Clearing up a point on charities

I loved the story on charitable giving (“Charity takes a lot of clarity,” Dec. 2) but have to point out one general misconception. While charities value their major donors, making a smaller donation does not necessarily mean the nonprofit will release donor information to others.

In fact, most development professionals belong to the Assn. of Fundraising Professionals, which has created a “donor bill of rights.” One provision states that donors can have their names “deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.”

I would encourage anyone thinking of making a donation to a favorite charity this holiday to continue to do so, regardless of how much the amount is.

Brian Sheridan

Director of development

Heritage Square Museum