The following describes the policies and practices of Tampa Bay Watch with regard to the collection and use of personal information from users of www.tampabaywatch.org and subscribers to our various email news products, and donors. Throughout this page, the terms “we,” “us,” and “our” are meant to include Tampa Bay Watch staff, contractors, and volunteers.
We have the utmost respect for your privacy and will not trade, sell or exchange your personal information with anyone.
When it comes to collection and use of personal information, our guiding questions are:
• “Will having this information help us better serve this individual?”
• “Do we have permission to use the information in this way?”
• “Is this use of the information required in order to fulfill the expectations of the individual?”
Browsing the website
When you visit our website, we collect information about your session (e.g. session length, pages visited, files downloaded) based on the IP address of your computer.
Donating
When you donate to Tampa Bay Watch, whether online, by mail, or on the phone, we ask for your name, address, email address, phone number, and payment method. If you pay by check, we keep a photocopy of your check. If you pay by credit card, we record the transaction, but we do not store your credit card number anywhere on our website. We also maintain pertinent information about you and your gifts in a secure database, including but not limited to gift amounts, dates, payment types, and any special gift terms or conditions.
Forwarding an item to a friend
Throughout our websites and email newsletters, we offer the option for you to forward items to a friend’s email. This information is used to deliver the item to your friend, but is not stored by us; the email address(es) that you provide to use this feature will only be used to send the requested item.
How we use the information
Email addresses
If you are subscribed to our e-newsletters, we will use information you’ve provided to deliver and tailor them for you. We may also send you by email occasional invitations to surveys, appeals for funds, and administrative or other notices regarding the website, its contents, and your registration.
Donors who supply their email address may also receive occasional updates and appeals for funds via email, independent of any e-newsletter subscriptions, with the option to opt-out at any time.
When you submit questions or comments to a Tampa Bay Watch staff member by email (via a link on the website, e.g.), we will use your e-mail address to respond directly to you.
Except as explained in this policy, Tampa Bay Watch does not send unsolicited e-mail.
Other individual information
If you supply us with your postal address you may receive periodic mailings from us with information on research and services, fundraising, or upcoming events. If you supply us with your telephone number we will only call you with information regarding orders you have placed, donations, donor-member benefits, or to update contact information. On rare occasions we may contact you by phone to seek input or advice on a particular policy issue or opportunity.
If you make a donation to Tampa Bay Watch, we will acknowledge your generosity in our fundraising materials, unless you request at the time of your donation to be acknowledged anonymously. We will also use the information you provide to deliver notes of thanks, tax receipts, and your benefits of membership, including invitations to special events.
If your participation in a contest, survey, or special offer entitles you to a prize or other gift of thanks, we will use information you provided to us to fulfill your prize. Some survey information may be maintained with your profile so we can tailor the presentation of our work to you.
With whom we share the information
We may share aggregate information about our audience (e.g. demographics, interests, website usage) with donors, partners, website users or other interested parties. Please note that this is not personal information, only general summaries of the activities and interests of our audience.
Third party service providers
We will not share individually-identifying personal information about you with third parties without your permission, with the exception of service providers or other organizations we contract with to fulfill services on our behalf (e.g. delivering email or mail, executing credit card transactions), or under the circumstances described in Compliance with Legal Requirements below.
Compliance with Legal Requirements
We may disclose personal information if we are required to by law, or we believe that such action is necessary to (a) comply with the law or with legal process, (b) protect and defend our rights and property, (c) protect against misuse or unauthorized use of tampabaywatch.org or Tampa Bay Watch’s work, or (d) protect the personal safety or property of our users or the public. As such, if you attempt to pose as someone else, we may disclose information about you or your actions as part of an investigation into any harm done by your actions.
Security
When we transfer and receive certain types of sensitive information, such as financial information, we redirect visitors to a secure outside vendor’s server. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the appropriate use of information, we have put in place physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to protect the information we collect online.
How you can manage the use of your information
Tampa Bay Watch maintains other information, especially about donors, that is not accessible on the website. Upon request we will provide you with access to information that we maintain about you, including financial information (e.g., credit card account information), transaction information (e.g., dates on which customers or donors made purchases or donations, amounts, and types of purchases), or contact information (e.g., name, address, phone number). If you need this information corrected or updated, please call, email, or write us at the contacts provided below.
We respect those that wish to receive the benefits of membership but otherwise wish to have no contact at all with the organization. If you wish to have no email contact, phone contact, or mailings from Tampa Bay Watch, please call, email, or write us at the contacts provided below. We will process the request within 10 business days of receiving notice. We reserve the right to contact you for customer service purposes regarding any transactions you initiate with Tampa Bay Watch.
If you feel that this site is not following its stated privacy policy, you may contact us at the addresses or phone number below, the DMA’s Committee on Ethical Business Practices at ethics@the-dma.org, state or local chapters of the Better Business Bureau, the state or local consumer protection office, or the Federal Trade Commission by phone at (202) FTC-HELP ((202) 382-4357) or electronically at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm.
Miscellaneous
We do not currently partner with or have special relationships with any ad server companies.
Tampa Bay Watch is not responsible for the content or the privacy policies of websites to which it links; including Twitter and Facebook.
From time to time, we may use website visitor information for new, unanticipated uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at some time in the future we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically.
Tampa Bay Watch, Inc.
3000 Pinellas Bayway South
Tierra Verde, FL 33715
(727) 867-8166 phone
(727) 867-8188 fax
Tampa Bay Watch, Inc.
DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.