Concerned About Online Donor Data Security? Try a Private Social Network

There’s a degree to which we understand that, as consumers, entrusting a large for-profit organization with a bit of personal data is the price of convenience. Whether it’s electronic banking or adding an app in Facebook, the pros seem to outweigh the cons.

But what many people do not realize (and your donors may be among them) is the degree to which they are giving tacit permission for the collection of information related to their browsing habits. Here’s just one example of how that works. When you visit websites that offer you the ability to share a Web page on your chosen social-media or bookmarking site — you know, where you see a row of the popular social-media icons at the top — it’s possible that the website is using a free gadget to provide that little piece of functionality. These gadgets are free to the website developer, but they make their money by providing information to online advertisers so you can be presented with appropriate ads.