PRIVACY POLICY

1. Introduction

Backpack Bed for Homeless (ABN 93 128 411 012), a registered Australian charity based in Queensland, is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and store your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

By interacting with Backpack Bed for Homeless, whether by donating, volunteering, subscribing to our communications, or otherwise providing us with your personal information, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to all individuals whose personal information is collected, held, used, or disclosed by Backpack Bed for Homeless, including our donors, volunteers, staff, contractors, suppliers, website users, and other stakeholders.

3. Anonymity and Pseudonymity

Where it is lawful and practical, you have the right to interact with us anonymously or by using a pseudonym. Please inform us if you wish to do so, and we will discuss how we can best accommodate your request. However, in many circumstances, it will be necessary for us to collect your personal information to provide our services or process your requests (e.g., processing donations, registering volunteers).

4. Kinds of Personal Information We Collect

The types of personal information we may collect include:

• Identification Information: Name, address, email address, phone number, date of birth.
• Donation Information: Donation history, payment details (processed securely via third-party providers; we do not directly store your full credit card details).
• Volunteer Information: Application details, emergency contact information, skills and experience, availability, background check information (where applicable).
• Communication Preferences: Your preferences for receiving newsletters, updates, and other communications.
• Website and Online Interaction Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited on our website, referring website addresses, and other usage data collected through cookies and similar technologies.
• Enquiry and Feedback Information: Details of your enquiries, feedback, or complaints.
• Other Information: Any other personal information you voluntarily provide to us.

5. How We Collect Your Personal Information

We may collect your personal information in various ways, including:

• Directly from you: When you make a donation, register as a volunteer, subscribe to our mailing list, contact us with an enquiry, or provide information through our website, phone, in person, or other channels.
• Through our website: Via online forms, cookies, and other tracking technologies (as detailed in Section 10).
• From third parties: Such as fundraising platforms (e.g., GiveNow), event organisers, or social media platforms (but only if you have consented to them sharing your information with us).
• Publicly available information: In limited circumstances, we may collect information from publicly available sources.

6. Purposes for Which We Collect, Hold, Use and Disclose Personal Information

We collect, hold, use, and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:

• Processing Donations: To process your donations, issue receipts, and maintain donation records, including using third-party payment processors securely.
• Volunteer Management: To assess and manage volunteer applications, coordinate volunteer activities, conduct necessary background checks, and communicate with volunteers.
• Providing Information and Communications: To send you newsletters, updates about our work, fundraising appeals, event invitations, and other information you have requested or that we believe may be of interest to you, in accordance with your communication preferences (see Section 9 regarding Direct Marketing).
• Responding to Enquiries and Feedback: To address your questions, respond to your feedback, and resolve any complaints.
• Improving our Services: To analyse website usage and supporter interactions, understand supporter needs, and improve our programs, services, and fundraising efforts.
• Complying with Legal Obligations: To meet our legal and regulatory requirements, such as reporting to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and tax authorities.
• Fundraising and Marketing: To conduct fundraising campaigns, promote our work, and build relationships with our supporters.
• Internal Administration: For our internal management, planning, reporting, and auditing purposes, including using platforms like Salesforce and other cloud-based software to manage supporter information.

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which it was collected, or for a related purpose where you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose the information.

7. Disclosure of Your Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information to:

• Our employees, volunteers, and contractors: Who need the information to perform their duties.
• Third-party service providers: Who assist us with functions such as payment processing (e.g., Stripe), email marketing (e.g., Mailchimp), data analysis, website hosting, cloud storage (e.g., Salesforce), IT support, and professional advisors. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers comply with the APPs and have appropriate data security measures in place.
• Our professional advisors: Such as lawyers, accountants, and auditors.
• Regulatory authorities: Where required or authorised by law, such as the ACNC, law enforcement agencies, or other government bodies.
• Other organisations: With your express consent or where otherwise permitted by law.

8. Cross-border Disclosure of Personal Information

In some circumstances, our third-party service providers may store or process your personal information outside of Australia. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that any overseas recipients of your personal information comply with the Australian Privacy Principles or are subject to laws or contractual arrangements that provide comparable protection. We will inform you if it is reasonably likely that your personal information will be disclosed to overseas recipients and, if practicable, the countries in which such recipients are located.

9. Direct Marketing

We may use your personal information to send you direct marketing communications about our work, fundraising appeals, events, and other information that may be of interest to you. We will only do this if you have consented to receive such communications or if it is otherwise permitted by the Privacy Act. We will always provide you with a simple and easy way to opt-out of receiving direct marketing communications. You can update your communication preferences at any time by contacting us using the details in Section 13 or by using the unsubscribe link provided in our electronic communications.

10. Website, Cookies, and Tracking Technologies

Our website (https://backpackbed.org/) uses cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities.

• Cookies: These are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us to:

  • Ensure the functionality of our website.
  • Remember your preferences (e.g., language settings).
  • Analyse website traffic and usage patterns to improve our website and services.
  • Personalise your experience.

• Other Tracking Technologies: We may also use pixel tags or web beacons to track the effectiveness of our email campaigns and website usage.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most web browsers allow you to control cookies, including deleting them and preventing future cookies from being stored. However, please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing them with your personal information.

11. Security of Your Personal Information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include:

• Implementing physical security measures, such as secure storage of paper records.
• Using electronic security measures, such as encryption (e.g., SSL), firewalls, and password protection to secure our systems and databases.
• Implementing data breach procedures to manage and respond to any suspected or actual security incidents, including notification as required by law.
• Restricting access to personal information to authorised personnel who need the information to perform their duties.
• Ensuring our employees and volunteers are trained on their privacy obligations and data security practices.
• Regularly reviewing and updating our security measures to reflect technological advancements.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. Therefore, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

12. Access to and Correction of Your Personal Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date.

To request access to or correction of your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details provided in Section 13. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe (usually within 30 days) and may require you to verify your identity.

There may be circumstances under the APPs where we are not required to provide you with access to or correct your personal information. If this is the case, we will provide you with written reasons for our decision.

13. How to Contact Us and Make a Privacy Complaint

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about our Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer at:

Privacy Officer Backpack Bed for Homeless PO Box 1211 Cleveland QLD 4163 Australia Email: hello@backpackbed.org Phone: 07 3286 9834

We take all privacy complaints seriously. If you make a complaint, please provide us with as much detail as possible about the issue. Our Privacy Officer will investigate your complaint and aim to provide you with a response within a reasonable timeframe (usually within 30 days). If you are not satisfied with our response, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). For more information, please visit the OAIC website at www.oaic.gov.au.

14. Government Related Identifiers

Backpack Bed for Homeless will only collect, use, or disclose government-related identifiers (such as tax file numbers) if required or authorised by law. We will not use these identifiers to identify you for our own purposes unless permitted by law.

15. Quality of Personal Information

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect, use, and disclose is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. We encourage you to advise us of any changes to your personal information as soon as possible so that we can keep our records accurate.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or technology. Any changes will be posted on our website. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your personal information. The date of the latest update will be indicated at the end of the policy.

Last Updated: 13 May 2025