KNN Endorses National Principles to Protect Nonprofit Integrity and Donor Trust in Online Giving

KNN has joined the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) — the nation’s largest network of nonprofits — and state associations across the nation to champion a new set of national principles designed to guide ethical online fundraising platforms and protect the integrity of charitable giving.

Each year, millions of Americans donate to and volunteer with the charitable nonprofits to make a difference in their communities. Many donors turn to one of the hundreds of U.S. online fundraising platforms to give — and in many cases, charitable nonprofits are not even aware that some online fundraising platforms are soliciting or collecting donations on their behalf. Some of these platforms operate and collect millions of dollars in tips and fees without nonprofit consent, and without consent are often using incorrect or outdated information that misrepresents a charity’s brand and mission. In addition to the risk of undermining donor trust and nonprofit integrity, these platforms easily insert themselves between charities and their donors — making it harder to build the long-term relationships upon which nonprofits depend.

“Consent is at the core of the National Council of Nonprofits’ principles for ethical online fundraising platforms,” said Danielle Clore, CEO of KNN. “Nonprofits require public trust to advance their missions. Charities work every day to build and maintain this trust through impact and accountability. Similar industries – like restaurants, hotels, and small businesses – have demanded their right to consent with online platforms, and given what’s at stake for the services charitable nonprofits deliver in Kentucky communities – our nonprofit sector deserves the same protections.”

Principles for Ethical Online Fundraising Platforms

To help protect nonprofits and the generous donors who support them, the National Council of Nonprofits, KNN and 51 other state and regional associations collectively representing nearly 40,000 charitable nonprofits have published four principles for ethical online fundraising platforms:

• Nonprofit Consent: Nonprofits must have the power and agency to decide for themselves how and when to engage with online fundraising platforms before they solicit or collect donations.
• Transparency: Donors must have the power and information they need to decide whether to make a donation through an online fundraising platform.
• Partnership: Online fundraising platforms must recognize nonprofits as valued, equal partners.
• Accountability: Online fundraising platforms must be accountable to nonprofits, donors, the public, and the appropriate regulators.

Read the full set of principles here.

The principles have also been endorsed by Every.org—an online fundraising platform that is a leader in their industry—demonstrating that supporting nonprofit fundraising does not have to come at the expense of nonprofits or donors.

Key Issues: Why This Matters

Unethical and unregulated online fundraising practices raise significant concerns for nonprofits, including:

• Lack of Knowledge and Consent: Nonprofits may be unaware platforms are fundraising on their behalf, risking brand damage and donor confusion
• Confusion for Donors: Platforms may display inaccurate information and fail to share donor data with nonprofits
• Lack of Transparent and Reasonable Fees: Hidden fees and default tips can reduce the amount of donations that reach nonprofits
• Late or Withheld Funds: Donations may be delayed for weeks or months—or never delivered
• Search Engine Optimization: Some platforms rank higher in search results than nonprofit websites, diverting donors
• Implementation Challenges: Nonprofits may struggle to remove unauthorized fundraising pages or control how their information is used
• Erosion of Trust and Spread of Misinformation: These practices can deepen skepticism and undermine confidence in the nonprofit sector

Take Action: Endorse Today! 

Please join KNN in urging online fundraising platforms to operate with nonprofit consent, transparency, partnership, and accountability. Make your voices heard!

Take action today by:

• Endorsing the principles for ethical online fundraising platforms.
• Sharing the principles with other nonprofits in your community and on social media. You can keep it simple by sharing KNN’s Facebook post.
• Urging online fundraising platforms to operate ethically.

Share your input about the principles with us.