Privacy Policy
At WeCareTexas.org, your privacy is one of our top priorities. This policy describes the privacy practices regarding information collected from WeCareTexas.org site visitors.
The WeCareTexas.org Privacy Policy applies only to the WeCareTexas.org site. This policy does not apply whenever visitors leave WeCareTexas.org domains by clicking a link to an external site, including the sites of Donorbox.org. The WeCareTexas.org linking policy includes more information about links from WeCareTexas.org to external sites.
Why Do We Collect Information
Speaking plainly, information (or data) is at the heart of what we do as an organization. It means we can function as a charity and do things like collecting donations, claiming Gift Aid, running our life-changing membership and empowerment programs, and keeping in touch with you so you can be part of our campaigns and activities. It allows us to keep track of how you personally prefer to be contacted (and what kinds of contact you definitely don’t want!) so we know how to communicate and how not to communicate with you.
How We Use The Information We Collect From You
The main ways in which we use the information you provide to us is to complete and action or deliver a product or service to you that you have reasonably requested. This may include but is not limited to processing a donation (including claiming Gift Aid, where you have asked that we do this), delivering programs and training, running our memberships programs, and conducting research. We will also use your information to help provide you with goods and services that you’ve bought or requested from us.
We may also use the information you have provided to get in touch with you about our work unless you have specifically told us not to. Please note that we will not send you emails or text messages about our work unless you have specifically asked us to.
How We Collect Information
We collect information when you:
How Long Do We Keep Information For
Our standard practice is to only hold your data for as long as it is required. This will vary depending on the activity for which the data is being used. However, we are wholly aware of our obligations under the Data Protection Act and the GDPR, and we make every effort to ensure that we only hold on to your data for as long as it is required.
In terms of physical records, by company law, we are required to retain information related to donations (such as donation forms and correspondence) for seven years (six years from the end of the financial year it is collected), at which time it gets securely destroyed.
We also use a supporter database to keep a record of your interactions with us. This includes financial information such as donation history or non-financial information, like details of a telephone call to our supporter care team. This information is incredibly valuable to us for fundraising and reporting purposes, and for better understanding the variety of people who support WeCareTexas.org, so we can better plan and position our campaigns and appeals.
Because data is such a key part of helping us to achieve our goals, we have set out the following retention schedule:
Where you have made a financial contribution or commitment to our work, as a donation, legacy gift, or otherwise, we will retain your information indefinitely (unless otherwise requested).
We have made this decision for two reasons – firstly because it helps us to identify the context surrounding legacy donations. Another reason is that in our experience, it is worthwhile investing in re-engaging supporters in these groups.
Where you do not fall into one of these groups (for instance, if you have only ever signed one of our petitions) we will retain your information for a period of time we feel proportionate to our business aims and your level of engagement.
It is, of course, your right to ask that your information be erased from our records whenever you wish, but please be aware that when we do, we will lose all of your preferences, including requests to opt-out from certain types of communications. See the information below about your rights.
Marketing, Profiling, and Screening
As a charity that invests responsibly in fundraising, we operate a number of programs to raise money from individuals. This includes sending you letters and other sorts of mail, emails, calling you on the phone, and sending you text messages. The law varies depending on the channel we use to get in touch with you, but in line with our obligations according to the Data Protection Act 1998, the GDPR, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, we may contact you as follows:
Mail: we send mail to our supporters except where you’ve specifically told us you don’t want to receive mail from us.
The mailings we send out include a number of postal appeals focused on different elements of our work. We also send out our supporter magazine, to give you a closer look at the work we’re doing. We could also get in touch with you about the different ways you can support us, such as through supporter fundraising, attending a program, or by leaving a legacy. You have the right to tell us what types of mailings you’d like to receive (for instance, if you’d prefer to receive just our postal appeals or if you’d rather not receive our supporter magazine). If you’d like to discuss your preferences, please get in touch.
If you want to stop receiving postal mailings from us, you can always let us know or you can opt-out through the Fundraising Preference Service. We aim to act on your request within 3 working days of receipt, but it can take up to 28 days for you to stop receiving mailings from the time you send us your request.
Email: we send out a number of email alerts to keep you up to date with our work, and to let you know how you can help.
You may be included on several mailing lists through your various connections to WeCareTexas.org. If you’d like to unsubscribe from one specific list, please click the unsubscribe option at the bottom of your email. Alternatively, you can unsubscribe from all email communication by contacting info@wecaretexas.org.
If you’ve changed any of your contact details, please contact info@wecaretexas.org
For more information about your data please see your rights.
Phone: we find telephone fundraising a really effective way to connect with our supporters, so we may occasionally call you to let you know about additional ways of supporting our work if you’ve provided us with your telephone number. Phone calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.
At the moment, we call our supporters who have indicated they are happy to hear from us by phone, with some exceptions. These are where you have specifically told us that you wouldn’t like to receive phone calls from us, or where you’re signed up to the Telephone Preference Service. Please note, we will always check if you are registered with the Telephone Preference Service before calling you regarding any marketing activity from us unless you have explicitly opted to receive telephone calls from us.
You can opt out of receiving fundraising phone calls by letting us know, or you can opt-out through the Fundraising Preference Service.
We try to action all opt-out requests as quickly as possible but we do produce telephone calling files in advance to save on costs. We will action requests to be removed from calling lists within 3 working days, but it can take up to 28 days from the time of your request for you to stop receiving calls.
SMS: where you’ve provided us with a mobile phone number, we may also send you text messages about our work, but only if you have specifically asked us to.
If you’d like to opt-out, you can either reply to our messages with a request to opt-out, let us know, or opt-out via the Fundraising Preference Service. Text requests to opt-out are actioned instantly, otherwise, we aim to act on opt-out requests within 3 days of receipt, but it can take up to 28 days from the time of your request for you to stop receiving texts.
Profiling
In order to make our messages to you more relevant, we may use your personal information to create a profile of your interests and preferences. What this means is that we could use pieces of information you’ve either given us directly (such as your age or location) or your behavior (your donation history, including the amount, frequency, and method through which you give, or any campaign actions you’ve taken, including signing petitions) to create a profile. This not only gives us an idea of who our supporters are but also helps to make sure that when we get in touch with you or ask you to take an action on our behalf, it is done in a way that is relevant and tailored to you.
This enables us to identify supporters who are likely to be able to help us either in a financial or non-financial capacity, and it’s also an effective way for us to maximize the use of our marketing budget, so we’re able to help further our cause with the resources we have available to us.
We consider this one of our legitimate interests and as such have considered our position carefully to ensure that any activity is implemented in a fair and balanced way, taking into account your rights as an individual. It is your right to opt-out of your information being used for profiling, and there is information on how to do this at the end of this section.
Screening
Additionally, as part of our legitimate interests, we have considered that screening is an effective way for us to ensure that we are contacting you with appropriate and relevant messages. We operate a number of different programs to nurture support and want to make sure that when we make a request of any of our supporters, it’s an appropriate one. As such, we do make use of third-party wealth screening companies who combine information we provide with publicly available information to help us determine which of our supporter programs any particular supporter is best suited for. While this does form a crucial part of our strategy to secure voluntary income, it is your right to be able to opt-out from your information being screened, and details of how to do this are at the end of this section.
Publicly Available Information
As part of the work we do, we occasionally carry out research of our own to identify individuals in the public spotlight who may be interested in supporting WeCareTexas.org, and also to gain additional insight into current supporters of significant public standing. This practice, known as desk research, makes use of publicly available information through sources such as published rich lists, newspapers, and corporate websites, and aids us in identifying opportunities for new major donors, event sponsorship, corporate partnerships, event speakers, and media opportunities.
As a precautionary measure in order to ensure our events are safe and effective spaces for speakers, facilitators, and participants to share knowledge and experiences, we might carry out due diligence on event participants. Members of our events team might complete a routine check on information that is available in the public domain and, in exceptional circumstances, reserve the right to refuse entry if necessary. If applicable, a full refund will be provided.
We may also carry out desk research in the following areas: prospective organizations in the public, private and third sectors who may be interested in joining our workplace programs. From time to time we may contact prospective schools who may be interested in attending one of our program delivery sessions and in turn joining our education program.
Your Rights – Opting Out of Screening or Profiling
It is your right to opt-out of your information being used for any sort of profiling and screening. If you would like to do this, please send a request to info@wecaretexas.org.
Sharing Information
So that we are able to provide you with the high level of service we pride ourselves on, and to make the most of the resources available to us, we work with a number of contracted suppliers who on our behalf help us carry out various important tasks. This could include sending outposts or making phone calls, processing and banking donations, and sending out thank you letters. As a result, when you deal with us, you can expect your information to be shared with our contracted suppliers in a safe and secure manner.
These suppliers have all entered into an agreement to handle information we supply them in a confidential and secure way in accordance with our instructions. They have all been through a vetting process and we make interim checks to ensure that their processes remain secure and robust. These organizations will never use your details for reasons beyond the scope of our interaction with them.
At the same time, we make use of cloud-based systems (hosted databases, email servers, and service providers) to help us provide you with an optimal supporter experience. Although it is only WeCareTexas.org personnel who use and access these systems, the information within them is securely stored on and off-site.
Security
We have put extensive measures in place to protect your information, both on and offline. As an organization, we are PCI-DSS compliant and have implemented strict policies and procedures to ensure that we handle, process, and store data in a secure way, both on and offline.
Where we have a control system of transfer, all information transmitted to us electronically is transferred in a secure way, using industry-standard technologies. In addition to this, online card payments are handled securely by our partners, and all online payment information is stored securely by them. Our IT network is secured with a number of safeguards including firewalls and antivirus packages which are regularly updated and secured against malware and ransomware. Network passwords are regularly changed and all staff is trained in matters of data protection.
The security protocols of our contracted partners (referenced in the section above) are equally robust and are checked and monitored as part of our vetting process. More information about the security standards of our partners can be found in their privacy policies. For details of these, please get in touch.
Cookies
Cookies are small pieces of code that are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website, allowing us to recognize your device on subsequent visits. We use cookies to monitor the status of our website and ensure that it is running efficiently, and we also use cookies to remember your preferences. Cookies are anonymous and are not linked to any personal information.
Your Rights
As a charity, we have put this policy together to give you more control when it comes to your information and how we may use it. When considering the law in this area, you are afforded certain rights in terms of viewing the information we hold about you, correcting that information if necessary, and asking us to delete it should you like it to be erased.
In addition to this, you have the right to request that we do not use the information we hold about you for the purposes of screening or profiling, and you also have the right to update marketing and fundraising communication preferences. You can do this by opting in or out.
To exercise any of your rights, please get in touch.
Accessing the information we have about you (Subject Access Requests)
You have the right to request a copy of the information we hold about you. This is known as a Subject Access Request.
To make a Subject Access Request, please make a request in writing, addressed to:
Data Protection Officer
WeCareTexas.org
700 Milam Street, Suite #1300
Houston, Texas 77002
We may ask you to fill in a form in order to help expedite your request, prove your identity, or provide more detail regarding your request.
We aim to complete your request within 30 days of our receipt. We may extend the period by a further two months where requests are complex or numerous. If this is the case, we will inform you within one month of the receipt of the request and explain why the extension is necessary.
Correcting the information we hold about you
It is also your right to correct the information we hold about you, for instance, if you have changed your address or phone number.
We aim to act on these sorts of requests within a week of our receipt.
Deleting The Information We Hold About You
You have the right to ask us to delete the information we hold about you. Whilst we are duty-bound to comply with your request, this is different from opting out and means that we will erase all history of our interaction with you, as far as our legal obligations allow. We will also lose all history of your preference requests, including opt-outs and unsubscribes. This means that if you re-engage with us in the future, we will have no record of your prior preferences and may end up contacting you according to the rules we have set out in this policy.
Please note that in line with our legal obligations, we are required to hold on to all information pertaining to donations for a period of seven years (six years from the end of the financial year it was collected). Should you wish for us to erase the information we hold about you, we will happily comply whilst retaining the bare minimum of information required for us to fulfill our statutory obligations.
Opting Out of Fundraising Communications and Profiling/Screening
Even if you have given us your consent to receive marketing communications, it is your right to withdraw this consent (opt-out) at any time. We aim to act on requests of this kind within three working days of our receipt, although because we brief and prepare our communications in advance, it can take up to 28 days from the time of your request for contact to cease.
In the same way, you have the right to object to any processing we carry out as a result of our legitimate interests, including any profiling or screening activity we either carry out directly or through one of our partners.
How To Get In Touch With Us
You can get in touch with us in the following ways.
By post:
Supporter Care Team
WeCareTexas.org
700 Milam Street, Suite #1300
Houston, Texas 77002
By email: info@wecaretexas.org
Updates To This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. If we make any material changes to this policy we will let you know, should we have sufficient permissions to do so. We will at this time also make it clear on our website that we have updated our terms.
