Privacy Policy

At Public Health Connected, Inc. (“PHC”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) we recognize that privacy is very important, and value your privacy.  In this Privacy Policy (“Policy”), we describe how we collect, use, and disclose personal information that we obtain about users (“you”, “your”) of our website publichealthconnected.org (“Site”) and the services available through our Site (together, the Site and the services available therein are the “Services”).  This Policy also outlines your rights and choices with regard to the personal information collected about you.

Applicable Terms. Your use of our Services, and any dispute over privacy, is subject to this Policy, the respective terms of use (the “Terms”), between you and PHC, such as our Terms of Use and any other relevant agreements, which are available.  The applicable Terms are incorporated by reference into this Policy, including their applicable limitations on liability and the resolution of disputes.  By disclosing your personal information to us or using our Services, you understand and agree that PHC may collect, use, and disclose your personal information in accordance with this Policy and the applicable Terms.

  1. Information We Collect

We generally may collect information about you directly from you, from third parties, and automatically through your use of our Services as further described below. The type of information that we collect directly from you depends on your interaction with our Services.  We may also ask or allow you to submit additional personal information, for example if you participate in one of our surveys as further explained below.  You can also sign up to receive email newsletters and promotional offers from us by submitting your name and email address and optionally categories of information that interest you.

Communications, support, and inquires. If you contact us by email, mail, phone, or otherwise regarding the Services, we may collect and maintain a record of your contact details, communications and our responses.  We also collect personal information, such as your name and contact details when you request information from us.

Surveys.  If you choose to participate in one of our voluntary surveys, we collect the information you provide through the survey, including but not limited to name, ethnicity, race, professional employment and education information, language proficiency, information related to your social media accounts (e.g. profile name),  or other information you choose to provide.  We use this information for assigning volunteering opportunities and matching purposes.

Donations.  If you choose to make a donation, we may collect transactional information, including certain personal information related to that donation, such as name, email address, payment and billing information, and donation amount.

Other Information We Collect Automatically Through Our Site. We may also collect personal information about how you use the Site (e.g. using cookies and pixel tags), such as IP address, advertising ID, location information, browser type, device type, domain name, the website that led you to our Site, the website to which you go after leaving our Site, the dates and times you access our Site, and the links you click and your other activities within the Site.  We may also use pixels in HTML emails to understand if individuals read the emails we send to them (“usage data”).  We may combine this information with other information that we have collected about you, including, where applicable, your name and other personal information. (For more information, see the Cookies and Tracking Information section below.)

  1. How We Use Your Information

We process your information and content, including your personal information, for the following purposes:

Providing and Improving Our Services. To provide and maintain our Services; to improve our Services; to develop new Services; to assign and match volunteers; to process donations; and for other service and support related purposes.

Communicating with You. To provide you with the information or services that you have requested; to communicate with you about your use of our Services, to respond to your inquiries, and for other customer service purposes; and to administer surveys and questionnaires, such as for volunteer matching, market research or user satisfaction purposes.

Personalizing Content and Ads. We may use the information we collect about you to personalize the information and content we display to you, including marketing, promotional and sponsored content, as well as providing you with more relevant ads.

Marketing and Communications. To communicate with you about your account and use of our Services via email, including to send you product updates; to respond to your inquiries; to provide you with news and newsletters, and other information we think may interest you; and for other informational, marketing, fundraising or promotional purposes. Please see the Rights and Choices section further below for more information about how to change your communications preferences.

Research and Analytics. To better understand how users access and use our Site and products, for other research and analytical purposes, such as to evaluate and improve our Site and business operations, develop new features, products, or Site, to otherwise improve our Site and user experiences, and for other research, analytical, and statistical purposes.

In Support of Our General Business Operations. Relating to audits and assessments of our business operations, security controls, financial controls, records and information management program, and otherwise relating to the administration of our general business, accounting, record keeping and legal functions.  These purposes are based on our legitimate interest in operating our business and maintaining adequate internal records and safeguards.

Securing and Protecting Our Assets and Rights. To protect our business operations, secure our network and information technology, assets and Site; to prevent and detect fraud, unauthorized activities, access and other misconduct; where we believe necessary to investigate, prevent or take action regarding suspected violations of our Terms and other agreements, as well as fraud, illegal activities and other situations involving potential threats to the rights or safety of any person or third party; and as necessary to defend our legal interests and rights.

Complying with Legal Obligations. To comply with the law or legal proceedings. For example, we may disclose information in response to subpoenas, court orders, and other lawful requests by regulators and law enforcement, including responding to national security or law enforcement disclosure requirements.

We may also use your personal information for other purposes, where you have consented.

Aggregate and De-identified Information.  We may also use aggregate and deidentified information for various research, development, product improvement, analytics and other purposes.

  1. How We Disclose Personal Information

We may share or disclose the information (including personal information) that we collect as follows:

Service providers. With our third-party service providers who use this information to perform Site on our behalf, such as hosting providers, payment providers, auditors, advisors, consultants, customer service and/or support providers.

Third Parties. With third parties that provide advertising, campaign measurement, online and/or mobile analytics and related Site.  These third parties may receive or access browsing history and/or other data about your use of the Sites, in order to help us better reach individuals with relevant ads, measure our ad campaigns and/or to better understand how individuals interact with our Sites over time and across devices.

Legal Compliance.  In response to a valid court order, subpoena, government investigation, or as otherwise required by law.  We also reserve the right to report to law enforcement agencies any activities that we, in good faith, believe to be unlawful.

Business Transfers. As part of any actual or contemplated merger, sale, transfer of assets, acquisition, financing and/or restructuring of all or part of our business, bankruptcy or similar event, including related to due diligence conducted prior to such event where permitted by law.

Protection of Rights. Where we believe it necessary to respond to claims asserted against us, to enforce or administer our agreements and terms, for fraud prevention, risk assessment, investigation, to protect the rights, property or safety of PHC, our affiliates, or others, and/or as evidence in litigation in which we are involved.

Aggregated and De-identified Data.  We may share aggregate or de-identified information with third parties for research, marketing, advertising, analytics and/or other purposes.

  1. Cookies and Tracking Information

We and our third-party providers may use cookies, clear GIFs/pixel tags, JavaScript, local storage, log files, and other mechanisms to automatically collect and record information about your browsing activities and use of the Sites and other Site.  We may combine this “usage data” with other personal information we collect about you.  We use this usage data to understand how our Site are used, track bugs and errors, provide and improve our Site, verify account credentials, allow logins, track sessions, prevent fraud, and protect our Site, as well as for targeted marketing and advertising, to personalize content and for analytics purposes.

Cookies. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser for record-keeping purposes.  Some cookies allow us to make it easier for you to navigate our Site, while others are used to enable a faster log-in process or to allow us to track your activities while using our Site.  Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but if you prefer, you can edit your browser options to block them in the future.  The Help portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your computer from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether.  Some of the Site may not work properly if you disable cookies.

Pixel Tags. Pixel tags are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies.  In contrast to cookies, which are stored on your computer’s hard drive, clear GIFs are embedded invisibly on web pages.  We may use pixel tags (also referred to as web beacons, web bugs or clear GIFs), in connection with our Site to, among other things, help us manage ads and content, and compile statistics about usage of our Site.  We may also use pixel tags in HTML emails to our customers, to help us track email response rates, identify when our emails are viewed, and track whether our emails are forwarded.

Preference.  You can block or disable cookies for the device and browser you are using, through your browser settings; however, certain features on our Sites may not be available or function properly if you block or disable cookies.  Our Sites currently do not respond to “do not track” signals. For more information about do not track please click here.

  1. Interest Based Advertising

We may work with third-party ad networks, channel partners, measurement Site and others (“third party ad companies”) to display advertising on our Services, and to manage our advertising on third-party sites, and online Site. We and these third-party ad companies may use cookies, pixels tags, and other tools to collect activity information on our Site (as well as on third-party sites and Site), as well as IP address, device ID, cookie and advertising IDs, and other identifiers, general location information, and, with your consent, your device’s geolocation information; we and these third-party ad companies use this information to provide you more relevant ads and content and to improve and evaluate such ads and content.  

Ad Choices.  You can learn more about the information collection practices and “opt-out” procedures of many third-party ad companies by visiting www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp.   Opting out of participating ad networks does not opt you out of being served advertising.  You may continue to receive generic or “contextual” ads on our Site.  You may also continue to receive targeted ads on other websites, from companies that do not participate in the above programs.

  1. Third-Party Sites and Site

Our Site may link to other websites or online services (including those operated by our fiscal sponsor, affiliates, or others) that are not covered by this Policy.  Any access to and use of such linked websites is not governed by this Policy, but instead is governed by the privacy policies of those third-party websites.  We are not responsible for the information practices of such third-party websites.

  1. Security

We have implemented safeguards designed to protect the information we collect from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.  Please be aware that despite our efforts, no data security measures can guarantee security.

  1. Rights and Choices

You may contact us using the information in the Contact Us section below to make a privacy request.  Your access to, deletion of, or correction of your personal information is subject to applicable legal restrictions and the availability of such information.  Further, we may take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting such access or making corrections.  Please note that we may maintain copies of information that you have updated, modified or deleted, in our business records and in the normal course of our business operations, as permitted or required by applicable law.  For example, if you request that we delete your information, but we believe that you have violated our Terms, we may retain information about you in order to attempt to resolve the issue before deleting it.

Marketing Communications.  You may opt-out of receiving email marketing communications from us by using the unsubscribe link in any such email we send to you.  Or alternatively, by emailing your request to privacy@publichealthconnected.org.  Please note that we may still send you transactional emails.

Third-Party Ads and Cookies. As noted above, you can control your cookie preferences on our Sites and opt-out of most third-party advertising tags and cookies on our Sites.

  1. Children

Our Services are not targeted and directed at children under thirteen years of age (13) and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from a child under 13.  If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information about a child, please contact us and we will take steps to delete this information.

  1. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at: privacy@publichealthconnected.org

  1. Changes to this Policy

This Policy is current as of the Effective Date set forth above.  We may change this Policy from time to time, so please be sure to check back periodically.  We will post any changes to this Policy on our Services.  If we make any changes to this Policy that materially affect our practices with regard to the personal information we have previously collected from you, we will endeavor to provide you with notice in advance of such change by highlighting the change on our Services.