profit types) need to exercise vigilance in the protection of sensitive information in records"

The issue I was driving home was the need for all of us to build and maintain trust with our donors.  If we run around telling people how much they gave without asking their permission, not only do we lose their trust but likely future contributions.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 3:16:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

John,

I appreciate how kindly you delivered that 2x4 that I so desperately needed.

I was making this situation way more complicated than I needed to make it.

Have a great weekend.

Joel

Joel Clasemann (he, him, his) Director of Advancement Services jclasema@css.edu | 218-723-6479 css.edu/campaign

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Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:42:00 PM
From: John H. Taylor
Subject: RE: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

It is in the Donor Bill of Rights, Joel.

Secondly, personal finances are very private matters.  I would never share any financial information without the donor's express permission - ever.

John

John H. Taylor

Principal

John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC

2604 Sevier St.

Durham, NC   27705

johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com

919.816.5903 (cell/text)

Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987

Original Message:
Sent: 3/25/2022 2:36:00 PM
From: Joel Clasemann
Subject: Sharing of Gift Amount Information

Friends,

I feel like I am pulling out my hair over this issue, so your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

About two years ago we adopted a policy/practice of not sharing donor dollar amounts with other members of the community.  The two exceptions to this are the president and gifts that are large enough that we are doing a press release about them.

I recall that we had located some legal or best practice guidance supporting this change.  However, this practice is now being challenged and I have no longer find the reference that was supposedly used.

Is this really a thing?  Does it sound familiar to anyone else?  Could you point me in the direction of relevant documentation that I may use to support or update our practice with confidence?

Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of St. Scholastica

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Joel Clasemann
Director of Advancement Services
The College of Saint Scholastica
jclasema@css.edu
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