Donor Privacy Policy | Assistance League of San Antonio

Adopted May 2004
Revised June 2019

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE^® OF SAN ANTONIO

DONOR PRIVACY POLICY

This document sets forth the policy that Assistance League of San Antonio shall follow with respect to the contributions and privacy rights of donors.

GENERAL STATEMENTS

Assistance League of San Antonio respects the privacy of its donors and has put in place a Donor Privacy Policy to honor donor’s rights.
Unless otherwise provided below, the Donor Privacy Policy shall be provided or made available to any donor upon request or upon receipt of a donation.
Assistance League of San Antonio maintains records of all contributions to Assistance League of San Antoni Assistance League of San Antonio does not sell, trade, or share its donor list with any other organization. A donor may choose to restrict the use of personal information by contacting Assistance League of San Antonio.
Unless otherwise provided below, Assistance League of San Antonio shall not publish, post, or distribute the name, personal contact information or amount of donation of a donor to a business or to any individual who is not a member of Assistance League of San Antonio (with a need to know the information) without the written consent of the donor. Exceptions shall be when required by law, grant applications, and processing credit card or other payment transactions which may be made without prior knowledge or consent of the donor.
Publications, promotional items and publicity of Assistance League of San Antonio shall include but not be limited to an informational brochure, Assistance League of San Antonio newsletter, Assistance League of San Antonio website, annual fundraiser program, community newsletter, grant applications, annual reports, press releases, rack card and Assistance League of San Antonio history.
Satisfaction of the requirement to provide a copy of the Donor Privacy Policy to Assistance League of San Antonio members shall be met by annually posting a copy on the San Antonio website.

GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING ALL TYPES OF DONATIONS

Any individual, corporation, or business may make a contribution to Assistance League of San Antonio. Donations may be monetary or in-kind.
A donation to Assistance League of San Antonio may be restricted or unrestricted. Any restrictions shall be in writing. All restricted donations shall be used solely for the intended purpose and none other. Items suitable for resale, such as clothing, furniture, toys, household items, etc. that are given to Assistance League of San Antonio without any express restrictions on their use will be presumed to have been contributed for resale in the Thrift House or on eBAY, use in other fundraising projects (such as fundraisers) or use in Assistance League of San Antonio projects or operations.
When Assistance League of San Antonio receives cash or an in-kind donation of goods or services, it obtains permission from the donor before publicizing the contribution. If the intent is to publicize the contribution in a program for an event, permission to do so will be needed before the printing deadline.
Assistance League of San Antonio does not publicize or publish donor information on contributions of items placed in the Thrift House for resale, sold on eBAY or used in the operation of the Thrift House for displays, marking or preparing items, etc. or in other philanthropic projects. Assistance League of San Antonio also does not publicize or publish individual contributions to direct mail campaigns. Should any such contributions be publicized, the policy on obtaining prior permission would apply.
All donations shall be treated individually so that multiple donations from a single donor shall receive the same consideration as if each were the first donation received.
The authorization to release or refuse the listing of the name and/or donation amount of the donor shall be in place for the fiscal year in which the donation is received. The donor may change the decision regarding the refusal to print the donor’s name and/or amount, but may not change the decision regarding publishing once the donor’s name and/or amount has been released.
The refusal to permit disclosure of a donation does not preclude Assistance League of San Antonio providing information on documents when the chapter is obligated to disclose such details. Examples would be for tax reporting purposes, grant applications and processing credit card or other payment transactions.
Members of the Assistance League of San Antonio Board, the Assistance League of San Antonio committee chairmen or committee or subcommittee members requiring access to the information may view the names of the donors and the amount of donations, with instructions not to disseminate further.

DONATIONS OF REUSABLE ITEMS FOR RESALE

Upon request, donors will be provided a “Donor Receipt” for reusable items suitable for resale in the Thrift House or on eBAY or for use in Thrift House marketing (i.e., displays, storage, hanging, etc.) or other philanthropic programs or projects. The donor is responsible for itemizing or describing the items donated and for valuation of the donated items.
Assistance League of San Antonio does not make or keep lists of donors of reusable items such as clothing, furniture, household items, etc. Copies of donor receipts are kept as set out below.
No personal information on donors or the type and value of donations or reusable items are published or publicized. Information on such donations is not sold, traded or shared with any other organization. Information on donors and donations may be provided when required by law, for example, for tax reporting purposes or when processing credit card or other payment transactions.
Donor Receipts are filed in a secure location in the Thrift House. Receipts are filed by Assistance League of San Antonio fiscal year; files and/or file plans do not use or display personal information of individual donors. This information is kept on file for IRS purposes and is held for five years.

DONATIONS TO DIRECT MAIL FUNDRAISING PROJECTS

Names and addresses of potential donors for direct mail are compiled from previous donor lists and from information provided by Assistance League of San Antonio members. The names and addresses are placed in a database that is maintained by Assistance League of San Antonio members who are aware of the need to protect the information.
Assistance League of San Antonio does not publish or publicize donor names or the amounts of individual donation to Assistance League of San Antonio direct mail fundraising projects. Donor lists kept as part of conducting the project are not sold, traded, or shared with any other organization and are viewed only by those Assistance League of San Antonio members who use them on a need-to-know basis.
Forms or brochures that are used to solicit contributions must have at least some part of the donor privacy policy included. Any brochure or document (such as an enclosure card) containing a request for donations or asking a donor to call or write is required to include wording regarding a donor’s privacy rights. Placement of the wording shall be on that portion requesting a contribution (or as close to the donation request as possible) since it is impossible to include a full copy of Assistance League of San Antonio’s donor policy. As long as there is no publication or publicity of donor’s names and/or amounts, the policy may be stated as: “Assistance League of San Antonio does not publish donor names and/or amounts of donations.” If publication of donors’ names is contemplated, then the permission statements set out in “Donations Solicited in Community Publications” shall be used.

DONATIONS OTHER THAN ITEMS FOR RESALE IN THRIFT HOUSE AND DIRECT MAIL

Except for donations of items for resale or use in operating the Thrift House and direct mail solicitations, Assistance League of San Antonio shall send a letter to the donor acknowledging the contribution, the amount of the donation and any restrictions the donor has placed on the donation. The letter may contain prepared standard paragraphs appropriate to the particular donation. The President, Corresponding Secretary, or event chairman will sign the letter. The letter includes the following pertinent information:

1. 1. 1. The donation received.
    2. The exact name of the don
    3. Any restrictions the donor placed on the donation.
    4. How Assistance League of San Antonio intends to use the donation (e., table favors, to purchase school clothing for Operation School Bell^®, to defray cost of printing, etc.).
    5. A statement regarding Assistance League of San Antonio’s privacy policy or reference to an accompanying document containing the policy.
    6. The publications where Assistance League of San Antonio intends to acknowledge the donatio (Be as inclusive as possible. Do not limit inclusion solely to fundraiser’s program when the donor may also be acknowledged in the chapter’s annual report.)
    7. An opportunity for the donor to accept or reject the recognition in publicatio Include a place for the donor to date and sign the document. Provide a copy of the letter to be completed and returned to the chapter.
    8. An opportunity for the donor to view publications of the chapter where donor names and contributions have been acknowledged, and the viewing procedures.

NOTE: This letter can also satisfy the requirement that Assistance League of San Antonio send out letters for income tax purposes to donors giving more than $250 as long as it contains the necessary IRS required information. A copy of the letter should be filed by the Corresponding Secretary.

DONATIONS SOLICITED IN COMMUNITY PUBLICATIONS

Documents that actively solicit contributions must have part of the privacy policy included.
An example would be a brochure that has a panel seeking monetary contributions.
Any Assistance League of San Antonio brochure or document containing a request for donations through a tear-off panel or asking a donor to call or write is required to contain wording regarding a donor’s privacy rights. Placement of the wording shall be on that portion requesting a contribution since it is impossible to include a full copy of the chapter’s donor policy (or as close to the donation request if a tear-off panel is not included).
Assistance League of San Antonio may publish the names of donors in the Assistance League of San Antonio monthly newsletter or other publications.
Suggested ways to present the policy in a brochure or form if donations will be published or publicized and for contributions made using an Assistance League of San Antonio form or brochure, such as “We Honor and Remember,” are:

Please give full or partial permission to include your donation in publications of Assistance League of San Antonio by selecting below (you may view the publications prior to completing this portion by contacting Assistance League of San Antonio):

_____          You may include only my name.
_____          You may include my name and donation.
_____          Do not include any of my information; I wish this donation to be anonymous.

RIGHTS OF DONOR REGARDING PHOTOGRAPHS

Except as provided below, a donor’s photograph will not be used at any time or in any publications without the donor’s written or implied consent. Agreeing to appear in a photograph shall imply consent. This implied consent shall apply to the name and likeness of the donor being published in documents described in the General Statements section, however, a description of the amount or type of contribution should not be included without the verbal or written consent of the donor. Consent forms are available from the Vice President Public Relations and in the Assistance League of San Antonio office. If Assistance League of San Antonio contemplates using a description of the amount or type of donation with the photograph then, prior to publication, a copy of the Donor Privacy Policy shall be sent to the donor with a request that the donor notify Assistance League of San Antonio within ten (10) business days of the mailing date if the donor does not wish the photograph and accompanying information to be released. The letter shall provide the donor a name, address and phone number for the reply. A donor’s failure to reply within the time frame shall imply consent for the use.
It is not necessary to obtain written or oral consent from other individuals photographed in large crowds and/or groups if the photograph is taken at any event sponsored by Assistance League of San Antonio. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a copy of this Donor Privacy Policy to those so appearing before using the photograph.
Donors or agencies sending unsolicited photographs to Assistance League of San Antonio shall imply consent for Assistance League of San Antonio to use or publish the photographs in the documents described in the General Statements above or post in Assistance League of San Antonio premises not accessible to the general public.
At all times, an Assistance League of San Antonio member in attendance at any event sponsored by Assistance League of San Antonio or the National Assistance League, any Assistance League of San Antonio meetings (Board, regular, projects, committees, subcommittees, teas, luncheons, etc.) or any fundraiser agrees that the member’s name and likeness may appear in any Assistance League of San Antonio publications, including but not limited to those listed in the General Statements section.

RECORD KEEPING AND CONFIDENTIALITY

All financial records and donor information are maintained by Assistance League of San Antonio.
Assistance League of San Antonio shall keep all donor information in a secure location at its office in the Thrift House or such secure locations outside of the Assistance League of San Antonio office as deemed necessary and appropriate.
Assistance League of San Antonio never provides any personal contact information, social security number, credit card number, date of birth or other personal information about a donor to anyone outside Assistance League of San Antonio’s membership unless disclosure is required by law or is necessary to process a transaction authorized by a donor, such as to process a credit card transaction.
Personal contact information is given only to members of Assistance League of San Antonio who require the information to carry out Assistance League of San Antonio projects and programs. Members are instructed not to disseminate the information further.
The Assistance League of San Antonio Board will select one person to be the custodian of the written donor contribution documents and the publicity consent forms. Event chairmen may also want copies, but one individual will keep track of all donor contributions and privacy requests.

This Donor Privacy Policy may be obtained by contacting Assistance League of San Antonio, P. O. Box 13130, San Antonio, Texas 78213, (210) 732-1200.

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