Privacy Policy Must-Haves

Privacy Policy Must-Haves

Nov. 8, 2005

By Abny Santicola, FundRaising Success

When it comes to privacy, the gathering of the data isn't the issue. It's what's done with the data that's controversial, says David Lamb, prospect research consultant for software and services provider Blackbaud Analytics.

Lamb says the way for organizations to deal with this is to be upfront about what they are doing with donor information by creating a privacy policy.

"There are a lot of organizations -- nonprofits -- with privacy policies on their Web sites that I think are terribly inadequate. If you just Google 'privacy policy' or 'donor privacy' you'll get a ton of these policies, and what they basically say is, 'We care about our donors' privacy, and we promise that we won't sell your name to other organizations.' Well, that's great but it leaves a lot of ground uncovered," Lamb says.

In a white paper on "Privacy and the Prospect Researcher," Lamb lays out the questions a privacy policy should answer:

• What information is collected?
• How will the personal information be used?
• How will the personal information be saved? How is it protected? Who will see it?
• Will the personal information ever be disclosed? Shared? Sold?
• Should users expect to be contacted only when permission is granted? Without permission? By third parties?
• When personal information is submitted, is there an implied consent granted? If so, what is implied?
• What other information (for example, demographic information) may be kept, used and shared?

Once you have a clear statement of privacy that answers these questions, the next key is to live by it. Lamb says that organizations in the past that have made statements of privacy but have failed to uphold them.

"So, after saying, 'We don't disclose your donor information to anybody,' they did. Make your statement, and tell your donors what you will and what you won't do with their information," he adds.

David Lamb can be reached by visiting www.blackbaud.com.