Donor Privacy Policy

As the area’s premier no-kill shelter, the Humane Society of Sarasota County engages the hearts, hands, and minds of the community to help animals.

As a private, nonprofit organization, HSSC receives no federal funding from any entity, nor are we funded by any national organization. HSSC is not affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States or any other national humane group such as the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and it receives no support from them. HSSC relies solely on program revenue, retail sales, and donations, bequests, and special events. 

Donor Information

HSSC respects the privacy of all donors. We believe in safeguarding personal information and ensuring that donor privacy is protected. Your name, address, and any other personal data you provide will be used only by HSSC to keep you informed of our activities, including our programs, special events, and funding needs. If at any time you choose not to receive these communications, you may contact HSSC, and we will gladly remove your name from our mailing list. HSSC collects and maintains the following types of donor information when it is voluntarily provided to us:

• Contact information such as name, address, telephone number, and email address
• Giving history
• Payment information: last four digits of credit card number and digital copies of all checks received
• Information on events attended, publications received, and special requests for program information
• Information provided by the donor in the form of comments and suggestions

Electronic Personal Records

Donor information is maintained in a secured database. Only authorized personnel have access to this information and only for appropriate business purposes.

List Sharing

HSSC does not rent, sell, give away, or trade its donor lists or any information contained on those lists. We assure you that the identity of all our donors will be kept confidential. Use of donor information will be limited to the internal purposes of HSSC and to further the mission.

Changes to Donor Records

HSSC will discontinue or change the method used to contact any person upon that person’s oral or written request directed to the organization via the contact information listed below. If at any time, you would like to correct the personal information we have about you or if you would like to change your contact preferences, you can let us know by contacting us at the information below. In order to review any personal information we have about you, to ask us to delete that information, or to stop further use of the information, please contact us by using the information below. If you would like to unsubscribe from our email list, please use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our newsletter or general emails or contact us by using the information listed below. It may take up to two months to remove you from our mailings if we have one in production when you request to be removed.

Permanent Record 

HSSC, with approval from the Board of Directors, will maintain an electronic record of all requests for discontinuance of contacts. Oral requests will be noted in writing by the staff of HSSC, then permanently recorded in the electronic donor database. The records of persons who have made such a request will be maintained by HSSC to the extent necessary for legal or liability purposes.

Cookies

“Cookies” are pieces of information that an Internet site transfers to an individual’s hard drive for record-keeping purposes. Cookies allow a certain Internet site to remember important information that will make your use of the site more convenient. 

Use the options in your Internet browser if you do not wish to receive a cookie or if you wish to set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie. Click on the “Help” section of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences. 

We use Google services, such as Google Analytics, as well as other third-party vendors like PayPal or Petango that place first-party and/or third-party cookies on a browser across their websites. To opt out of Google tracking, please visit their opt-out page.

Links to Other Sites

We may offer links to sites that are not operated by HSSC. If you visit one of these linked sites, you should review their privacy and other policies. We are not responsible for the policies and practices of other companies.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

Our privacy policy became effective on July 14, 2014. From time to time, it may be necessary for HSSC to change its privacy policy. Rest assured, however, that any changes will not be retroactively applied and will not alter how we handle previously collected information.

Contacting Us

If you have comments or questions about our Donor Privacy Policy, please contact Anna Gonce at 941.955.4131 x102. 

The Humane Society of Sarasota County, Inc., is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Registration Number CH239, and receives 100% of all donated funds. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free 1-800-435-7352 within the state or online at www.freshfromflorida.com. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state.