Privacy Policy

We are committed to protecting your privacy online. When you visit our site, we may ask you for personal information from you such as your name and email address.

In addition, our site uses the Google Analytics web analytics service. Information recorded by Analytics includes information such as how you arrived at our site (including the URL you came from, if you arrived from another site), your network name, your browser type, which type of Internet browsing device you are using, the country, state, and city where your server is located, and the pages that were viewed during your visit to our site.

This site uses two specific Google Analytics features: Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting. These features generate information about a user’s age, gender and interests from Google’s Interest-based advertising or third-party audience data to improve services on this website. This information is tracked using Google’s DoubleClick cookie.

We do not and will not merge any personally-identifiable information with non-personally identifiable information previously collected unless you have been given notice of and have given prior affirmative (i.e. opt-in) consent to that merger. Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to this website is restricted by the Google Privacy Policy. To provide website visitors more choice on how their data is collected by Google Analytics, Google has developed an Opt-out Browser add-on, which is available by visiting Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, to enable you to opt-out of Google’s programs.

Finally, we do not sell or rent personal information to others. We use your information only for the limited purposes of sending you updates and useful information about our programs, promotional information, enhancing the site operation, for statistical purposes, and for overall systems administration.

Privacy Policy

Michigan Founders Fund is committed to protecting your privacy and developing technology that gives you a safe online experience. This Statement of Privacy applies to the Michigan Founders Fund website and governs data collection and usage. By using the Michigan Founders Fund website, you consent to the data practices described in this statement.

Collection of your Personal Information

Michigan Founders Fund collects personally identifiable information, such as your email address, name, home or work address or telephone number. We may also collect anonymous demographic information, which is not unique to you, such as your ZIP code, age, gender, preferences, interests and favorites. There is also information about your computer hardware and software that is automatically collected by the Michigan Founders Fund. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring Web site addresses. This information is used to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the website. Michigan Founders Fund encourages you to review the privacy statements of Web sites you choose to link to so that you can understand how those Websites collect, use and share your information. Michigan Founders Fund is not responsible for the privacy statements or other content on Web sites outside of our and our family of Web sites.

Use of your Personal Information

Michigan Founders Fund collects and uses your personal information to operate the Michigan Founders Fund website and deliver the services you have requested or that are related to your interactions with the Michigan Founders Fund. We may also use your personally identifiable information to contact you regarding our work in the community and with donors. Michigan Founders Fund does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties. We may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of external partners about opportunities that may be of interest to you. In those cases, your unique personally identifiable information (e-mail, name, address, telephone number) is not transferred to the third party. In addition, Michigan Founders Fund may share data with trusted partners to help us perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to the Michigan Founders Fund, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information. Michigan Founders Fund does not use or disclose sensitive personal information, such as religion or political affiliations, without your explicit consent. Michigan Founders Fund keeps track of the Web sites and pages our customers visit within our Web site, in order to determine what foundation services are the most popular. This data is used to deliver customized content within the foundation to customers whose behavior indicates that they are interested in a particular subject area. Michigan Founders Fund websites will disclose your personal information, without notice, only if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on the Michigan Founders Fund or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of the Michigan Founders Fund; and, (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Michigan Founders Fund, or the public.

Use of Cookies

The Michigan Founders Fund website use “cookies” to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the Web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize pages, or register with the Michigan Founders Fund site or services, a cookie helps the Web site to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of recording your personal information, such as billing addresses, general preferences, and so on. When you return to our Website, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the features that you customized.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the Web services you use or Web pages you visit.

Security of your Personal Information

Michigan Founders Fund secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Michigan Founders Fund secures the personally identifiable information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other Websites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

Changes to this Statement

Michigan Founders Fund will occasionally update this Statement of Privacy to reflect company and customer feedback. We encourage you to periodically review this Statement to be informed of how we are protecting your information.

Contact Information

Michigan Founders Fund welcomes your comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that we have not adhered to this Statement, please contact the Michigan Founders Fund. We will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly determine and remedy the problem.

Transparency of Foundation Business

While firmly protecting confidential information, Michigan Founders Fund nevertheless believes that confidentiality should be balanced against the principle of transparency in the organization’s business. Michigan Founders Fund Board of Directors desires to conduct business in an atmosphere that is open and transparent with the goal of promoting trust and understanding. Unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary, the organization is responsive to donors and the public who request relevant information in a timely manner. The organization realizes that it requires resources (staff time, copies, summaries, legal, security, for example) to assure that transparency is achieved.

Recognizing that transparency has benefits and requires ongoing efforts, the organization will continue to provide and enhance communication with the public (i.e. executive summaries, on-line reports, etc.) To facilitate transparency, the Michigan Founders Fund will:

Share on a timely basis with donors and community members:

  • Public records as set by law.
  • The financial position of the organization as reported and/or certified by an independent auditor.
  • The organization’s annual report once it has been accepted by the board.
  • The organization’s Form 990 as required to be publicly disclosed. This does not include the names and addresses of donors as that information is not required to be disclosed.
  • The organization’s investment and spending policies.
  • Reports on investment performance Board approved policies and positions, when appropriate.
  • Information on organizational structure.
  • Programs, initiatives, decisions and resources.
  • Other information as may be determined by the board to be of importance to stakeholders.

Encourage participation of community members in Michigan Founders Fund activities.

Balance the intent for openness with sensitivity to privacy, confidentiality, and the need for free and frank discussion at the board table.