Not to Be Indelicate, but …

“[Donors] are already concerned that we know too much about them,” D’Agostino says, commenting on the crucial need to afford direct-mail recipients the choice to opt-out.

Like their direct-mail brethren, online fundraisers try to allay potential donors’ privacy fears. San Francisco-based VolunteerMatch President Deborah Dinkelacker says she’s committed to protecting her users’ privacy and conveying a legitimate interest in “using technology to help build better communities through volunteerism.”