Privacy policy

Last Revised: November 13, 2011

This privacy policy ("Policy") explains how personal information is collected, used, and disclosed by Benevolent, NFP and its affiliated companies ("Benevolent", "we" or "us") when you access the Benevolent web site at www.benevolent.com (the "Site"). The Site is designed to foster individual giving to meet individual needs by connecting those with a need to those who wish to help. The Site and the information, features, and services available on the Site may be referred to herein as the “Services”. Benevolent connects individuals in need (“Beneficiaries”) with donors (“Donors”) through a validation process conducted by charitable organizations with 501(c)(3) and/or tax exempt status (“Validators”). If you do not agree to the terms of this Policy, please do not use the Services

We reserve the right to change the provisions of this Policy at any time. We will alert you that changes have been made by indicating on the Policy the date it was last updated. We encourage you to review this Policy from time to time to make sure that you understand how any personal information you provide will be used. Your continued use of the Services following the posting of changes to these terms will mean you accept those changes.

What is personal information?

As used herein, the term "personal information" means information that specifically identifies an individual (such as a name, address, telephone number, mobile number, e-mail address, or credit card number), or information about that individual that is directly linked to personally identifiable information. Personal information does not include "aggregate" information, which is data we collect about the use of the Services or about a group or category of services or users, from which individual identities or other personal information has been removed. This Policy in no way restricts or limits our collection and use of aggregate information.

What Information Do We Collect?

We may collect information in a number of ways when you visit our site

Active collection

We collect certain information when you voluntarily provide it, such as if you send us an email, create an account, fill out a form, post comments or other content, or otherwise provide or request information. Such information may include personal information, such as your name, user name, email address, physical address, telephone number, and other contact and demographic information. Personal and demographic information may also be collected if you provide such information in connection with leaving comments, posting content, sending an email or message to another user, or participating in any interactive forums or features on the Services. In addition, from time to time we may collect demographic, contact, or other personal information you provide in connection with your participation in surveys and other activities on the Services.

Passive collection

When you use the Services, some information is also automatically collected, such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, your operating system, the browser type, the address of a referring web site, and your activity on the Site. We treat this information as personal information if we combine it with or link it to any of the identifying information mentioned above. Otherwise, it is used in the aggregate only.

We may also automatically collect certain information and monitor user activity through the use of "cookies" or web beacons (also known as web bugs, pixel tags, tracking pixels, or clear gifs) on the Services. If we link cookies to any personally identifying information, we will treat this information as personal information. The web beacons we use do not collect any personal information If you wish to block, erase, or be warned of cookies on the Services, please refer to your browser manufacturer to learn about these functions. However, if you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect certain features on the Services. Information provided by cookies, web beacons, or other devices may be used, among other things, to analyze data, to determine the popularity of certain content, to make recommendations to you and to better understand the usage and visitation of the Services.

For some features of the Services, you may be able to submit information about other people. For instance, if you wish to refer a friend to the Site or validate a Beneficiary’s request, you may submit some of your friend’s personal information. Benevolent will use any such information that we collect from you about another person to carry out your request.

Third parties may also use cookies, web beacons or other devices to collect information when you use the Services. Benevolent does not control any cookies or other data collection tools that may be placed on the Services by a third party, including Advertisers and Validators, and this Privacy Policy does not cover the use of such cookies and/or other data collection tools by any third party. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of third party websites and applications you use to find out more about the information that may be collected by third parties and the choices you have regarding the collection, use and sharing of such information.

Information received from third parties

We may also obtain certain information about you from third parties, including our Validators or Donors. This information may include demographic information or other information related to a Beneficiary’s request; the validation of that request; or a donation from a donor. The collection and use of this information is pursuant to such third party's information collection practices, which may be outlined in a privacy policy like this one. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information received from third parties, and Benevolent is not responsible for the Privacy and security practices and policies of such third parties.

We may store and process personal information in the United States and other countries.

How do we use the personal information we collect?

We use personal information we collect through the Services for the purposes described in this Policy or elsewhere on the Site. For example, we may use personal and other information we collect:

  • to provide the services, products, or information you request and to process and complete any transactions, requests, or donations in connection therewith;
  • to promote or publicize the request of a Beneficiary; a Validator; or a donation by a Donor as part of the Services provided to the Beneficiary and/or Validator either on the Site or off the Site;
  • to request feedback and to otherwise contact you about your account or your use of the Services;
  • to communicate with you and respond to your emails, submissions, questions, inquiries, comments, requests, and complaints and to provide customer service;
  • to personalize and improve the Services and users' experiences, to increase the functionality and user friendliness of the Site, to deliver content or features that match user profiles or interests, and to provide recommendations as to other websites, content or features that may be of interest to users;
  • to monitor and analyze Site usage and trends and otherwise measure the effectiveness of the Services;
  • to provide you with news and information about our or third party events, activities, campaigns, offers, products, and services we think will be of interest to you;
  • to send you confirmations, updates, security alerts, and support and administrative messages, to detect and prevent fraud, and to otherwise facilitate your use of, and our administration and operation of, the Site;
  • to notify you about important changes to our Site;
  • to conduct surveys; and
  • for any other purpose for which the information was collected.

What personal information do we share with third parties?

We will not share the personal information we collect from you through the Services with third parties, except as described in this Policy, on the Site. For example, we may share personal information as follows:

  • with vendors, consultants, and other service providers ("Service Providers") who are engaged by or working with us in connection with the operation of the Site or the other services we provide and who need access to such information to carry out their work for us;
  • Beneficiary’s information may be shared with Validators to provide the services requested for the Beneficiary;
  • when you give us your consent to do so, including if you ask for information to be posted to share and publicize a Beneficiary’s need or to share a donation by a Donor or if we notify you that the information you provide will be shared in a particular manner and you provide such information;
  • when we believe in good faith that we are lawfully authorized or required to do so or that doing so is reasonably necessary or appropriate to comply with the law or legal processes or respond to lawful requests or legal authorities, including responding to lawful subpoenas, warrants, or court orders;
  • when we believe in good faith that we are lawfully authorized or required to do so or that doing so is reasonably necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of Benevolent, our users, our employees, our Validators, Donors, Advertisers, copyright owners, third parties or the public, including without limitation to protect Benevolent or our users, Validators, Donors, or Advertisers from fraudulent, abusive, inappropriate, or unlawful use of our Site;
  • to enforce or apply this Policy, our Terms of Use, or our other policies or agreements;
  • in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing or acquisition, or in any other situation where personal information may be disclosed or transferred as one of the business assets of Benevolent;
  • to enter you into a sweepstakes, contest or promotion; and
  • to respond to your questions.

Nothing herein restricts the sharing of information we collect from you in an aggregated or anonymized form that does not directly identify you, and such information may be shared in any manner and for any purpose without your consent. This can include usage information that is not connected to personal information.

You understand that when you use the Site, any information you post in any interactive areas of the Site, including in any needs, validations, donations, comments, listings, profiles, public or private groups or forums, as well as any information you share with individuals through the Site or through social network sites or other social feeds, will be available to other users and in some cases may be publicly available. We recommend you be cautious about giving out personal information to others or sharing personal information in public or private online forums. For instance, we suggest that Beneficiaries not use their real names as their user names. Moreover, if you are submitting information about a third party you must have the required permission from the third party to do so.

We are not responsible for the actions of Service Providers or other third parties, nor are we responsible for any additional information you provide directly to any third parties, and we encourage you to become familiar with their privacy practices before disclosing information directly to any such parties. Nothing herein restricts the sharing of aggregated or anonymized information, which may be shared with third parties without your consent.

Your California privacy rights

The following applies solely to California residents who have an established business relationship with Benevolent. If we collect personal information from you, we will not make that personal information available to third parties for their marketing and promotional purposes.

Links to other websites

The Services may contain links to other websites. Any personal information you provide on linked pages or applications is provided directly to that third party and is subject to that third party's privacy policy. This Privacy Policy does not apply to such linked sites, and we are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of these websites or any other sites that are linked to from the Services. We encourage you to learn about their privacy and security practices and policies before providing them with personal information.

What steps do we take to protect your information online?

We take measures designed to protect your personal information in an effort to prevent loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Please be aware, however, that despite our efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other type of misuse. To protect the confidentiality of personal information maintained in your account, you must keep your password confidential and not disclose it to any other person. You are responsible for all uses of the Site by any person using your password. Please advise us immediately if you believe your password has been misused.

Children’s privacy

The Site is not intended for use by children under the age of 13, and Benevolent does not knowingly collect or use any personal information from such children. If we become aware that we have unknowingly collected personal information from a child under the age of 13, we will make commercially reasonable efforts to delete such information from our database.

What choices do you have regarding the use of your information?

You may "opt out" of receiving marketing or promotional emails from us by following the instructions in those emails. If you opt out, we may still send you non-promotional emails, such as emails about your accounts or our ongoing business relations.

Miscellaneous

This Privacy Policy and the privacy practices of Benevolent will be subject exclusively to the laws of the State of Illinois within the United States. Benevolent makes no representation that this Privacy Policy and our practices comply with the laws of any other country or jurisdiction. Visitors who use the Services and reside outside the United States do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. If you reside outside of the United States, by using the Services, you consent to the transfer, processing and use of your information outside your country.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this Policy, please contact us at info@benevolent.net.