Australian Privacy Policy

Australian Privacy Policy

The Pew Charitable Trusts (‘Pew’) is committed to ensuring that the personal information it holds about individuals is handled appropriately and lawfully. We have prepared this privacy policy to inform you of the personal information we collect and hold about you, and how we use this information. This policy also provides information about your privacy rights as an individual and how to contact us if you have any privacy concerns.

We are subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Nothing in this privacy policy is intended to limit our obligations or permitted handling of personal information under privacy laws. For example, under the Privacy Act, we may rely on certain exemptions including in relation to employee records.

What personal information do we collect and handle?

Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable: (a) whether the information or opinion is true or not; and (b) whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.

The types of personal information Pew collect and handle generally includes:

  • Supporters, sponsors and community – we collect personal information, typically contact information, about our supporters, sponsors, partners and contacts to contact them about our programs, events, volunteering and fundraising.
  • Registration and petitions – we collect personal information if you complete a registration form to create a user name and/or password, including name, telephone number, e-mail, country of residence and mailing addresses, and may require you to indicate your interest in or support of various Pew projects and campaigns.
  • Volunteers, employees and contractors – we collect personal information about volunteers, employees and contractors for recruitment and management including information concerning qualifications, skills, experience, character, screening checks, employment history, personnel benefits, emergency contact details, performance, and conduct. We collect health and criminal record information for screening checks, and health information for managing health and safety. The information we collect may include information we collect pursuant to laws including the Fair Work Act, Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act, Income Tax Assessment and other tax laws, Corporations Act, occupational health and safety acts and workers compensation acts.  
  • Job applicants – If you choose to respond to a posting on Careers@Pew you will be asked to consent to the applicable Applicant and Employee Data Privacy Statement. To ask a question about or request a copy of the Applicant and Employee Data Privacy Statement, please contact The Pew Charitable Trusts using privacy@pewtrusts.org.
  • Business relationships – we collect personal information, typically business contact information, for our dealings with prospective and existing suppliers to Pew.

Some of the information we may collect is considered ‘sensitive information’ under certain privacy laws, for example, your health information. Pew will only collect this information with the relevant individual’s consent or otherwise in accordance with the law.

How does Pew collect personal information?

Where reasonable and appropriate, Pew will collect personal information directly from the individual.  However, there are certain situations in which personal information about an individual may be collected from someone else, for example, this might include: interactions and communications with Pew and from third parties including public sources, Pew related companies, vendors, information service providers, and the parties with whom Pew exchanges information.

We also obtain personal data from you when you send or receive electronic communications with us, register to support Pew petitions, sign up to receive newsletters or updates from Pew on its activities, or otherwise voluntarily provide us with personal information.

Pew will only collect personal information that is necessary for its business functions and activities, including to comply with legal or regulatory obligations. If you choose not to provide certain personal information, this may limit or eliminate your ability to receive action alerts or other communications from Pew, as well as your ability to be considered for a position at Pew.

How does Pew use and disclose personal information?

Pew collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information to perform Pew’s functions and activities. This includes:

  • to manage and improve our website;
  • to enable you to get involved in Pew’s activities;
  • to allow you to receive information such as updates and newsletters on our activities, campaigns and research;
  • to contract with vendors and contractors to acquire goods or services necessary to meet Pew’s programmatic goals or to support its operational requirements;
  • to enable you to support Pew;
  • to apply for a position of employment at Pew; 
  • to enable you to apply for a grant or fellowship from Pew;
  • to respond to your inquiries, requests or communications;
  • to enable you to participate in an event or conference at Pew; and
  • to receive information from Pew about various projects, activities, campaigns and research. 

You may choose not to receive additional information at any time by using the corresponding opt-out procedure or by contacting Pew at the e-mail address privacy@pewtrusts.org.

In some cases, Pew may need to disclose personal information to the government (as required by law), third party vendors (for example, payroll, benefits, health and safety), and legal counsel. We may need to share your information with our service providers, associated organizations and agents for the purposes described above. We may also share your personal information with Pew partner organizations, independent contractors and other entities and individuals who work on Pew campaigns in order to further Pew’s charitable purposes.

Cross-border disclosure 

The use, collection and disclosure of personal information described above may involve Pew disclosing personal information outside Australia as some of our related companies and suppliers, including technology suppliers, are located in the United States, United Kingdom, countries in the European Economic Area and/or other countries.

If Pew discloses personal information to third parties outside Australia, Pew will comply with cross-border disclosure privacy standards under the Privacy Act, for example, by taking reasonable steps to protect the information being held, used or disclosed by the recipient inconsistently with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Visitors to Pew’s website

To help improve the service we provide through our website, certain information is collected from your browser. This information is collected as statistical information and includes the IP address, browser type, language and access times. This website also uses cookies to track pages visited and information accessed within our website. This information is for statistical reference and site analysis only. For further information on Pew’s use of cookies please see Cookies section of Pew’s Website Privacy Policy.

In many cases, the tools used on our website record information in a way that does not identify you as an individual. In other cases, information may be personal information in which case this privacy policy will apply. For example, we collect personal information if you follow us through social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter or contact us through our site or subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Our website may also use third party website tools from time to time, for example Google Analytics and online survey tools. For more about how Google collects and processes data, please see Google’s privacy policy and their information at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

How Pew holds your personal information - storage and security

Pew will take reasonable steps to protect personal information and to safeguard personal information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Pew may store personal information that has been collected in hard copy or electronic format, in storage facilities that Pew owns and operates, or that are owned and operated by service providers engaged by Pew.

Pew will take reasonable steps to ensure that any personal information Pew uses or discloses is complete, accurate and up-to-date. Pew will only keep personal information on file for as long as it is necessary to fulfil business needs or legal requirements.  When Pew no longer requires the personal information, Pew will destroy or dispose of it in a secure manner.

Access to and correction of personal information

Subject to some exceptions under privacy laws, you generally have a right to request access to and correction of any personal information which Pew holds about them. Requests for access or correction should be forwarded to the senior vice president, general counsel, legal affairs at privacy@pewtrusts.org.

If your request for access to the personal information is denied, Pew will provide you with reasons why this is the case. If Pew refuses to alter the information, Pew will provide you with reasons why this is the case and include a statement about the disputed facts on your file.

How can you make a privacy complaint?

If you have any concerns about how we have handled your personal information, then your complaint should be immediately referred to the senior vice president, general counsel, legal affairs at privacy@pewtrusts.org.

Complaints will be handled impartially and as promptly as possible in the circumstances and will give you an estimated timeframe for when we will respond to your complaint.  Only those people who are involved in the investigation of the complaint will have access to personal information in relation to the complaint.

If you believe Pew has not adequately dealt with your complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner whose contact details are available at www.oaic.gov.au.

Policy reviews

Pew may review and amend this policy from time to time.  We will publish any revised privacy policy on our website.

How to contact us

If you have any questions or comments about this privacy policy, please don’t hesitate to contact us as follows:

Contact: Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Address: 901 E Street NE, Washington, DC 20004, USA
Email: privacy@pewtrusts.org
Phone: +1 (202) 552-2000
The Pew Charitable Trusts ABN 70 248 467 088

Last updated: October 14, 2019