Introduction

ECAD, Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to enabling people with disabilities to gain greater independence and mobility through the use of specially educated Service Dogs. All donations solicited on behalf of ECAD shall be used to further this mission and follow the policies and procedures outlined below.

Fundraising Policy

Funds shall be solicited in a respectful manner and without pressure. All third parties not directly affiliated with ECAD who wish to solicit funds on behalf of the organization must complete the Third Party Fundraising Agreement provided by an ECAD representative prior to beginning any fundraising activities. Donor-designated restrictions on contributions shall be honored.

ECAD is a non-profit 501(c)(3) agency and contributions made to the organization are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Written tax receipts shall be issued for all donations, contingent on receipt of the donor’s email and/or physical address. . If the donor receives anything in exchange for their donation, such as a dinner or event admission, the tax receipt shall clearly state what portion of the donation is tax deductible. ECAD shall provide donors with written documentation of all tax deductible gifts received during the prior calendar year, upon request only.

Fundraising Procedures

Upon receipt, all monetary donations shall be forwarded to the Development Department for coding and recording purposes. After funds have been accounted for by the appropriate development staff, a written transmittal, check copies, cash receipts, and any other correspondence accompanying the gift shall be circulated through the Accounting department. The Development department acknowledges donations. All monetary donations are recorded and deposited according to accounting procedures. All donor-designated restrictions shall be communicated to the Accounting department so that they may be recorded and governed appropriately. All requests for donors to remain anonymous shall be honored by flagging the gift in the ECAD donor database, as appropriate. All in-kind gifts that are accepted by ECAD shall be recorded and acknowledged according to development and accounting procedures.

Donor Privacy Policy

Any information supplied to ECAD by donors will be used solely to fulfill and/or process their donation and shall not be shared for any reason unless written permission is granted by the donor to share such information. All requests to remain anonymous shall be honored. ECAD does not sell, trade, or share donor lists. Donors who supply ECAD with their postal address or email address may be contacted periodically for solicitation purposes and/or with information regarding upcoming events. All donors have the option of being placed on a "once-a-year" mailing list which grants ECAD permission to contact them only once per year. Donors may request to be permanently removed from ECAD’s mailing list by contacting us via email, telephone, or postal mail. All requests to be removed from ECAD’s mailing list shall be honored. Donors who supply ECAD with their telephone number shall only be contacted by telephone regarding donations they have made. ECAD does not participate in telephone fundraising activities.