Protecting Donors Who Seek Anonymity
June 24, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
To the Editor:
As a development officer, I was appalled that you printed Julia Green’s article “Is N.Y. Mayor Anonymous Carnegie Donor?” (June 10).
As fund raisers, it is our job to ensure that a donor’s identity is protected if he requests that his gift remain anonymous. When a publication begins to speculate about anonymous donors and prints such speculations, you directly impact nonprofit organizations’ credibility with their donors.
Why would a donor, who wishes to remain nameless, contribute to any organization if she cannot be guaranteed of her anonymous status? You have done a disservice to the generous donors who help nonprofits — named and unnamed.
Elizabeth A. Boyce
Director of Development
Depression & Related Affective Disorders Association
Baltimore
