Alumni Association of the Victorian Society Summer Schools

Member and Donor Privacy and Confidentiality Policy – June 2019

The Alumni Association recognizes that efficient operation requires the maintenance and management of extensive member and donor records. These records may contain sensitive information that has been shared with staff and/or volunteers on a confidential, need to know basis. The Alumni Association believes that protecting the confidentially of member and donor information is essential and hereby adopts this policy statement to codify this commitment to privacy and confidentially.

All records relating to personal or financial information about a member or donor in the possession of the Alumni Association are confidential. We respect and protect the privacy of our members and donors, and adhere to the following guidelines:

• Information about members, donors and donations is handled with respect and confidentiality.
• We do not exchange, lend, rent or sell our member or donor lists to third party organizations.
• The personal information provided when making an online donation or registering for an event will not be disclosed to any unauthorized third parties.
• When a donation is made online, a secure connection is established, and the information is encrypted. The secure connection is maintained until the transaction is completed or terminated.
• Information about members, donors and donations is not used for any purpose other than to carry out the services and functions of the Alumni Association.
• The postal address or email address of Alumni Association members and donors may be used to send periodic mailings about the Alumni Association, its programs and/or upcoming events. Individuals may opt out of these communications by contacting the president of the Alumni Association.
• We will only use member or donor telephone numbers to make contact regarding donations or responding to requests.

The President of the Alumni Association has ultimate responsibility for maintaining the confidentiality of member and donor records, as well as fund information. Records will normally be available to staff as needed to fulfill their duties. At the discretion of the President, all or part of any record may be made available to Officers and Directors of the Alumni Association and to other related parties to assist them in executing their specific responsibilities. Alumni Association auditors, legal counsel and other contractors are authorized to review member and donor records as required for the purposes for which they are engaged. All persons accessing member and donor records in the conduct of Alumni Association business shall maintain the confidentiality of said records. This applies to Alumni Association endowment funds as well as to other types of funds.

Staff may share information with members and donors pertaining to their own gifts, funds, grants, etc. The Alumni Association will not publish or disclose the amount of any member’s or donor’s gift without the permission of the member or donor. If giving categories have been stipulated for a specific fund drive, challenge grant, or project, or as part of the Alumni Association’s ongoing recognition program, then the members and donors, unless they otherwise specify, are deemed to have given permission for the Alumni Association to publish their names associated with the giving category.

Unless otherwise requested by the member or donor, the names of all individual members and donors may be printed in Alumni Association reports and in other appropriate listings. Unless otherwise specified, members and donors making gifts to Alumni Association by bequest or other testamentary device are deemed to have granted such permission.

The names of donors of memorial or tribute gifts may be released to the honoree, next of kin, or appropriate member of the immediate family, unless otherwise specified by the donor. Memorial and tribute gift amounts are not to be released without the express consent of the donor. The President is authorized to accept anonymous gifts to the Alumni Association and to handle them appropriately.

The Alumni Association shall not release to third parties or allow third parties to copy, inspect or otherwise use Alumni Association records or other information pertaining to the identification of a member, donor, or donor’s gifts. No disclosures to third parties of such information, including addresses and demographic information, shall be made without the member or donor’s consent, except where required by law.

Discussions that take place in the context of Alumni Association’s operations require discretion, including discussions pertaining to grant-making, personnel issues, development activities, operational fundraising, investment management, etc. The positions or statements of individual board members, advisors, or staff should not be discussed outside of official Alumni Association meetings and processes. Likewise, the content of the Alumni Association’s business, including documents or Alumni Association analyses of documents, should not be discussed or shared outside official meetings and processes.

The Alumni Association will comply with both the letter and spirit of all public disclosure requirements. This Confidentiality Policy shall not be construed in any manner to prevent the Alumni Association from disclosing information to taxing authorities or other governmental agencies or courts having regulatory control or jurisdiction over the Alumni Association. However, all staff, volunteers, and contractors must hold strictly confidential all information of a private nature, including, but not limited to, all items explicitly discussed in this policy.

Violations of the Confidentiality Policy are very serious, and may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal for any staff or contractors, or removal from the Board or any committee for volunteers.