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Purpose

This privacy policy articulates the principles, actions and beliefs of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) with regard to the information collected, retained and used related to some of our primary customers, including our donors, volunteers, prospects, and any affiliated agencies or organizations. This policy is intended to guide the actions of MVCS's employees, volunteers, contractors and authorized representatives.

MVCS Online Mailing List

If you are interested in receiving the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services ‘Community View’ newsletter twice a year, you may choose to receive it by mail or by email. If you select the email option, we ask for your email address so that we can send it to you. The MVCS Online mailing list is used solely by the Development staff of to send notices about MVCS activities. MVCS does not rent, sell, loan or share mailing lists with other people or organizations, both affiliated and nonaffiliated. In addition, only select staff members have access to mailing lists.

You always have the ability to unsubscribe from receiving unwanted communications from MVCS Online by sending an email to sbishop@mvcommunityservices.com with the subject line "Unsubscribe."

MVCS Online Electronic Forms

We may ask you for your personal information (such as name, email address, zip code, etc...) when you register for events on www.mvcommunityservices.com. Information submitted through online forms is passed through SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology to ensure all data transmission is encrypted and cannot be read by unintended individuals. We use this information solely to process your request for events offered by or through our website and we do not sell, rent, loan, trade, or lease this information to anyone.

Policy

We value our donors, volunteers, prospects and affiliated agencies (hereafter referred to as our "customers") and take their privacy seriously. We will respect the privacy of the personal and organizational information that we are privileged to learn and have about our customers. Our commitment to respect the privacy of our customers extends to how we obtain, use, protect and share information about them. This privacy policy is intended to be applied in conjunction with related MVCS policies, including, but not limited to, the Donor Bill of Rights.

Principles, Actions, and Beliefs

  • We do not sell customer information.
  • Without the customer's consent, we do not provide customer information to organizations or individuals outside MVCS.
  • We will hold strictly confidential all information concerning donors and prospects, including names, addresses, names of beneficiaries, nature and value of estates, amounts of provisions or gifts, etc., unless a donor or prospect grants permission to use selective information for purposes of referral, testimonial, example, recognition, or publicity.
  • We have procedures in place to limit access to information to those employees and volunteers who need to know such information in order to fulfill our mission.
  • We educate our employees and volunteers on the importance of protecting the privacy and security of confidential personal and organizational information.
  • We will use our best efforts to comply with the expressed wishes of any customer who does not want their name used in any promotional material, wishes their name removed from solicitation lists, or wishes to have their gifts or services be anonymous.
  • We will collect, use and share information about customers among employees, volunteers on only a need-to-know basis and for the sole purpose of carrying out the mission of MVCS.
  1. Information collected and used includes personal information obtained from donors, volunteers and prospects through pledge cards, letters, surveys, applications, and other forms, in writing, in person, by telephone, or electronically (e.g. name, address, employer, birth date, credit card number, family members, interests, etc.).
  2. Individual information may also be collected about donors, volunteers and prospects' present and past giving history, volunteer activity, committee service, information from public documents and reports, and any other interactions an individual may have had with MVCS or its agencies.

MVCS: A 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 assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, MVCS endorses, subscribes to, and will act at all times in concert with the following rights of donors and prospective donors:

  1. The right 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.
  2. The right 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.
  3. The right to have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
  4. The right to be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
  5. The right to receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition or to remain anonymous if desired.
  6. The right to be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
  7. The right to expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
  8. The right to be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
  9. The right to feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.