Member/Donor Privacy Policy

Individuals are the single most important source of support for Minnesota Public Radio | American Public Media, and the other charitable or nonprofit companies and activities of American Public Media Group (collectively referred to as “MPR|APM”).  MPR | APM’s relationship with our donors (our “Donors”) is the highest expression of our mutual commitment to the MPR | APM mission: Creating the future of public media by amplifying voices to inform, include, and inspire.

This Donor Privacy Policy describes how MPR|APM collects, uses and shares personal information that it receives about Donors when receiving and processing donations or otherwise facilitating MPR | APM’s fundraising or donation activities (collectively, “Donor Services”). MPR | APM has in place safeguards to maintain active control of contributor and donor lists, to avoid the unauthorized use of personal information by any employee or third party, including but not limited to list brokers, mail-list management organizations, friends organizations, and advertising or public relations agencies, unless otherwise required by law judicial process.

The Types of Personal Information MPR | APM Collects About Our Donors

When providing Donor Services, MPR | APM collects and maintains personal information about our Donors. For the purposes of this Donor Privacy Policy, “personal information” means any information that identifies or can be used to contact a particular individual. The types of personal information MPR|APM collects about our Donors includes:

·         Identity information: First name, last name.

·         Contact Information: Physical address, email address, and telephone number.

·         Financial Data: Payment card details, bank account details, or other payment information.

·         Transactional Data: Details about events Donors have attended, amounts and number of donations made, inquiries Donors have made, gifts or other merchandise Donors have received or purchased from MPR | APM.

·         Unique Donation Data: Details about any vehicles donated, details about Donor’s stock holdings if stocks are donated, information about Donors’ donor advised fund.

·         Marketing and Communication Information: Details regarding newsletters Donors have subscribed to, information Donors have requested from MPR|APM through our websites, professional fundraiser, or agent, and Donors’ interests and marketing and communication preferences.

·         Generally Available Data: Demographic and wealth-related information available through websites or other publicly available sources.

·         Poll or survey responses: Information and preferences that Donors may have shared in response to polls, surveys, and questionnaires provided by MPR|APM or through affiliated third-party websites.

MPR|APM may collect this information when Donors:

·         Make a contribution through one of MPR | APM’s websites or mobile applications, at a special event, over the phone, by mail or email, or through a third-party affiliate.

·         Provide the information to a third party who is facilitating the Donor’s contribution to MPR | APM, whether that third party is a website operator (such as GiveMN or PayPal), a community foundation, a physical donation site, or a service that otherwise facilitates donations to MPR | APM.

·         Sign up to receive emails or other communications related to the Donor Services.

·         Communicate with MPR|APM directly or through our professional fundraisers, agents, volunteer organizations or individuals, by phone, mail, email, or in person.

·         Make public comments, post to, submit information, or participate in polls on MPR | APM’s websites, mobile applications, or social media pages.

·         Otherwise directly provide the information to MPR | APM or allow MPR | APM to collect the information directly from Donors. MPR | APM also collects personal information about Donors from third party organizations (as described further below) who may have obtained the information through means outside of MPR | APM’s control. 

MPR | APM may also receive personal information on Donors from third parties who collect or aggregate such information from publicly-available sources.

How MPR|APM Uses Donors’ Personal Information Donor

MPR | APM collects and maintains Donors’ personal information in order to:

·         Establish a relationship and communicate with Donors about MPR | APM, our programs, special events and funding needs.

·         Learn about our Donors and what matters to them, as well as recognize donors for their contributions.

·         Process donations and event registrations and issue tax receipts, including on behalf of local stations.

·         Comply with applicable laws and regulations, including reporting requirements.

·         Engage in fundraising, and plan future fundraising activities, events, and services

·         Create and engage in digital and non-digital marketing efforts, including development and implementation of advertising campaigns (whether through social media, online, or offline).

·         Analyze giving patterns and statistics, as well as create strategies and modeling to help future fundraising.

·         Solicit feedback from our Donors by conducting surveys or other reviews.

When using the Donor Services, Donors may be directed to a third-party site for the purposes of processing donations or other transactions, including the processing of any payment or bank account information, or vehicle information. Donors should review such third party’s privacy policy and terms of service.

How Donors’ Personal Information May be Shared or Disclosed

Except as set forth in this Policy, MPR | APM does not rent or sell the names, mailing addresses, email addresses, or telephone numbers of our Donors or former Donors with other organizations or individuals.

MPR | APM may use and share Donors’ information, including personal information, with certain third parties, including the Contributor Data Partnership, for analytical, modeling, and evaluative purposes to identify potential donors, strengthen our marketing and communication efforts, and improve information available to public media systems. 

MPR | APM does hire third-party contractors, vendors and service providers (“Service Providers”) to assist MPR | APM with the collection, management, storage or processing of Donor information, processing of Donor payments, making and answering Donor calls and for other Donor-communication services, and digital and non-digital marketing efforts, and in such instances may share Donors’ personal information with our Service Providers. In every case, these Service Providers are prohibited from retaining Donors’ personal information or using it for any purpose other than that specified by MPR | APM or as necessary to perform the applicable services for MPR | APM or on MPR | APM’s behalf.

MPR | APM may recognize Donors’ contributions by publicizing the Donor’s name and contribution-related information through various media. MPR | APM also may share Donors’ personal information with our board Donors, staff, volunteers and professionals, and with any affiliate organizations, on a need-to-know basis for business purposes.

MPR | APM reserves the right to disclose Donors’ personal information as necessary to comply with a subpoena or investigative demand, court order, request for cooperation from law enforcement or other governmental agency, to exercise MPR | APM’s legal rights, to defend against legal claims, or as otherwise required by law. MPR | APM may also share or disclose Donors’ personal information to buyers or other successors in interest prior to or in the event of a restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, merger, acquisition, divestiture, or other sale or transfer of some or all of MPR | APM’s assets, whether as a going concern or as a part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, where the information is among the assets being transferred.

Discontinuing Contact Upon Request

It is the policy of MPR | APM to discontinue contacting any person upon such person’s oral or written request to MPR | APM, our professional fundraisers, or other agents. MPR | APM shall maintain a record of all requests by persons who indicate to MPR | APM, our professional fundraisers, or other agents that they do not wish to be contacted by or on behalf of MPR | APM. When a “discontinue contact” request is received, MPR | APM will remove the requestor’s name and address from our solicitation (including mailing) lists and take other reasonable steps to ensure the Donor does not receive future promotional communications.  From time to time, however, MPR | APM does solicit donations from Donors or other groups using lists MPR | APM does not possess or control.

This policy does not prohibit contact by MPR | APM that is solicited by a person or a person’s representative, even if the person or the person’s representative has requested MPR|APM discontinue contact. Contact by MPR | APM that is solicited by a person who has previously requested that MPR | APM discontinue contact shall be limited to providing a direct response to the person’s inquiry and shall not affect the person’s previous request to discontinue contact.

Other Choices Regarding Donor Information

Donors may contact MPR | APM at the “Contact Us” details below to update their information or confirm their information is accurate. Donors can also exercise the following options:

·         TO OPT OUT OF MAIL OR TELEPHONE REQUESTS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS, Donors may contact MPR’s Donor Services team at 800-228-7123 or send an email message to contribute@mpr.org.

·         TO OPT OUT OF E-MAIL REQUESTS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS, Donors can use the “Unsubscribe” link which appears at the bottom of each message, send an email message to contribute@mpr.org, or call Donor Services at 800-228-7123.

Personal Information Collected from Third Party Organizations

MPR | APM does not sell, rent, or trade our own Donor list. In order to build our base of support, however, MPR | APM periodically rents or purchases lists from other organizations to reach prospective Donors. MPR | APM does not rent or purchase lists from political parties or candidates for political office.

MPR | APM does not knowingly rent lists from organizations where such an association may harm the goodwill and trust between MPR | APM and our Donors.

Compliance with Laws and Standards

In our fundraising practices, MPR | APM complies with the laws and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service, the Communications Act, the policies of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the laws of the State of Minnesota, and the regulations of the United States Postal Service.

Children’s Privacy

The Donor Services are not directed at, or intended for use by, children under the age of 13 years.  Accordingly, MPR | APM does not knowingly collect personal information from children under age 13 in connection with the Donor Services.

Changes to this Donor Privacy Policy

Please note that MPR | APM may change this Donor Privacy Policy from time to time.  MPR|APM will post changes to the Donor Privacy Policy on our website(s) and update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this document. Continued use of the Donor Services after any changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes.  We encourage Donors to check the Donor Privacy Policy periodically for updates.

Contact Us

Please direct any questions or requests related to this Donor Privacy Policy to the contact information specified below:

American Public Media Group Attn: Privacy Office 480 Cedar Street St. Paul, MN 55101 privacy@americanpublicmedia.org

(Updated October 7, 2020. Mission Updated 2023.)