Privacy Policy

Head and Neck Cancer Alliance

Internet Privacy Policy

December 19, 2010

Our Commitment to Privacy

The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA) respects the privacy of every individual who visits their website (www.headandneck.org) and their related online services (Friends Asking Friends and Inspire). This notice explains our online information and business practices. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. As such, we provide you with notice and choices about the collection and use of your personal information that are easy to find. Links to this information are provided at the bottom of our homepage and on every page within our website. Also, whenever we request personally identifiable information, we will remind you of the importance of your privacy and provide a link to our privacy policy. For purposes of this Internet Privacy Policy, the terms “personal information” and “personally identifiable information” may include your name, address, telephone number, and any other information that is connected with you personally. By visiting us at www.headandneck.org and using any of the features and services therein, you accept the practices described in this Privacy Notice.

Use of Cookies

We use cookies, small files that are sent to your web browser and stored on your computer's hard drive, to improve your website experience. The cookie is used to speed up your access to our website and the information you wish to see, but it does not contain any personal information. The majority of web browsers accept cookies, but the “help” menu on your browser should give you options for preventing, accepting, or receiving notice of new cookies. However, please be aware that if you block cookies, some website functionality may be lost.

Data Collection

We collect two types of information:

1.      Standard web server traffic pattern information. General traffic, site usage, browser information and length of stay information is collected and stored in log files. Log files are transaction records maintained on web servers to record information such as:

·         Service provider

·         Browser versions

·         Referring Web sites

·         Search terms used

·         Average number of pages requested

·         Average duration of visit

·         Total visitor traffic

Log files gather information for aggregate use. This type of information is shared externally only on an aggregated basis. For purposes of this Internet Privacy Policy, the terms “aggregate use” and “aggregated basis” mean that individual data is not gathered for log files nor is it shared externally. Aggregate data is compiled data across web users. 

2.      Personal information. We do not collect personally identifiable information from you unless you provide it to us voluntarily and knowingly. If you personalize your website page, volunteer, order a product, request information, or donate, for example, we may collect the following information: first and last name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone number, email address, and subject of inquiry. If you are under 13 years of age, do not share your personal information with us unless you have first informed your parent or guardian of your interest in sharing your personal information with us and obtained the permission of your parent or guardian to share such information with us.

Personal information may be needed for certain optional online activities:

Registration: If you choose to customize the website to your needs by becoming a registered user, we retain the preferences you select so that you will not have to reenter the information each time you access our website. These preferences may include requests for email, news, information, and interest group selections (patient, medical professional, volunteer). You can access your profile by entering your user name and password each time you use the HCNA website. You are not required, however, to enter your name or mailing address.

If you register to participate in a HNCA event, such as Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW), using our event registration site, we may ask you if you are a cancer survivor. You are not required to answer this question as a condition of registering or otherwise participating, but this information is useful to HNCA for event purposes. In such a situation, your answer may become publicly known. If you do not want your answer to be publicly known, then do not answer the question.

Product orders: If you choose to order a t-shirt or other item we sell directly or through vendor relationships, we collect standard credit card information (card number, card type, expiration date) and keep a record of your financial transaction. Credit card numbers are held only until the charge can be processed (usually several minutes).

Contributions: If you choose to donate to our organization, we maintain a record of your contribution. Your financial information will be treated as described above in “product orders.”

Requests: If you submit an online request for products or information such as free brochures, or submit a question through a “contact us” query, we may have to gather additional information from you to respond to your request. Such information will vary with the request, but often includes name, shipping address, telephone number, and email address.

Public Forums: If you choose to participate in a chat room, discussion board, news group or another public forum that we make available to our users, please remember that any information that you disclose in these areas becomes public information. You should exercise caution when deciding whether or not to disclose your personal information.

Data Use

We limit the use of information provided to us on our website to the following:

Internal Use

1. If you do not make a service request, donation, purchase, or otherwise identify yourself, we will have no personally identifiable information about you. We will only use aggregate information derived, in part, from your use of our site to improve our site and our service to you.
   
    
2. If you provide personal information, we may enter your name into our constituent database and contact you in order to:
   • Complete voluntary surveys seeking feedback for quality and service improvement purposes.
   • Supply you with information including cancer related health news, HNCA programs, events and services.
   • Request voluntary time or monetary contributions to HNCA.
   • Request your participation in a HNCA research study or HNCA-funded study.
   • Newsletters and promotional messages will include an “unsubscribe” link.
      

3. We collect the email addresses of those who communicate with us by email. Inquiries may be forwarded to the appropriate HNCA staff or volunteer for response and may be entered into our constituent database. If your name is entered into the database, we may contact you (see (2) above). 

External Use

Your health-related information is privileged and confidential and our best efforts will be made to make sure that it is not shared or released to any organization or business entity.  

1. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf. We will only provide those companies the information they need to deliver the service and prohibit them from using that information for any other purpose.
    
2. We may have relationships with companies that conduct charitable sales promotions and commercial co-ventures that support us in our mission and activities. If you provide us with your mailing address, we may pass your contact information to these companies so that they may ask you if you are interested in receiving their services. Your choice to use their services would benefit HNCA; the amount of money we receive from these entities as a result of your participation is disclosed at the time you are contacted about the service. You are under no obligation to respond and the companies are restricted from using your contact information for any other purpose.
3. Note that in the event of a judicial order, warrant, subpoena, or similar orders directed to HNCA, we may be required pursuant to such judicial or government process to disclose some or all personally identifiable information. 

Your Options

We respect your privacy and allow you to restrict internal and external sharing of your personal information. We recognize that you may wish to limit the ways in which we contact you and we offer the following options:

1. Do not contact me by telephone.
2. Do not contact me by postal mail.
3. Do not contact me by email.
4. Do not share my contact information with other companies or organizations.
5. Do not contact me or share my information with anyone.

For more information on how to inform us of any desired restrictions, please email us at info@headandneck.org. If you contact us with an opt-out request, all reasonable efforts will be taken to ensure that you will not receive any of the selected communications from us in the future. If you do not wish to opt out at this time, you may choose to do so at a later date.

Access

Upon request, we will provide you with the information we maintain about you so that you may request corrections. This information will be sent via postal mail, which we believe is the most secure method of communication. Please contact us by email at info@headandneck.org or in writing at:

Security and Privacy Requests
Head and Neck Cancer Alliance

135 Rutledge Avenue, MSC 550

Charleston, SC 29403

Phone: (866) 792-4622

To protect your privacy and security, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before providing information or making corrections. 

Data Security

We are committed to protecting the security of your personal information and to honoring your choices for its intended use. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we strive to maintain physical, electronic, and administrative safeguards.

We process your financial transactions securely using the services provided by Blackbaud, an internationally recognized website development and strategy vendor. 

Inside the HNCA website, data is stored in password-controlled environments. Our staff and volunteers are educated about the importance of safeguarding your information and we are committed to holding them accountable for protecting your confidentiality. However, such precautions do not guarantee that our website is invulnerable to all security breaks. HNCA makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation that the use of our website is protected from viruses, security threats, or other vulnerabilities and that your information will always be secure.

Whenever HNCA permits an external third party to access personally-identifiable information, appropriate procedures are followed to help ensure that the information is used only for authorized purposes and by authorized persons in a manner consistent with the choices constituents have made under this statement, and that the security, integrity and privacy of the information is maintained. While HNCA will employ procedures to help ensure that your information is only used for authorized purposes as described above, we cannot make any guarantees with respect to the actions or policies of such third parties.

Links Within Our Web Site

Internal Links

Because of the various programs and services at HNCA, there may be other privacy notices to inform our constituents of policies specific to the activity in which they are participating. Please click on the following link to learn more:

·        Friends Asking Friends (Click on Blackbaud button)

External Links

·        Our privacy policies apply only to your use of the website. This site contains links to other sites, including sites that have a special relationship with us. We do not disclose personally identifiable information to those operating linked sites and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. Links to other sites do not imply an endorsement of the materials or policies on those websites. You should read the privacy policies of each site you visit to determine what information that site may be collecting about you. 

Contact Us

This privacy statement will be updated periodically and posted on our website. It applies only to our on-line practices and does not encompass other areas of the organization. It applies to the on-line practices of HNCA chapters located throughout the country. Please click on any links provided under Internal Links to read any other privacy statements. References to the "Head and Neck Cancer Alliance", "we", "us" and "our" are references to the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance and its affiliates, staff and volunteers. We reserve the right to change this policy at any time by posting revisions to our website. You agree to review the Privacy Policies each time you use our website so that you are aware of any modifications. By accessing or using the website, you agree to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of the Privacy Policy as posted at the time of your access or use. If you have any questions about our policy or our compliance, you may send us an email at info@headandneck.org or write to: 

Security and Privacy Requests
Head and Neck Cancer Alliance

Privacy and Security Concerns

135 Rutledge Avenue, MSC 550

Charleston, SC 29403

Phone: (866) 792-4622

Policy Updates

We reserve the right to update this policy at any time. If a material change is made to the policy, we will email all registered users at the email address provided at time of registration. If, as a result of such changes, you wish to change your registration or change the method by which we communicate with you, you may contact us at info@headandnecck.org.