PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date:  August 20th, 2019

The Helping Hand Project Privacy Policy

At The Helping Hand Project (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), we respect and protect the privacy of our website visitors and users of the Network (as defined below) (“you,” “customer,” or “your”).  We created this “Privacy Policy” to demonstrate our commitment to your right of privacy and to describe our practices for how your personal information is collected and used.  This Privacy Policy applies to information that we may collect and maintain about you when you visit www.helpinghandproject.org and/or use the Company’s website (collectively, the “Network”).  By accessing the Network, you expressly consent to the use and disclosure of your information as described below. If you do not agree with the terms set forth herein, please do not use the Network and delete any cookies placed by the website.

Please note this Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected through third party websites or that you submit to us through email, text message or other electronic message, or offline.

Information Collected

We collect and maintain specific types of information when you access the Network.  We may collect: (i) identifying information, including, without limitation, information about your business, personal information, including contact information, postal addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, certain financial information, employer identification numbers or other taxpayer identification numbers collected when you use or access the Network (“Customer Information”); (ii) information you provide in order to obtain a device, including, but not limited to, images or descriptions of a limb-difference and the individual with such limb difference; (iii) the content of communications sent to us, and email addresses and contact information related to such communications; (iv) aggregated and/or anonymized information about the use of the Network to evaluate our customers’ preferences, improve our programming, and facilitate reporting of internet usage; (v) web logs and other standard data entries, including, without limitation, your IP address, page URL and timestamp; (vi) device and application identification information; and (vii) location information.

We do not record the names or email addresses of visitors unless such users subscribe to receive information via electronic mail, make a donation to us, or submit an application to receive a device.

Information Related to Minors 

This Privacy Policy is consistent with the United States Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).  To protect children’s personal information, we do not knowingly collect any personal information from persons under the age of sixteen (16) that can be used to specifically identify them and the Company does not permit persons under the age of sixteen (16) to use the Network.

If you believe we might have any information from or about underage children, please contact us at helpinghandproject@gmail.com.

Uses and Disclosures of Personal Information

Notwithstanding Customer Information you choose to allow other users to view and access, your Customer Information will be kept confidential and will be used to support your relationship with us.  Except as otherwise set forth in this Privacy Policy, we will not sell, rent or lease to others your Customer Information.  We use your Customer Information to help us efficiently operate the Network, to contact you in connection with your activities related to the Network (including, but not limited to, technical notices, security alerts, administrative messages, confirmation emails or important news that could affect your relationship with us), to manage your account, and to provide you with customer support (individually and collectively, “Operational Communications”).  By registering with the Network, you agree to receive Operational Communications.  We may also use your Customer Information to: (i) prevent prohibited or illegal activities on the Network; (ii) customize, measure and improve the Network, its content and advertising; (iii) inform you of changes to this Privacy Policy and the terms of use (as posted on the website, the “Terms of Use”); (iv) provide and deliver products and services you request; (v) carry out due diligence or other screening activities (including background checks) in accordance with legal or regulatory obligations or risk management procedures that may be required by law or that we may have put in place; (vi) enforce our rights under our agreements with you; and/or (vii) carry out any other lawful purpose for which the information was collected. 

The Company is not subject to regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”).  While HIPAA does not apply to us, we are committed to protecting the privacy of your Customer Information related to medical records, conditions or other medical information (“Medical Information”).  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Privacy Policy, we use Medical Information only: (i) for our internal business purposes; (ii) as required by applicable law; (iii) to provide and deliver products and services you request; and/or (iv) for the creation of benchmarking, statistical, research analyses, surveys, reports and studies, but only in aggregate, blinded, non-personally identifiable formats that do not identify, reference or imply an association with you or the individual to whom such Medical Information relates (“Anonymized Medical Information”).  You hereby agree we may indefinitely retain and use Anonymized Medical Information for such purposes, and as required by applicable law.

As set forth above, if you email us, we may keep your message, email address, and contact information to respond to your message.  In certain instances, our response may be provided to other Network users or third-parties as necessary to address certain problems, comments, and requests.

We may retain information, including Customer Information, in order to comply with applicable law, prevent fraud, resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigation, enforce our rights under our agreements with you, for backup, audit or regulatory purposes, and for other actions permitted by law.

We may share your Customer Information with your consent. For example, you may let us share Customer Information with third parties for their own marketing uses. Those uses will be subject to such third party’s privacy policies. Also, the Company may share your Customer Information with third parties in aggregated and/or anonymized form.  If, at any time you do not want us to use your information in this way, or to pass on your information to third parties for marketing purposes, please opt-out by following the instructions set forth below.

Special Cases in which We Share Personal and Password Information.

We may disclose your information to affiliated legal entities and businesses with whom we are under common corporate control.  All of our affiliated legal entities and businesses that receive your information from us will comply with the terms of this Privacy Policy with respect to their use and disclosure of such information. Whenever your information is disclosed under this paragraph, we may also disclose such information on a non-anonymous basis. 

Under certain circumstances, Customer Information and personal information may be subject to disclosure pursuant to applicable law, judicial or other government subpoenas, warrants, or orders (such disclosures, “Disclosures Required by Law”).  In such circumstances, you agree the Company may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with such legal requirement. Also, we may share your Customer Information or personal information in an emergency if necessary to protect the safety of Company employees, agents, customers or any person. Again, when your information is disclosed under this paragraph, we may also disclose such information on a non-anonymous basis.

Use of Other Users’ Information 

By using the Network, you agree that, with respect to other users’ information you obtain through your use of Network, you will only use such information for a purpose that such user expressly agrees to after adequate disclosure of such purpose.  Under no circumstances may you disclose information of another user to any third-party without our consent and the consent of such other user.

Third Party Communications

The Network and the Content (as defined in the Terms of Use) may contain links to websites operated by third parties.  We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of any third-party websites.  Users and visitors who link to third-party websites from the Network should check the privacy and security policy statements of such third-party websites to understand the policies and practices of such third-party websites, as we are not responsible for those policies and practices. 

Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, this Privacy Policy addresses only the use and disclosure of information the Company collects from you.  If you disclose your information to others on the Network or other sites on the internet, you do so at your own risk as different rules may apply to their use or disclosure of such information.  The Company does not control the privacy policies of third parties, and you may be subject to the privacy policies of those third parties where applicable.

Control, E-mail and Opt-Out

If you establish a membership account with the Network, you retain sole control of the Customer Information related to your account.  Accordingly, you may review, add, modify correct, delete or update your Customer Information at any time by sending an email to helpinghandproject@gmail.com.

If you receive one or more e-mails from us, it means one of two things: (i) your e-mail address is on our list of customers or prospective customers; or (ii) you have provided us your e-mail address so that we could contact you.  If you believe you receive an email from us in error, please contact us immediately at helpinghandproject@gmail.com.

We provide you with the opportunity to opt-out of receiving certain communications from us at any point in time.  If you wish to cease receiving e-mails and other communications from us, you can opt-out of by contacting us at helpinghandproject@gmail.com.

You may always decline to share certain personal information with us, in which case we may not be able to provide to you some of the features and functionalities of the Network.

Security of the Information Collected

We use technical, organizational, administrative, and physical security measures to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of data used by our system.   No data transmissions over the Internet, however, are guaranteed to be completely secure. While we strive to protect your data from unauthorized use or disclosure, the Company does not warrant or guarantee the security of the data that you provide to us.

You are responsible for maintaining the security of any password, biometrics, user ID or other form of authentication involved in obtaining access to password protected or secure areas of any of our digital services. In order to protect you and your data, we may suspend your use of the Network without notice, pending an investigation, if any breach of security is suspected.

Information Choices and Changes

You may request to review, correct, delete or otherwise modify information you have previously provided to us through the Network.  You have the right to ask us not to collect, use, process or disclose your Customer Information in any of the manners described herein. This will affect your user experience. You can notify us of your intention to halt the collection, use, processing, or disclosure of your Customer Information at any time by contacting us at helpinghandproject@gmail.com.

Some personal information is automatically collected via the use of data analytics tools. If you object to such collection, your only choice is not to access the Network.

Cookies

Cookies are text files that web browsers place on a computer’s hard drive to tell site owners whether an individual has interacted with the website previously.  The Company uses cookies to recognize repeat visits by users of the Network and to collect information about our users’ interactions with and within the Network.  The cookie may transmit information via your browser with a purpose of authenticating or identifying the computer (via e.g., the IP address) or the user. The use of cookies enables us to make your experience with the Network easier and more meaningful.  

There are two types of cookies: session-based cookies and persistent-based cookies.  Session cookies exist only during an online session.  They disappear from your computer when you close your browser software or turn off your computer.  Persistent cookies remain on your computer after you have closed your browser or turned off your computer.  They include such information as a unique identifier for your browser.  Standing alone, cookies do not contain personal data, and therefore do not identify you personally; they merely recognize your browser.  Unless you choose to identify yourself to the Company by using the Network, you will remain anonymous to the Company. You may delete cookies if you no longer wish to store them on your computer. 

From time to time, we may engage third parties to track and analyze non-personally identifiable usage and volume statistical information from visitors to the Network to help us administer the Network and improve its quality.  Such third parties may use cookies to help track visitor behavior, including visitor responsiveness to online advertisements.  Such cookies will not be used to associate individual Network visitors with any personal data.  All data collected by such third parties on our behalf is used only to provide us with information on Network usage and will not be shared with any other third parties.

The cookies we use do not transmit personally identifiable information to us or to our service providers. You have the choice to opt-out of receiving cookies from both the Company and third parties which will prevent the Company and third parties from tracking information about the online advertisements that you visit.  Please note that you still will have the ability to view our online advertisements even if you opt-out of receiving cookies OR if you choose to disable cookies, you may still use the Network; however, you may have limited access to some areas of the Network.  If you wish to opt out of receiving cookies from the Company, please contact us at helpinghandproject@gmail.com.

Use of Google Analytics, Adwords and Remarketing

We may use “Google Analytics” and similar web analytics services. Google Analytics is used to track unregistered users on the Network, to record multiple visits by unregistered users to the Network, and to record all the pages that unregistered users visit on the Network. If and when an unregistered user registers with the Network, all of his or her previous visits and activity on the Network will be associated with their registered user profile. “Google Analytics” tracks registered users’ visits to the Network whenever they return.

The Company will not (and will not allow any third party to) use “Google Analytics” to track, collect or upload any data that personally identifies an individual (such as a name, address, or billing information), or other data that can reasonably be linked to such information by Google.

We may use all features of “Google Analytics” for display advertisers, including, but not limited to, obtaining specific visitor cookie data, such as the source, medium, and keyword(s) used to visit the Network. “Google Analytics” does not store any visitor-specific data, and the Company will not use specific data regarding users in any way related to “Google Analytics”, “Google Adwords”, and remarketing.

The Company may use remarketing with “Google Adwords” and analytics to display content-specific advertisements to users that have previously visited the Network when those visitors go to other websites that have “Google Display Network” implemented.

The Company and other third-party vendors, including Google, use first-party cookies (such as the “Google Analytics” cookie) and third-party cookies (such as the “DoubleClick” cookie) together to inform, optimize, and serve ads based on users’ past visits to the Network.

We will not facilitate the merging of personally identifiable information with non-personally identifiable information that is collected through any Google advertising product or feature unless you have specifically and affirmatively provided us with your consent to that merger of personally identifiable and non-personally identifiable information.

Users can opt-out of “Google Analytics” for display advertising and customize “Google Display Network” ads using Google’s “Ad Settings” available at: https://adssettings.google.com/u/0/authenticated?hl=en.

Users can also opt-out of “Google Analytics” for display advertising, to prevent your data from being used by “Google Analytics”, by going to the “Google Analytics’” opt-out page.

Whenever your non-personal information is used or is stored together with your personal information, it will be treated as personal information.

Further Information

The Company is the sole owner and operator of the Network.  If you have any questions about anything in this Privacy Policy or about how we collect your Customer Information, or information generally, please contact helpinghandproject@gmail.com.
You may also use the above contact information if you think any information about you is inaccurate, incomplete.

Privacy Policy Changes

We reserve the right to modify, amend or cancel this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check this page regularly and make sure to check the effective date of the policy as set forth above.  If you have any questions or concerns about the changes, please contact us at helpinghandproject@gmail.com.