ETHICAL STANDARDS (Adopted 1964; amended Oct 2014, Dec 2023)
Introduction: Our Commitment to Ethical and Effective Fundraising
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is a professional organization whose members believe that philanthropy and fundraising are important aspects of our lives in society. AFP exists to foster the development and growth of both fundraising professionals and the profession itself and to promote high ethical behavior in fundraising practices. The AFP Code of Ethics and its Standards of Ethical Practice inform and govern the behavior of members and are designed to be applied alongside AFP’s commitments to member fair behavior practices and IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and access).
The Code and Standards have a dual focus: (1) the duties of fundraisers to the organizations and communities they serve and to the donors who support those missions; and (2) the duties of fundraisers in relation to others in the profession and to the wider public.
This Code guides those practicing fundraising (individuals and organizations), and also applies to business members as they support fundraising practices.
