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Privacy Policy

Your privacy , our care

Privacy Policy: Clemson Area Retirement Center Foundation (CARCF)

1. Introduction and Scope of this Policy

The Clemson Area Retirement Center Foundation (CARCF) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals who interact with our non-profit organization, including our generous donors, residents, family members, volunteers, and website visitors. As a charitable foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, independence, and dignity of seniors in the Clemson area through philanthropic investment and targeted assistance, we recognize the profound trust you place in us when sharing your personal information. Our commitment to privacy is not merely a legal obligation; it is a fundamental ethical requirement woven into the fabric of our mission. This comprehensive Privacy Policy describes in exhaustive detail the types of personal data we collect, how we collect it, the specific purposes for which we use it, how and why we may share it, and the security measures we employ to protect it. By interacting with the CARCF, its services, or its website (www.carcf.site), you consent to the data practices described in this policy, acknowledging that your information will be handled in accordance with the principles and procedures outlined herein. This policy applies to all forms of information, whether collected electronically, verbally, or in hard-copy format, ensuring a uniform and rigorous standard of privacy protection across all our operations and administrative functions. We continually review and update our privacy practices to align with best practices in non-profit data stewardship and compliance with applicable state and federal laws concerning data protection and charitable solicitations.

The scope of this policy extends to all personal information processed by the CARCF as a data controller. This includes data gathered from direct interactions, such as filling out a donation form for the Leaf on the Wall initiative, submitting a confidential application for resident financial assistance, volunteering for a community project, or subscribing to our educational e-newsletter updates. It also encompasses data collected automatically through digital channels, such as website usage analytics and tracking technologies. Furthermore, because the Foundation often works in close coordination with the senior living community it supports (the “Center”), this policy addresses the highly limited and qualified circumstances under which we may share essential information with our affiliated care entity, always adhering to strict necessity and confidentiality agreements to ensure resident welfare is prioritized. Our dedication to transparency means that we aim to articulate these complex processes in clear, accessible language, removing ambiguity and providing you with a complete understanding of your rights and our responsibilities as the custodian of your private information. We understand that in the context of a foundation providing financial support and advocacy, some of the information we receive—particularly financial details and circumstances related to receiving aid—is exceptionally sensitive, and our data protection protocols are elevated accordingly to safeguard this information against unauthorized access or misuse. We confirm that all our staff, volunteers, and third-party contractors are trained in and obligated to follow the requirements of this policy as a condition of their association with the CARCF.

2. Information We Collect and Sources of Data

The CARCF collects various categories of information, depending on the nature of your interaction with our organization. This data is essential for fulfilling our charitable mission, administering our programs, and complying with regulatory obligations. We categorize the sources of data collection into three primary streams to maintain clarity and transparency.

2.1. Information Collected Directly From You (Voluntary and Intentional Submission)

This constitutes the majority of the personal information we hold, which you knowingly and voluntarily provide to us through explicit actions. The types of data collected directly from you include:

  • Contact and Identifying Information: Names, titles, mailing addresses (home and business), telephone numbers (landline and mobile), and email addresses. This is typically collected via donor forms, event registration sheets, e-newsletter sign-ups, and general contact forms.
  • Philanthropic and Financial Information (Highly Sensitive): Details concerning your donation history, the specific amounts and dates of your gifts, the designation of your support (e.g., general endowment, nursing scholarship fund, resident assistance fund), and information required for processing transactions, such as credit card details (which are securely processed via third-party providers and not stored by the CARCF) or bank account information for electronic transfers. We also collect documentation related to legacy giving, bequests, and estate planning, which may include highly detailed personal and financial data necessary for executing the donor’s philanthropic intent.
  • Resident Assistance Information (Extremely Sensitive and Confidential): This includes highly protected financial disclosures, income verification, asset information, details regarding medical expenses, family circumstances, and any other confidential data submitted as part of the formal, rigorous application process for resident financial aid. This information is classified as highly sensitive and is treated with enhanced security measures.
  • Volunteer and Employment Data: Information submitted by volunteers for background checks, areas of skill or interest (e.g., event support, gardening, arts & crafts facilitation), emergency contact information, and résumés or applications submitted for staff positions, detailing professional qualifications, work history, and educational background.
  • Survey and Feedback Data: Responses to satisfaction surveys, feedback forms related to Foundation-funded projects (e.g., acoustics of the Corley Center), and suggestions for future charitable initiatives, all of which may contain personal opinions or preferences.

2.2. Information Collected Automatically (Digital and Website Usage)

When you visit our website (www.carcf.site) or interact with our digital communications, we automatically collect certain technical information to improve site functionality, enhance security, and better understand visitor engagement. This includes:

  • Technical Data: Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, device identifiers, browser type and version, operating system, and geographic location derived from the IP address.
  • Usage and Behavioral Data: Date and time of visits, pages viewed, time spent on particular pages, navigation paths, links clicked, and referral source (the website you came from). We use cookies (small text files stored on your device) and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons or pixels) to facilitate this collection. Cookies are used for purposes such as remembering your preferences, analyzing site traffic patterns, and managing digital advertising campaigns.
  • Electronic Communication Tracking: We track when you open our e-newsletters and which links you click within them, which helps us gauge the effectiveness of our communication strategies and ensure the content we send is relevant to your expressed interests.

2.3. Information Collected from Third Parties and Public Sources

In the course of our fundraising and operational efforts, we may receive or acquire information about you from external sources, which helps us understand philanthropic capacity, comply with regulatory requirements, and ensure the accuracy of our records. These sources include:

  • Payment Processors: When you make a donation, our contracted payment processing partners provide us with confirmation details (excluding full credit card numbers) to verify the transaction.
  • Affiliated Entities: In limited, controlled instances, we may receive information from the senior living community itself regarding general resident status or administrative needs, strictly for the purpose of coordinating Foundation-funded services or processing a resident assistance application.
  • Public and Wealth Screening Sources: To support our major gifts fundraising and development efforts, we may consult publicly available sources, such as public registries, government records, and reputable wealth screening services, to estimate your philanthropic capacity and inform our solicitation strategies. This helps us ensure our outreach is appropriate and strategic.
  • Social Media Platforms: If you interact with the CARCF through social media (e.g., reacting to or sharing our content), the platform may share certain basic information with us according to your settings and the platform’s privacy policy.

3. Detailed Categories of Personal Data Processed

To emphasize the breadth of data we handle, especially its sensitive nature within our mission, we detail the specific categories of personal data we process, ensuring a clear distinction between routine and highly protected information.

3.1. General Contact and Identification Data

This category includes your full legal name, preferred salutation, mailing address, email address, telephone numbers, and your relationship to the Foundation (e.g., donor, volunteer, family member, general inquirer). This data is primarily used for the effective administration of our records, ensuring that we communicate with you accurately and efficiently, provide you with the correct tax receipts, and acknowledge your contributions appropriately.

3.2. Financial and Transactional Data

This category is crucial for our existence and includes records of your donation amounts, dates, the methods of giving (e.g., check, wire transfer, online), the specific fund designation (e.g., Endowment, Capital Project, Emergency Aid), and any conditions or restrictions placed on the gift. It also includes the last four digits of a credit card or secure token information provided by our payment processor for identifying transactions. This data is retained meticulously for internal accounting, external auditing, and legal compliance purposes related to charitable giving and tax law.

3.3. Highly Confidential Financial Assistance Data

This is the most sensitive category of data we process. It encompasses detailed and documented proof of financial need, including comprehensive income statements, verified asset disclosures, detailed expenditure reports, and supporting documentation (e.g., medical bills, legal correspondence) submitted during the resident financial assistance application process. Access to this information is strictly limited to the Foundation’s Executive Director and the confidential Finance Committee responsible for aid review. This data is stored physically and digitally under enhanced security protocols and is never used for fundraising purposes.

3.4. Technical and Online Usage Data

As described in Section 2.2, this includes IP addresses, browser information, device type, location data, and website activity logs. This data is primarily analyzed in an aggregated, non-identifiable form to understand general demographic trends, identify areas for website improvement, and ensure network security against cyber threats. We do not use this data to identify individual users unless necessary to investigate security breaches or comply with legal requirements.

3.5. Biographic and Philanthropic Capacity Data

This category, collected from public sources, includes information about your career history, educational background, board memberships, publicly disclosed political contributions, and giving history to other organizations. This data is used solely to inform our development and fundraising strategies, helping us to identify potential major gift opportunities and to ensure that our outreach communications are respectful of your known philanthropic interests and capacity. This proactive research is vital for the long-term financial health and sustainability of the Foundation’s mission.

3.6. Health Contextual Data

In the rare event that health information is contextual to an assistance application (e.g., documentation of an unexpected medical crisis leading to financial hardship), this information is treated as highly sensitive. We do not generally collect health data but recognize that contextually, specific medical information may be briefly reviewed as necessary to evaluate the justification for a financial assistance request. Such data is immediately redacted or destroyed once the need determination is finalized and the information is no longer strictly required for the purpose of processing the aid application.

4. How We Use Your Information and the Purpose Limitation Principle

The CARCF adheres strictly to the purpose limitation principle, meaning we use the personal information we collect only for specific, legitimate, and clearly defined charitable and operational purposes. Our use of your data is directly tied to supporting our mission of senior enrichment and advocacy.

4.1. Fulfillment of Our Charitable Mission and Services

The primary use of your information is to ensure the Foundation can effectively carry out its core charitable mission.

  • Processing and Receipting Donations: Financial and contact information is used to accurately process donations, issue official tax receipts necessary for compliance, and fulfill any specific donor instructions regarding the designation of funds (e.g., ensuring a gift is used for the Nursing Scholarship Fund).
  • Administering Resident Assistance: Highly confidential financial information is used solely to review, evaluate, and administer requests for resident financial aid. This process is necessary to verify need, allocate funds responsibly, and document compliance with the Foundation’s aid protocols.
  • Service Delivery and Program Implementation: Contact information and volunteer data are used to coordinate volunteer schedules, manage event registrations, and ensure that residents and families who participate in Foundation-funded programs (like the Garden of Tranquility or educational lectures) receive relevant updates and logistical details.
  • Donor Recognition and Stewardship: We use names, photos (with explicit consent), and giving levels to appropriately acknowledge and recognize the generosity of our supporters in our Annual Report, donor walls (like the Leaf on the Wall), and at recognition events, fostering continued support for our mission.

4.2. Internal Operations, Compliance, and Improvement

Beyond direct mission fulfillment, your data is used to maintain the legal and administrative integrity of the Foundation.

  • Financial Reporting and Auditing: Transactional data is essential for accurate record-keeping, generating internal financial reports, and facilitating annual external audits to maintain our non-profit status and demonstrate fiscal integrity to donors and regulators.
  • Legal and Regulatory Compliance: We use data as necessary to comply with applicable laws, including tax reporting (e.g., IRS requirements for charitable organizations), financial disclosure regulations, and laws governing charitable solicitation and privacy protection.
  • Security and Fraud Prevention: Technical data is used to monitor our systems for security vulnerabilities, detect and prevent fraudulent transactions, and protect our website and data infrastructure against unauthorized access or malicious activity.
  • Strategic Fundraising and Development: Philanthropic capacity data and donation history are used to analyze donor trends, identify strategic funding priorities, and tailor our outreach to align with known donor interests, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Foundation.

4.3. Communication and Engagement

We use your contact information to keep you informed about our progress and opportunities to participate in our mission.

  • E-Newsletters and Updates: To send you periodic updates, educational content, event invitations, and appeals related to our work, always providing you with a clear option to opt-out of future communications.
  • Personalized Outreach: To contact you directly regarding your specific donation, follow up on a project suggestion, or invite you to volunteer based on your expressed skills or interests.

5. How We Share and Disclose Your Information

The CARCF recognizes that sharing personal information requires careful consideration, and we commit to limiting disclosure only to situations where it is necessary, legally required, or explicitly consented to by the individual. We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information with third-party organizations for their independent marketing purposes.

5.1. Disclosure to Service Providers (Necessary Function)

We engage trusted third-party service providers to perform functions essential to our operations. These vendors are contractually bound to use your personal information only for the specific services they are performing for the CARCF and are prohibited from using it for their own purposes. These providers include:

  • Payment Processors: To securely handle online credit card and electronic fund transfers.
  • IT and Technology Vendors: For managing our secure donor database, website hosting, email communication platforms, and secure data storage solutions.
  • Auditing and Legal Counsel: To assist with financial oversight, regulatory compliance, and legal guidance, who maintain their own professional duties of confidentiality.
  • Mailing and Communications Firms: For printing and distributing our Annual Report, personalized solicitation letters, and tax receipts.

5.2. Qualified Disclosure to Affiliated Entities (Strictly Controlled)

In limited, highly controlled circumstances, we may share certain information with the senior living community (the Center) that we support. This sharing is governed by a formal agreement and is only executed when strictly necessary to fulfill the Foundation’s charitable objectives:

  • Coordinating Aid: Confidential financial assistance information is shared only with the senior living community’s necessary administrative or social services personnel required to execute the determined aid (e.g., applying a payment credit to a resident’s account). The original, highly sensitive documentation remains exclusively with the Foundation.
  • Facility Planning: Aggregate, anonymized data regarding funding priorities (e.g., “Need for more therapeutic equipment in the health center”) may be shared with Center administrators to inform collaborative capital planning efforts, but this disclosure does not include any personally identifiable resident or donor information.

5.3. Disclosure for Legal and Regulatory Compliance

We will disclose personal information when we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with a legal obligation, such as responding to a subpoena, court order, or search warrant.
  • Protect and defend the rights or property of the CARCF, its residents, its donors, or the public.
  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with our services.
  • Protect the personal safety of users of our services or the public.

5.4. Disclosure for Public Recognition (Explicit Consent Required)

Any public sharing of your name, image, or giving amount (such as placement on the Leaf on the Wall donor display, or inclusion in the Annual Report) is always preceded by obtaining your clear, explicit, and informed consent. Donors have the absolute right to remain anonymous, and we implement strict internal controls to honor all requests for confidentiality and non-disclosure regarding philanthropic support.

6. Data Security and Retention Protocols

The security and integrity of your personal information are paramount to the CARCF. We implement robust physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect data from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration, particularly focusing on our highly sensitive financial assistance files.

6.1. Technical and Administrative Security Measures

Our technical measures include:

  • Encryption: Utilizing Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt data transmission over our website and implementing end-to-end encryption for electronic communication of sensitive financial documents.
  • Access Control: Implementing role-based access controls (RBAC) to ensure that only personnel who require access to specific data (e.g., the Finance Committee for assistance files; the Donor Relations Specialist for donor history) are granted permission. Access to highly confidential assistance data is limited to a small, named group of individuals.
  • Secure Storage: Storing digital data in physically secure, firewalled servers and cloud environments with continuous monitoring and automated backup procedures. Paper files related to financial assistance are stored in locked, secure cabinets within controlled-access Foundation offices.
  • Staff Training: Requiring all employees and key volunteers to complete mandatory, recurring training on data privacy, security protocols, and the ethical handling of confidential information, emphasizing the heightened sensitivity of resident and donor data.

6.2. Data Retention Policy

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements related to our charitable status.

  • Donor Records: We retain permanent records of donation history to maintain historical financial accountability, facilitate future stewardship, and comply with state and federal tax laws regarding charitable gifts (typically seven years post-transaction, with summary records maintained indefinitely).
  • Financial Assistance Files: Highly confidential assistance documentation (e.g., verified income disclosures) is retained only for the duration of the aid recipient’s active status plus a period required for auditing purposes (typically seven years post-closure of the aid file). Once the retention period expires and the documentation is no longer legally required, these files are securely shredded or digitally erased using industry-standard techniques.
  • Website Usage Data: We retain anonymous technical data for no more than 24 months for trend analysis and security purposes.
  • Employment/Volunteer Records: Retained in accordance with applicable labor laws and internal personnel policies.

7. Your Rights and Choices

The CARCF respects your right to control your personal information and provides clear mechanisms for you to exercise choices regarding communication and data access.

7.1. Communication Preferences and Opt-Out Rights

You have the absolute right to control the communications you receive from the CARCF:

  • Opt-Out of Solicitation: If you wish to receive no fundraising solicitations from the Foundation—whether by mail, phone, or email—you may notify us at any time, and we will promptly place your record on our permanent “Do Not Solicit” list.
  • Opt-Out of Digital Communications: You can easily unsubscribe from our e-newsletter and general email updates by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link located at the bottom of every electronic communication.
  • Opt-Out of Public Recognition: You may request, at any time, that your name be removed from any donor wall, printed material, or public listing of supporters. We will honor anonymous giving requests indefinitely.

7.2. Data Access, Correction, and Deletion Requests

You have the right, subject to legal limitations and verification procedures, to request access to the personal information we hold about you and request that we correct any inaccuracies.

  • Access and Review: Upon written request, we will provide you with confirmation of whether we are processing your personal data and, if so, provide you with access to that data (e.g., your donation history, contact information). We reserve the right to verify your identity before granting access.
  • Correction: If you believe any of the personal data we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated (e.g., a change of address or phone number), you may request its correction by contacting us using the details below.
  • Deletion: You may request the deletion of your personal data; however, please note that we may be legally required to retain certain financial and transactional data for a minimum statutory period related to tax and non-profit auditing requirements. We will comply with all deletion requests for data not subject to mandatory retention.

8. Special Considerations and External Links

8.1. Children’s Privacy

The CARCF’s services, fundraising, and advocacy are directed toward adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 16 without appropriate parental consent, we will take immediate steps to delete the information securely from our records.

8.2. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, such as those of our community partners (e.g., Clemson University departments) or secure payment processors. Please be aware that the CARCF is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage our users to be vigilant when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any website that collects personally identifiable information.

9. Changes to this Policy and Contact Information

9.1. Policy Updates

The CARCF reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our data practices, legal obligations, or charitable initiatives. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page, updating the “Effective Date” at the top of the policy, and, if the changes are significant, we may provide prominent notice via email or a notification on our homepage. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

9.2. Contacting the Foundation

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or to exercise any of your rights (such as an opt-out or access request), please contact us directly. All formal privacy inquiries will be directed to the Executive Director for immediate attention and appropriate action.

CLEMSON AREA RETIREMENT CENTER FOUNDATION Attention: Executive Director Address: 500 DOWNS LOOP, CLEMSON, SC 29631-0000 Email (For Privacy and Compliance Inquiries): info@carcf.site Phone (Administrative Office): (864) 555-CARC (2272)