Privacy Policy

The Assistance Fund (“TAF”) respects the right to privacy of all users of TAF’s website (the “Site”), the ePayment website (“ePayment Site” and collectively with the Site, the “Sites”), and TAF’s services (collectively with the Sites, the “Services”), and other TAF contributors. TAF is committed to protecting any information that you provide to us. This statement explains our information collection, storage, and disclosure practices. By using the Services, you acknowledge that you agree with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not provide us with any Personal Information (as defined below) and please refrain from using the Sites.

1. Information Collected

TAF collects information that you voluntarily provide to us. Examples of personal information that we collect may include, but are not limited to your name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, email address, birth date, gender, race, credit card information, bank routing and account numbers, Zelle account information, income information, health information and other personally identifiable information (collectively, the “Personal Information”). We collect Personal Information when you:

  • • Fill in forms on the Sites, including when you register to use the Sites or request Services;
  • • Provide information to us in-person or via the telephone;
  • • Contact us;
  • • Donate; or
  • • Otherwise interact with or contact TAF.

TAF also collects other information from users of the Sites automatically, such as IP addresses, browser types, location information and operating system types. Some parts of the Sites use cookies and other technologies to collect information about your general internet usage. The information we collect automatically may include Personal Information or we may associate it with Personal Information we collect in other ways. See the section below called “Tracking Technologies” to learn more.

2. Use and Disclosure of Information

TAF may use your Personal Information for the following purposes:

  • • To provide, and to communicate with you about, the Services, specifically to provide eligible disbursement options supported by the Services and obtain payment details from you for your selected payment options related to a payment initiated by TAF;
  • • To determine eligibility and to provide qualifying patients with assistance for certain out-of-pocket health care costs;
  • • To perform Services requested by you;
  • • To improve customer service by being able to respond to your requests and support needs more efficiently;
  • • To personalize user experience by using aggregated information and your feedback to understand how to improve the Sites;
  • • To send periodic emails to you. Please see Section 8, “Access and Choice” below to learn how to opt-out of communications;
  • • To help us establish and verify the identity of users;
  • • To maintain the security and integrity of our systems; or
  • • To fulfill any other purposes at your direction or with your consent.

Except as outlined below, TAF does not sell, trade, rent or share your identifying information (including your email address) with third parties unless we receive your permission or we are required to do so by law, or we have a good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to comply with a current judicial proceeding, a court order, a legal process served on TAF or to resolve any potential fraud or perceived irregularity in any audits of the accuracy of any documentation or information submitted to TAF by you or on your behalf, as deemed appropriate by TAF. For purposes of providing the Services, we may disclose your Personal Information to the following:

  • • Third Party Service Providers, including outside contractors, auditors, consultants or others, to help us in operating our business and the Services or administer activities on our behalf, including technical and processing services, payment services, and analysis of the Sites’ performance;
  • • Pharmacies or financial institutions, in order to process payments;
  • • Health care providers and their staffs, and to a pharmacy, employer, insurance company and/or other persons or entities working on your or your behalf;
  • • If TAF is involved in a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation or similar proceeding, in which Personal Information held by us is among the assets transferred;
  • • If disclosure is necessary to enforce any other agreements, including for billing and collection purposes or to establish or exercise our right defend against legal claims;
  • • For any other purpose disclosed by TAF when you provide the information or with your consent.

3. Tracking Technologies

TAF may use “cookies”, or small text files that are stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies ensure that the Sites’ content is presented in the most effective manner for you and your computer. You can decline cookies by activating a setting on your browser. If you choose to decline cookies, this may limit the functionality of the Sites. Many web browsers allow for the use of a “Do Not Track” function to inform websites that you do not want your online activities tracked. The Sites currently do not recognize the various web browser “Do Not Track” signals. TAF may also use a tool called “Google Analytics” to collect information about use of the Sites. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit the Sites, what pages they visit when they do so, and what other sites they used prior to coming to the Sites. We use the information received from Google Analytics only to improve the Sites. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit the Sites, rather than your name or other identifying information. We do not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with personally identifiable information. Although Google Analytics plants a permanent cookie on your web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you visit the Sites, the cookie cannot be used by anyone but Google. Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to the Sites is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use and the Google Privacy Policy. You may prevent the collection of the data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the Sites (including your IP address) by Google as well as the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available here.

4. Making A Donation

When you make an online donation, we collect Personal Information such as your name, billing address, credit card information and email address. This information is used to acknowledge receipt of your donation for tax purposes and possibly to include you on TAF’s mailing list unless you elect to be removed from that list. When you send a donation in honor or in memory of someone and request that an acknowledgement be sent to another individual or family, we will use the name and address of that individual or family for acknowledgement purposes only.

To process your Donation, we use FundraiseUp, a third-party service provider. FundraiseUp is a Salesforce product that features a Gateway Connector, which connects our payment gateway to FundraiseUp to collect and authorize payments on TAF’s Giving Pages. The payment gateway is the connector used to send information from TAF to the payment processor and authorize payments. Payment processors are companies that collect payment details and facilitate transactions. TAF’s payment gateway is Stripe. FundraiseUp may collect your first and last name, zip code, postal address, email address, donation amount, billing information, and payment card information. Please refer to FundraiseUp’s Privacy Policy (https://fundraiseup.com/privacy/) to learn more about the use of your Personal Information.

5. ePayment Site

We use PNC Bank, a third-party service provider, to process payments to you from TAF. When you use our ePayment Site, our third-party service provider, PNC Bank, will collect Personal Information such as your name, bank routing and account numbers, Zelle account information, and other information to effectuate payment. Please refer to PNC’s Privacy Policy to learn more about the use of your Personal Information.

6. Security Methods

TAF has implemented commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative security measures to protect your Personal Information, including a secure firewall and use of security infrastructure. As an additional security measure, your Personal Information is also encrypted during transmission using SSL security, an industry standard secure technology. SSL encryption is indicated on your Web browser by the display of a lock or key on the browser status bar. Nonetheless, the transmission of information via the Internet is not completely secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the security of the data sent to us electronically and transmission of the data is entirely at your own risk.

7. Storage of Personal Information in the United States

All of the information that you provide on the Sites will be stored and processed in the United States. If you access the Sites from a location outside of the United States, please be aware that the laws in the United States may not offer the same degree of privacy protection as the laws in your jurisdiction. We do not knowingly collect personal information about individuals residing in the European Union.

8. Access and Choice

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:

  • • Providing us your information. You may choose not to provide certain information, but please be advised that you may no longer be able to take advantage of the Services.
  • • Updates. You can view, update, and delete certain Personal Information about you and your interactions with TAF. Please see Section 13, “Contact Information,” below for information on contacting us. If you choose to email us, please put “Personal Information Request” in the subject line. In order to process your request, we may be required to verify your identity.
  • • Communications. If you receive email or other communications (including print) from us and wish to opt-out, please email us at help@tafcares.org with a subject line “opt-out” or call us at (855) 845-3663. Please provide specific information about what address you wish to opt-out.
  • • Tracking Technologies and Advertising. Most browsers accept cookies automatically. You may be able to set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. For instructions, check your browser’s technical information. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of the Sites may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

9. Children

TAF has certain programs that provide support to children under the age of 13 (each a “Child” and collectively, “Children”). As a result, we may collect certain Personal Information about children under the age of 13 from the child’s parents or legal guardians (collectively, “Parents”). The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”) requires us to inform Parents about our practices for collecting, using, and disclosing Personal Information about Children.

The Sites are not directed at Children nor do we intend on collecting Personal Information directly from Children. We only intend to collect Personal Information from Parents about a Child and we only collect as much information about a Child as is reasonably necessary for the Child to receive the support of our programs.

We will treat any collected Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. We do not share, sell, rent, or transfer Children’s Personal Information other than as described in this Privacy Policy.

At any time, a Parent may review the Child’s Personal Information maintained by us, require us to correct or delete the Personal Information, and/or refuse to permit us from further collecting or using the Child’s Personal Information. You can review, change, or delete your Child’s Personal Information by sending us an email at help@tafcares.org with subject line “Access Child’s Information.” To protect your Child’s privacy and security, we may require you to take certain steps or provide additional information to verify your identity before we provide any information or make corrections.

10. California Visitors

California law allows California residents to ask companies with whom they have an established business relationship to provide certain information about the companies’ sharing of personal information with third parties for direct marketing purposes.

California customers who wish to request further information about our compliance with this law or have questions or concerns about our privacy practices may contact us. Please see Section 13, “Contact Information,” below for information on contacting us.

11. Links to Other Websites

The Sites may contain links to other websites that have information we believe may be of interest. We do not endorse these sites. While we try to link only to websites that share our high standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the content of the sites or privacy practices employed by other sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of each site you visit that may collect information or ask you to disclose Personal Information. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected on external websites that may be linked to or through the Sites.

12. Retention of Information

TAF will only retain your Personal Information for as long as we deem reasonably necessary or as long as required by law.

13. Policy Amendments

TAF reserves the right to modify, expand or remove portions of this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes to this Policy will be posted on the Sites. Your continued use of the Services indicates your agreement with these modifications and updates. If you do not agree with the changes, then you should stop using the Services and notify us that you do not want your information used in accordance with the changes. If we make significant material changes in the way we handle Personal Information, we will send a notice to you at the email address that we have on file and/or by posting a prominent notice on the Services.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the practices of TAF, please contact help@tafcares.org or (855) 845-3663.

Last Update: July 15, 2024