Privacy Policy

Last Revised: 06/01/2023

1. General

We know that your privacy is important to you, and we work hard to earn and keep your trust. Hospice Support Foundation (collectively with its subsidiaries, “Foundation,” “we,” “us,” and “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your privacy through our compliance with this Privacy Policy (the “Policy”). 

This Policy describes:

• The types of information we collect from you or that you may provide when you visit our website available at:  www.hospicesupportfoundation.org as well as any websites and blogs directly owned by the Foundation (collectively, our “Website”). 
• Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information. 

This Policy applies to information we collect on this Website or in emails and other electronic messages between you and this Website, and information gathered when you interact with our advertising on third-party websites if such advertisements include links to this Policy. 

This Policy does not apply to information collected by us offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by the Foundation or any third party, or information collected by any third party through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from the Website (for further information, see below, “Third-party Websites”). 

Please read this Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your information and how we will treat it.  If you do not agree with our policies and practices, then please do not use our Website.  By using our Website, you agree to the terms of this Policy.  This Policy may change from time to time (see below, “Changes to this Policy”).  Your continued use of our Website after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the Policy periodically for updates. 

2. Website Terms of Use; Other Agreements

This Policy should be read in conjunction with any applicable Terms of Use, into which this Policy is incorporated by reference.

3. What We Collect and How We Collect It

To ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience, we will store, use, and share personal information about you in accordance with this Policy. Personal information is information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular user, household or device (“Personal Information”). In particular, the Website may collect the following Personal Information from users of the Website:

• name;
• company;
• email;
• address; or
• phone number. 

We obtain the Personal Information listed above from the following categories of sources:

• Directly from you. For example, when you:
  • register yourself with the Website;
  • make a donation
  • submit a grant request
  • subscribe to one of our e-newsletters; or 
  • communicate with us, such as request information.
• Indirectly from you. For example, through information we collect from you in the course of providing our services to you.
• Directly and indirectly from activity on our Website. For example, from Website usage details that are collected automatically. For more information on automatic information collection, please review the “Automated Information Collection” section below. 

The information that you provide in each case will vary. In some cases, you may be able to provide Personal Information via email or free text boxes, such as contacting the Foundation to request further information.  When providing your Personal Information, please provide only relevant information and do not provide unnecessary sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card information or other sensitive personal data, unless required for our services.  

Additionally, we may ask you to create a username and password that should only be known to you.  When you provide this information to us, you are no longer anonymous.  Moreover, we may receive information about you from other sources and add it to the information you have provided to us.

Any credit card information you provide will be collected, processed, and stored by a trusted third-party PCI-DSS payment processor, such as U.S. Bank. 

HIPAA Disclaimer

You may elect to share health-related information. Please understand that the Foundation is not a covered entity or business associate as defined under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). Accordingly, your information will not be treated as Protected Health information (“PHI”), but will instead be handled in accordance with this Policy and applicable law. 

4. Automated Information Collection

In addition to the information that you provide to us, we may also collect information about you during your visit to our Website.  We collect this information using automated tools that are detailed below.  These tools may collect information about your behavior and your computer system, such as your internet address (IP Address), the pages you have viewed, and the actions you have taken while using the Website.  Some of the tools we use to automatically collect information about you may include:

• Cookies.  A “cookie” is a small data file transmitted from a website to your device’s hard drive.  Cookies are usually defined in one of two ways, and we may use either (or both) of them:  
  • session cookies, which do not stay on your device after you close your browser, and 
  • persistent cookies, which remain on your device until you delete them or they expire.  

Of course, if you do not wish to have cookies on your devices, you may turn them off at any time by modifying your internet browser’s settings.  However, by disabling cookies on your device, you may be prohibited from full use of the Website’s features or lose access to some functionality.

• Google Analytics.  The Website sends aggregated non-Personal Information to Google Analytics for the purpose of providing us with the ability to conduct technical and statistical analysis on the Website’s performance.  For more information on how Google Analytics supports the Website and uses information sent from the Website, please review Google’s privacy policy available at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
• Web Beacons.  A Web Beacon is an electronic image.  Web Beacons can track certain things from your computer and can report activity back to a web server allowing us to understand some of your behavior.  If you choose to receive emails from us, we may use Web Beacons to track your reaction to our emails.  We may also use them to track if you click on the links and at what time and date you do so.  Some of the third-party marketers we engage with may use Web Beacons to track your interaction with online advertising banners on our Website.  This information is only collected in aggregate form and will not be linked to your Personal Information.  Please note that any image file on a webpage can act as a Web Beacon.
• Embedded Web Links.  Links provided in our emails and, in some cases, on third-party websites may include tracking technology embedded in the link.  The tracking is accomplished through a redirection system.  The redirection system allows us to understand how the link is being used by email recipients.  Some of these links will enable us to identify that you have personally clicked on the link and this may be attached to the Personal Information that we hold about you.  This data is used to improve our service to you and to help us understand the performance of our marketing campaigns.
• Third-party Websites and Services.  We work with a number of service providers of marketing communications technology.  These service providers may use various data collection methods to improve the performance of the marketing campaigns we are contracting them to provide.  The information collected can be gathered on our Website and also on the websites where our marketing communications are appearing.  For example, we may collect data where our banner advertisements are displayed on third-party websites.
• Pixels. A tracking pixel is an HTML code snippet that is loaded when a user visits a website or opens an email and it is used to track the user’s activity. Tracking pixels are used by advertisers to acquire data for web analysis, online marketing, or email marketing. The Website may use such pixels. 

5. How We Use Your Information

The information we gather and that you provide is collected to provide you information and the services you request, in addition to various other purposes, including, but not limited to: 

• providing the information and services you request;
• security, credit or fraud prevention purposes;
• providing you with effective customer service;
• providing you with a personalized experience when you use this Website;
• contacting you with special offers and other information we believe will be of interest to you (in accordance with any privacy preferences you have expressed to us);
• contacting you with information and notices related to your use of this Website;
• inviting you to participate in surveys and providing feedback to us (in accordance with any privacy preferences you have expressed to us);
• better understanding your needs and interests;
• improving the content, functionality and usability of this Website;
• improving our services to you;
• improving our marketing and promotional efforts; and
• any other purpose identified in an applicable privacy notice, click-through agreement or other agreement between you and us.

Duration. The length of time the Foundation intends to retain Personal Information, including sensitive information, is for as long as reasonably necessary to carry out the Foundation’s intended business purpose for such information.  

6. How We Disclose Your Information

We do not sell or lease your Personal Information to any third party.  We may disclose your Personal Information to a third party for a business purpose. When we disclose your Personal Information, we enter into a contract that describes the purpose and requires the recipient to both keep that Personal Information confidential and not use it for any purpose except for the purposes set forth in the contract.

We may disclose your Personal Information for a business purpose to the following categories of third parties:

• Our affiliates; and
• Third party vendors who provide services that enhance our Website, products and services to you (such as vendors for credit card processing, advertising and marketing and customer support).

Except as described in this Policy, we will not share your information with third parties without your notice and consent, unless it is under one of the following circumstances:  

• Legal Reasons.
  • We believe that disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with any applicable law, regulation, subpoena, or court order;
  • To respond to duly authorized information requests from law enforcement or other governmental authorities;
  • To enforce our agreements, policies, or the Terms of Use;
  • To investigate and prevent security threats, fraud, or other malicious activity; or
  • To respond to an emergency that we believe in good faith requires us to disclose such information to assist in preventing the death or serious bodily injury of any person or Foundation employee.
• Sale of Business or Merger. There are circumstances where the Foundation may decide to buy, sell, or reorganize its business in selected countries.  Under these circumstances, it may be necessary to share or receive Personal Information with prospective or actual partners or affiliates. In such circumstances, the Foundation will ensure your information is used in accordance with this Policy.

7. Your Choices and Selecting Your Privacy Preferences

We want to provide you with relevant information that you have requested. When possible, we will always provide options as to what information we collect and how you can manage any preferences that pertains to such information. 

If we provide subscription-based services, such as email newsletters, we will allow you to make choices about what information you provide at the point of information collection or at any time after you have received a communication from us while you are subscribed.  Transactional or service-oriented messages, such as delivery confirmation messages, are usually excluded from such preferences, as such messages are required to respond to your requests or to provide goods and services, and are not intended for the purposes of marketing.

We will not intentionally send you email newsletters and marketing emails unless you consent to receive such marketing information.  After you request to receive these emails, you may opt out of them at any time by selecting the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of each email.  Please note that by opting out or unsubscribing you may affect other services you have requested we provide to you, in which email communication is a requirement of the service provided. 

8. Accuracy and Access to Your Personal Information

We strive to maintain and process your information accurately.  We have processes in place to maintain all of our information in accordance with relevant data governance frameworks and legal requirements.  We employ technologies designed to help us maintain information accuracy on input and processing. 

To view and change the Personal Information that you have provided to us, you can contact us directly for assistance.

9. Information of Minors

We do not intentionally seek to gather information from individuals under the age of eighteen (18).  We do not target the Website to minors, and would not expect them to be engaging with our Website or services.  We encourage parents and guardians to provide adequate protection measures to prevent minors from providing information unwillingly on the internet.  If we are aware of any Personal Information that we have collected about minors, we will take steps to securely remove it from our systems. 

10. Third-party Websites 

This Policy does not apply to websites or other domains that are maintained or operated by third parties or our affiliates.  Our Website may link to third-party websites and services. For example, if you click on an advertisement on this Website, you may be taken to another website that we do not control. These links are not endorsements of these websites, and this Policy does not extend to them.  Because this Policy is not enforced on these third-party websites, we encourage you to read any posted privacy policy of the third-party website before using the service or website and providing any information.  

11. Your Rights Under State Law

California

• Shine the Light law.  Pursuant to California Civil Code Section 1798.83, we will not disclose or share your Personal Information with third parties for the purposes of third-party marketing to you without your prior consent. 
• Do Not Track Signals.  Other than as disclosed in this Policy, the Website does not track users over time and across third-party websites to provide targeted advertising.  Therefore, the Website does not operate any differently when it receives Do Not Track (“DNT”) signals from your internet web browser. 
• WE DO NOT SELL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. If we ever decide to “sell” we will update you via this Policy and include a link entitled “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information,” to provide you with an opportunity to opt out of the selling or sharing of your Personal Information. 

Your Consumer Rights

If you are a consumer in a state that provides consumer rights, please be advised that the Foundation is not a “business” or “controller” as that term is defined under applicable state laws and therefore does not afford consumers these rights with respect to their Personal Information.  Regardless, all Personal Information will be processed in accordance with this Policy.

12. For Website Users or Visitors Outside of the United States

Our Website is designed for use by individuals in the United States only.  We do not warrant or represent that this Policy or the Website’s use of your Personal Information complies with the laws of any other jurisdiction.  Furthermore, to provide you with our services, we may store, process, and transmit information in the United States and other locations around the world, including countries that may not have the same privacy and security laws as yours.  Regardless of the country in which such information is stored, we will process your Personal Information in accordance with this Policy.  

13. Safeguarding the Information We Collect

We use reasonable technical, administrative, and physical safeguards in order to protect your Personal Information against accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure.  However, we can never promise 100% security.  You have a responsibility, as well, to safeguard your information through the proper use and security of any online credentials used to access your Personal Information, such as a username and password.  If you believe your credentials have been compromised, please change your password. Please also notify us of any actual or suspected unauthorized use.      

14. Changes to this Policy

This Policy describes our current policies and practices with regard to the information we collect through this Website. We are continually improving and adding to the features and functionality of this Website along with the products and services we offer through this Website. If we make any changes to this Policy, a revised Policy will be posted on this webpage and the date of the change will be reported in the “Last Revised” block above. You can get to this page from any of our webpages by clicking on the “Privacy Policy” link (usually at the bottom of the screen).

15. How to Contact Us

We value your opinions and welcome your feedback.  To contact us about this Policy or your Personal Information, please contact us by email at  info@hospicesupportfoundation.org or by telephone at  651-294-6100.