Voting unanimously the ePhilanthropy Foundation Trustees have revised the ePhilanthropy Code of Ethics for the first time since January 2001.

The reason for this change was a growing concern on the part of Trustees that the code did not provide adequate guidance regarding issues of data privacy.

While privacy and security of ePhilanthropy data has been a major theme of the Code of Ethics since its inception, the number of questions received by the Foundation has grown considerably over the past year related to issues of privacy statements and disclosure to donors and Web site visitors.

The ePhilanthropy Code of Ethical Online Philanthropic Practices now states in Section B6 that ethical online philanthropic practitioners will:

"Provide a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on its website telling visitors, at a minimum, what information is being collected, how this information will be used and who has access to the data."

The trustees have also clarified their position in section B4 of the Code of Ethics that all organizations engaged in ePhilanthropy should only send electronic communication to those who have opted IN to lists and that every communication should provide instructions for opting OUT.

Copies of the Code of Ethics can be downloaded for free in both English and Spanish at http://www.ephilanthropyfoundation.org/ethics

Questions regarding the Code of Ethics can be sent to the Foundation's Ethics Committee for review at the Foundation's Ethics Center at: http://www.ephilanthropyfoundation.org/ethicscenter