DV Canvass

WHY DOES THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DO DOOR-TO-DOOR FUNDRAISING?

Door to door fundraising is one of the most effective and personal ways we can reach out to donors. Amnesty International believes all people have fundamental human rights, but those rights are abused or denied every single day. With a monthly donation, Amnesty International is able to consistently continue our research and document human rights abuses and mobilize millions of supporters to campaign for change.

HOW DOES MONTHLY SUPPORT HELP AMNESTY? WHY HAVE YOU RESUMED DOOR FUNDRAISING?

As we relaunch the door fundraising at AIUSA, our top concern continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our team and the public. Our Monthly Donor program is a vital part of Amnesty International’s ability to continue to defend human rights around the world.

As a monthly donor your contribution allows for AIUSA to plan and budget for our ongoing human rights work without having to shift resources when crisis arises. Additionally, Amnesty’s administrative costs are greatly reduced, which means more funds go directly to research, programs, and campaigns.

You can spread your donation out over the year, so that you hardly notice the regular deductions – MONTHLY DONATIONS ARE CONVENIENT, AUTOMATIC, AND EFFECTIVE.

HOW DOES A DONOR KNOW IF A FUNDRAISER IS FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL?

In addition to the “Amnesty Yellow” vests and/or shirts, all Amnesty International fundraisers have identification badges and name tags.

DO FUNDRAISERS ACCEPT CASH GIFTS?

No, fundraisers do not accept cash or coin gifts, this helps protect both the donor and fundraiser. Amnesty International fundraisers accept void checks for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and credit card payments electronically on a tablet or a secured TPV phone call.

IS IT SAFE TO GIVE PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO THE FUNDRAISERS?

Yes: All tablets are equipped with encrypted software to collect payment information in a secure way. All the data we collect is immediately uploaded to our remote servers, processed and then completely removed from the tablet. Once processed, your financial data is further encrypted according to Payment Compliance Industry (PCI) Standards.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM A MONTHLY DONOR?

All donors will receive an email confirmation immediately upon sign-up, and if available, a phone call to welcome you within two weeks. Donors can call us at 1-800-AMNESTY if they have no received any of the mentioned above correspondences.

WHAT IF A DONOR WANTS TO CANCEL OR CHANGE GIVING?

Donors may cancel monthly gifts at any time by calling 1-800-AMNESTY or email at [email protected] They may also reduce or increase the donation amount, change payment method, and/or gift schedule by calling or emailing.

WHERE CAN I VIEW AMNESTY’S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS?

You may view our Financial Statements and Form 990 on our website (www.amnestyusa.org).

WHAT % OF THE MONEY RAISED IS SPENT ON PROGRAMS?

In 2019, over 76% of AIUSA’s spending went directly toward advancing our programmatic goals, including freeing prisoners of conscience, fighting discrimination, and pushing for public policies that respect the human rights of people around the world.

IS MY DONATION TAX DEDUCTIBLE?

Amnesty International USA is classified as a public charity and is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) if the Internal Revenue Code. Therefore, contributions to Amnesty are fully deductible under section 170 of the code.

WHEN AND HOW WILL I RECEIVE MY TAX RECEIPT?

Donors will receive a consolidated tax-receipt for all your donations in a specific year at the beginning of the following year – usually in February to the address that you have provided.

DOES AMNESTY ACCEPT FUNDING FROM BUSINESSES OR CORPORATIONS?

Amnesty International’s sole objective is the impartial protection and advancement of human rights. This means that, unlike some other human rights organizations, we accept NO government funding to conduct our research or carry out our campaigns. Additionally, to ensure we maintain our objectivity and impartiality, we accept only extremely limited corporate support. The majority of our income is derived from members and donors who give modest amounts.

I RECEIVE TOO MUCH MAIL/TOO MANY CALLS, HOW CAN I BE REMOVED FROM YOUR LIST?

Please contact member services at 1800-AMNESTY or email [email protected] to update your account preferences.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE TO SEEING FUNDRAISERS BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

Overall, the public is finding us to be conducting our work in a very safe way. Additionally, we are pleased that we are able to provide jobs for our door fundraising teams during this time and that they are all receiving a fair wage and health benefits. They teams continue to express gratitude that Amnesty is taking their own personal safety and welfare so seriously as we continue to monitor this very critical situation throughout the country and the world.