Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

February 15, 2024

SMS Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network (hereinafter “Gift of Hope”, we, or us) is committed to protecting your privacy. Use of Gift of Hope text message-based services (the “Service”) is subject to the following terms of service. These terms constitute a legal agreement (the “Agreement”). Please read them carefully. This SMS privacy policy governs how we treat the personal information that we collect and receive from or about you in connection with your use of the SMS service, which we make available to you through a third-party service provider.

About the Service
You will receive phone calls and text or SMS messages (“SMS”) from Gift of Hope if you have been identified by a hospital, health care provider, coroner or other law enforcement entity as the legal next of kin or legal contact for a potential organ eye/tissue donor. We may contact you at the mobile phone number that is provided to us by way of direct dial calls, SMS and push notifications in connection with the Service. We may send SMS messages if we are not able to reach you via phone call or other methods of communication. You understand that you are not required to consent to the Service to receive initial text communications from Gift of Hope. You will receive recurring messages while we try to reach you. By continuing to communicate with Gift of Hope via SMS, you consent to our further communication via SMS. You can cancel text message communication at any time understanding that we are legally required to contact the legal next of kin for every individual medically eligible to donate, including those individuals who have authorized donation upon their death through registering as a donor in the state or national donor registry. See “Opting Out below for more on how to stop receiving SMS messages.

Carriers
Our third-party SMS message provider delivers messages to the following mobile phone carriers.

  • Major carriers: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, MetroPCS, U.S. Cellular, Alltel, Boost Mobile, Nextel, and Virgin Mobile.
  • Minor carriers: Alaska Communications Systems (ACS), Appalachian Wireless (EKN), Bluegrass Cellular, Cellular One of East Central IL (ECIT), Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania, Cincinnati Bell Wireless, Cricket, Coral Wireless (Mobi PCS), COX, Cross, Element Mobile (Flat Wireless),m Epic Touch (Elkhart Telephone), GCI, GoldenbState, Hawkeye (Chat Mobility), Hawkeye (NW Missouri), Illinois Valley Cellular, Inland Cellular, iWireless (Iowa Wireless), Keystone Wireless (Immix Wireless/PC Man), Mosaic (Consolidated or CTC Telecom), Nex-Tech Wireless, NTelos, Panhandle Communications, Pioneer, Plateau (Texas RSA 3 Ltd), Revol, RINA, Simmetry (TMP Corporation), Thumb Cellular, Union Wireless, United Wireless, Viaero Wireless, and West Central (WCC or 5 Star Wireless).

If you use another carrier, you might not be able to receive text or SMS messages from Gift of Hope. Please note that Gift of Hope, our service providers and the carriers listed are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Standard message and data rates may apply for any messages sent between you and Gift of Hope. If you have any questions about your text plan or data plan, it is best to contact your wireless provider. For all questions about the Service provided by our SMS service provider, you can call 630-758-2600.

You understand that anyone with access to your mobile device may be able to view the messages you receive when using the Service, and you agree that Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network will not be liable to you if this occurs.

Opting in
There is no opt-in for the initial messages. You have been identified by a hospital, health care provider, coroner or other law enforcement entity as the next of kin or legal contact for a potential organ/eye/tissue donor. Your contact information is provided to Gift of Hope as required by law.

Opting out
You have the ability to opt out of SMS service for any reason. You can opt out by replying “STOP” to any text message.

SMS Privacy Policy
By using the SMS Service, you agree to the terms of this Policy. Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify or change this Policy at any time with or without prior notice to you. If we make material changes that would affect your rights, we may provide additional notice to you. The date of the last update will be posted at the top of this Policy for your convenience. This Policy, and any changes, are effective as soon as posted. Your continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes to the Policy constitutes your full acceptance of those changes.

Personal information
“Personal information” is information that individually identifies you, such as your mobile phone number, your name, as well as any personal information that you choose to include in messages you send through the Service.

What personal information is collected about you
Through the use of the Service, Gift of Hope will receive the following information from our third -party service provider: your mobile phone number when you send a text message to us, the text of messages that you send to other users of the Service, and any comments or feedback regarding the Service that you send to us.

How Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network uses personal information about you
We use personal information to (a) provide you with the Service, (b) process and respond to inquiries, (c) improve the Service, (d) if necessary, contact you with important announcements or messages, or (e) conduct our own research. Each message that you send through the Service (either to us or to other users of the Service) is stored on our servers. We retain these messages on our servers as required to comply with applicable laws. Gift of Hope utilizes servers and services owned by third parties. Your Personal Information is not used by any third party for any purpose other than to provide the Services.

Disclosure of your information
We do not, and do not permit our services providers, to use, rent, sell or share your personal information with others. Your information will not be shared with any third party or affiliate for marketing or promotional purposes. We may use or disclose such information in any of the following limited circumstances:

  • We have your consent.
  • We need to enforce our Terms of Service.
  • We respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to establish or exercise our legal rights, or the legal rights of others, or defend against legal claims.

Security
Gift of Hope takes precautions to ensure the security of your personal information, including ensuring that our third-party service providers protect the security of your personal information. However, we cannot guarantee that unauthorized personnel will not gain access to your personal information despite our efforts. You should note that in using the Service, your information will travel through third -party infrastructures which are not under our control (such as a third-party SMS delivery platform or your carrier network).

We cannot protect, nor does this Policy apply to, any information that you decide to share with other users. You should never transmit personal or identifying information to other users.

Intended Audience
Gift of Hope requires that users of this service be limited to US residents only.

Questions or concerns?
If you have any additional questions regarding this Policy, please feel free to contact us any time by calling 630-758-2600.

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