Your privacy is important to us. We want to ensure that we are as transparent as possible in informing all our supporters how we capture data, store it, and most importantly, use it.

Hobsons Bay Community Fund (HBCF) is committed to protecting and securing the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information.  If at any point you want to know more about our policy, or are worried about your own details, or have ideas on how we can improve our practices, do let us know via contact@hbcommunityfund.org.au – full contact details are below.

Importantly, HBCF is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the “Privacy Act”) and the privacy provisions of other applicable legislation.  In particular, HBCF must adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles in relation to collecting, holding, using, disclosing, securing and allowing access to your personal information.

HBCF's privacy policy provides information about how we manage the personal information we collect, hold, use and disclose. In short, any personal information collected by us is covered by this policy, so it is important to us that the following information is easy to understand.  We will review this policy from time to time and always have this policy publically available throughout our website.

Thank you for supporting HBCF and taking time out of a busy day to read the following.

Your personal information

Definitions are important. “Personal information” is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:

  • whether the information is true or not; and

  • whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.

The kinds of personal information collected by HBCF may (but does not always) include:

  • the names, contact information (e.g., mailing address, phone number and email address) of our donors and other supporters

  • details of donors’ donation history, emails, letters and other interactions with HBCF

  • the names, contact information and employment and academic history of potential staff or volunteers

  • the names and email addresses of persons who subscribe to our emails.

We may also collect and hold sensitive information of our committee members, contractors, volunteers, prospective staff, and volunteers, including completed police checks and medical information.

HBCF does not collect the financial information (e.g., bank account or credit card details) of our donors, which is instead collected by the Australian Communities Foundation and is subject to its privacy policy.

How we collect personal information

We collect data in a number of ways.  HBCF usually collects your personal information directly from you when you provide it over the phone, through our website, by email, through an online form.

We use a third party to process donations to the Hobsons Bay Community Fund.  The third party is the Australian Communities Foundation and it will also collect your personal information directly from you when you provide it over the phone, through our website, in person or by email.  This may also include workplace giving.  Crucially, third party organisations based in Australia are also bound by the Privacy Act and Australian Privacy Principles.

If someone makes a donation on your behalf, and asks that you receive information about their gift, then we may collect the personal information they provide about you, with the exception of the financial information that is collected by the Australian Communities Foundation.

We may also collect personal information from public records, such as telephone directories, lists and third party surveys, which we may purchase for direct marketing and telemarketing, which you have agreed to be on. When it is necessary to collect your personal information, including from a third party, we will take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure that you are notified in compliance with the Privacy Act.

HBCF will not collect, hold, use or disclose sensitive information (including health information or criminal records) about you unless you give us your consent to do so, or where required by law.

If you wish, you can remain anonymous or use a pseudonym when you contact us and if you make a donation.  We will respect your anonymity.  If you choose not to provide us or the Australian Communities Foundation with your personal information, we may not, for example, be able to provide you with an official tax-deductible receipt or a letter of thanks, or assist you fully with your query or complaint.

Cookies, our website and your privacy

In order to understand how people arrive at the HBCF website and related social media platforms and how they use it, we rely on cookies provided by third parties. This enables us to assess the effectiveness of our online advertisements. We may also use your browsing history on the HBCF website to send related messages on our work and appeals.  Cookies do not reveal personal information, such as your name, address, phone numbers or email address. You can adjust your browser to disable cookies, but this may restrict your ability to access certain areas of our website.

How we store personal information

HBCF understands the importance of protecting your personal information from misuse, loss or unauthorised access or use and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is secure.

HBCF holds your personal information securely through physical and electronic means.  We have restricted physical access to our offices, hard copy files are stored in secure cabinets and store rooms, and committee members, contractors, and volunteers are trained in our privacy procedures.  We use security encrypted response forms to protect the personal information you provide us over the Internet. Our third parties use secure online payment systems, and their in-house IT systems are secured with a firewall and anti-virus scanners. Your information is stored in secure databases and only authorised committee members and contractors have access to your information and only when it is required.

HBCF will destroy or de-identify your personal information when we no longer need it for the purpose for which it was collected, unless the law requires otherwise.  If you send us your personal information when we don’t ask for it we will determine whether or not the information is related to one or more of our activities. If the information is not relevant to what we do, we may destroy or de-identify the personal information if it is lawful and reasonable to do so.

How we use your personal information

We use your personal information to carry out our charitable, grant-giving and related activities. For example, we use your personal information to:

  • process any correspondence you may send to us

  • send to you information about HBCF including newsletters, updates and information on appeals

  • update you if we have information that may affect your support

  • confirm who you are when you contact us

  • keep you informed about our work including by mail, email, SMS or telephone

  • respond to your questions, comments, compliments or complaints 

  • circulating questionnaires to improve our services

  • analyse donor, supporter, grant recipient and volunteer activity in order to improve our effectiveness including for quality assurance 

  • report on our activities including producing our Annual Report

HBCF relies on the generosity of our donors, supporters, and volunteers to carry out our mission. Therefore, we may also use your personal information for direct marketing purposes to promote our upcoming events, appeals, projects or other activities. However, where we do use your information for this purpose, we will always provide a simple means for you to opt out of receiving these communications. 

Opting Out

If you wish to opt out of communications you are currently receiving, use any of the clear links that we provide in all our digital communication (like sms or email) or use the contact form on HBCF's website, or simply send an email to contact@hbcommunityfund.org.au

Disclosing your Information

We respect that ‘who’ we share your information with is important to you.

In no instances do we sell your information onto other third parties. HBCF does not use your data with third parties to undergo ‘wealth screening’ activities.

HBCF will only use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles.  This may include where use or disclosure is required by law, where we have your consent to the use or disclosure, or for the purpose for which it was collected or related purposes that you would reasonably expect HBCF to use or disclose that personal information.

HBCF will not disclose information about you to any other individuals or organisations apart from with our own hired contractors and service providers that we engage on a confidential basis to help fulfil our fundraising activities.  For example, we disclose information to our trusted third party providers such as:

  • With our contractor providing Executive Officer services to HBCF

  • With our mailing house partners to send our supporters communiques

  • With our marketing partners to help call donors for their support. Please be aware that although charities are exempt from the “Do Not Call Register”, we have chosen to respect the principles behind this register and advise our third parties not to call anyone listed on the Register.

  • With your employer if you have participated in a fundraising activity as part of a corporate or office team.

Please note, the above list is not exhaustive, but to repeat, these organisations are also bound by the Australian Privacy Principles.

HBCF may find it necessary to also use and disclose your personal information to overseas providers such as cloud service providers. Before we send your personal information overseas, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient will not breach the Australian Privacy Principles, including contractual obligations to treat your personal information in substantially the same way as required under the Australian Privacy Principles.

For any other circumstances where we need to disclose your personal information overseas, we will expressly inform you of the disclosure and obtain your consent.

Help us keep your information accurate

HBCF aims to ensure that the personal information we hold about you is accurate, complete, up-to-date, relevant and not misleading.  However the accuracy of this information is largely dependent on the information you provide.

To assist us with this, please contact us if you are aware of any changes required to your personal information.

Even if you don’t contact us, if we are satisfied that, having regard to the reasons for which we hold your personal information, that personal information is inaccurate, incomplete, out-of-date, irrelevant or misleading, we may take reasonable steps to correct that information.

You can access your information

You have a right to access, update and correct personal information that HBCF holds about you.

Requests for access to personal information should be made by email or post using the details provided under the ‘Contacting us’ heading.

Before providing access to or correcting your personal information, we may also require you to verify your identity. In the unlikely event that we are unable to provide you with access to your personal information, we will provide you with written reasons for denying access.

Enquiries and complaints 

We want to hear from you.  Enquiries or concerns about privacy matters, including complaints about how HBCF handles personal information and concerns that HBCF has breached the Australian Privacy Principles, should be made in writing as detailed below under the heading “Contacting us”. HBCF will respond to all enquiries as quickly as possible.  We normally have a very fast turn-around so if you’ve not heard back, feel free to contact us.

If you would prefer to deal with us anonymously, you are not required to provide your personal information to us unless we are required by law to deal with individuals who have identified themselves or it is impractical for us to deal with individuals who have not identified themselves.

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your matter, you may wish to contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner via the contact details listed on www.oaic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us webpage.

If you wish to make a complaint about our privacy practices, please submit a written complaint by email to  or by post to:

Secretary
Hobsons Bay Community Fund Inc.
29 Ferguson Street
Williamstown VIC 3016

In general, we will respond to your complaint within 30 days, normally much sooner. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may make a written complaint to the Australian Information Commissioner. For more information about our complaints process see our Complaints Policy. For more information about the Australian Information Commissioner visit www.oaic.gov.au.

Contacting us

Please contact us if:

  • you have any queries in relation to the privacy policy of HBCF;

  • you would like to know what personal information HBCF holds about you and how you can gain access to it, or you would like to correct or update it; or

  • you believe that your privacy has been breached, or if you believe that HBCF has breached the Australian Privacy Principles or the Privacy Act, and you wish to make a complaint.

You may contact us by:

Writing to: The Secretary, Hobsons Bay Community Fund Inc, 29 Ferguson Street, Williamstown VIC 3016

Emailing: contact@hbcommunityfund.org.au