If you have any questions or comments, please contact Tearfund Privacy Officer on 1800 244 986 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively you can send an email to [email protected] or write to: Privacy Officer, PO Box 110, Forest Hill VIC 3131, Australia
Privacy is important to us.
Tearfund Australia is committed to always handling personal information in a safe and secure manner, and ensuring the privacy of this information.
Consistent with our obligations to manage personal information openly and transparently, this policy aims to ensure compliance with relevant legal obligations, provide guidelines for the handling of information provided to Tearfund Australia, and provide information on privacy for Tearfund Australia’s supporters.
This policy guides Tearfund Australia’s handling of data impacted by Australian Privacy Principles and relevant legislation.
We collect personal information from donors, potential donors, event participants, advocacy supporters, church supporters, and people that complete a Tearfund Australia form or sign up to receive Tearfund Australia communications.
The type of personal information that Tearfund Australia collects and holds will depend on the nature of involvement with our organisation.
Depending on the reason for collecting the personal information, the personal information collected by Tearfund Australia may include personal or sensitive information, as defined in Section 5 Definitions/ Terminology Classification.
Whilst an individual is not required to provide personal and/or sensitive information requested by Tearfund Australia, if it is chosen not to provide information as requested, it may not be practicable for Tearfund Australia to service the individual’s needs. For instance an individual may choose to donate or receive general information anonymously or under a pseudonym; however, Tearfund Australia is required to collect and store a minimum level of information in order to issue a tax-deductible receipt/statement.
In circumstances where Tearfund Australia receives unsolicited personal information (meaning, personal information received where Tearfund Australia has taken no active steps to collect the information), Tearfund Australia will usually destroy or de-identify the information as soon as practicable if it is lawful and reasonable to do so unless the unsolicited personal information is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to, Tearfund Australia’s functions or activities. For instance we usually retain unsolicited volunteer or employment applications and complaints or feedback.
Tearfund Australia staff, volunteers and contractors may collect personal information from individuals from time to time.
We will wherever practicable collect personal information directly from the owner of the personal information, including via phone, face to face, our website, email, SMS, electronic and hard copy forms, social media, and third party online portals.
On occasion, Tearfund Australia may collect personal information from a third party such as sector relevant coalitions. In accordance with Tearfund Australia’s Fundraising policy, Tearfund Australia does not purchase marketing/information lists.
Tearfund Australia will generally obtain consent from the owner of personal information to collect their personal information. Consent may be provided in writing, orally or may be implied through a person’s engagement with Tearfund Australia.
We will endeavour to only ask for personal information if it is reasonably necessary for the activities that an individual is seeking to be involved in.
Tearfund Australia may collect, hold, use or disclose personal information for the following general purposes:
For the purpose of furthering Tearfund Australia’s mission, information collected is usually used for Tearfund Australia’s fundraising, charitable, aid, relief and development, advocacy, education and related activities. This includes (but is not limited to) processing donations, issuing receipts and other Tearfund Australia material, contact management for Tearfund Australia staff and representatives, and analysis to personalise and improve Tearfund Australia’s supporter engagement.
Tearfund Australia may publish the images of supporters, staff, contractors and volunteers in publications, on social media, or in public advertisements, after obtaining informed consent where practicable.
If an individual has any concerns about their personal information being used by Tearfund Australia in any of these ways, they must notify the Privacy Officer of Tearfund Australia at [email protected].
Tearfund Australia won’t pass information on to third parties except in the following circumstances:
When disclosing personal information to a third party, Tearfund Australia will take reasonable steps to ensure that the third party does not breach the APPs in relation to the information.
Tearfund Australia may disclose an individual’s personal information to a recipient overseas in accordance with the APPs where:
From time to time Tearfund Australia may send supporters updates and information consistent with its mission and future development. Supporters are provided with the option to unsubscribe from communications and may contact Tearfund Australia’s Privacy Officer if they do not wish to receive such information.
Tearfund Australia ensures all reasonable steps are taken to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Supporters’ personally identifiable information is kept secure—through securely storing paper records, firewalls, password restricted access to computerised records, routine security risk assessments, and internal policies in relation to access to personal information. Only authorised employees and volunteers have access to this information.
Tearfund Australia is committed to holding accurate and up-to-date personal information.
Individuals are encouraged to contact Tearfund Australia at any time to update their personal information. This can be done by contacting the Privacy Officer of Tearfund Australia.
Tearfund Australia will destroy or de-identify any personal information which is no longer required by the organisation for any purpose for which the organisation may use or disclose it, unless Tearfund Australia is required by law or under an Australian law or a court order to retain it.
If an individual wants to access a copy of their personal information that Tearfund Australia holds, in order to seek correction of such information they may do so by contacting Tearfund Australia’s Privacy Officer.
In accordance with the Privacy Act, Tearfund Australia may refuse access to personal information in a number of circumstances including where giving access to the information would pose a serious threat to the life, health or safety of a person, giving access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of a person, the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings and would not be available under the discovery process, or denying access is required or authorised by an Australian law or court order.
Tearfund Australia will handle all requests for access to personal information as quickly as possible.
If an individual has any questions, comments or complaints about Tearfund Australia's Privacy Policy or handling of information, please contact Tearfund Australia's Privacy Officer on 1800 244 986 between 9am and 5pm (AEST or AEDST) Monday to Friday. Alternatively, they can send an email to [email protected] or write to: Tearfund Australia Privacy Officer, PO Box 110, Forest Hill VIC 3131, Australia.
Tearfund Australia takes all feedback seriously and any feedback on Tearfund Australia’s privacy principles or handling of personal information will be investigated and assessed by the Privacy Officer. The feedback will be responded to within a reasonable time from initial receipt.
Further information about individual privacy rights and privacy law can be obtained from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by:
Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable: a) whether the information or opinion is true or not; and b) whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.
Sensitive information is a special category of personal information. Sensitive information means: a) information or an opinion about an individual’s (i) racial or ethnic origin, (ii) political opinions, (iii) membership of a political association, (iv) religious beliefs or affiliations, (v) philosophical beliefs, (vi) membership of a professional or trade association, (vii) membership of a trade union, (viii) sexual orientation or practices, (ix) criminal record, that is also personal information; b) health information about an individual, c) genetic information about an individual that is not otherwise health information; d) biometric information that is to be used for the purpose of automated biometric verification or biometric identification, or biometric templates.
