Privacy Policy

Thank you for your interest in Mercy For Animals. Your privacy is important to us, and we strive to be transparent in our collection and utilization of your information. When we use “MFA,” “we,” “us,” or “our,” this means Mercy For Animals, Inc.

This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains what information we collect from or about volunteers, Donors (as defined below), visitors, and end users (collectively referred to as “you,” “your,” “User,” or “Users”) of our websites, including but not limited to www.mercyforanimals.org and all other MFA-owned or MFA-managed web domains; our online store; our social media platforms; text messaging services while communicating with us; multichannel advocacy tools; and our online and offline donor platforms (each an “MFA Site” and collectively, “MFA Sites”). The Policy also explains how we collect information, use it, share it with third parties, and protect it, as well as how you can opt out of various communication channels relating to your information. This also includes information collected about you from platforms managed or owned by third parties. Please read this Policy carefully. By being a User and using an MFA Site, you are consenting to our collection, use, disclosure, and transfer of your information as described in this Policy and agreeing to the terms herein.

“Donors” means supporters who make donations by any means, including online (such as through online fundraising platforms or our website) and offline (such as at events or by submitting paper form pledges).

What information does MFA collect?

When you access and use an MFA Site, we may collect the following types of information from you:

  • “Personal Information” is information that can be used to identify, contact, or locate you or that relates to you. Personal Information may include your name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, mobile phone number, and demographic information. Personal Information includes Financial Information and Location Information and may include Technical Data.
  • “Financial Information” is a type of Personal Information that may include credit card, debit card, and bank account information. Financial Information in the form of a credit card number and expiration date or bank account and routing numbers for ACH transactions (electronic checks) is collected only if a User wishes to make a donation or purchases at MFA’s online store.
  • “Location Information” is a type of Personal Information that provides information about your geographic location and can be used to locate the device you use to access MFA Sites. Location Information may include a zip code, the location of the device you are using to access an MFA Site (which may be derived from IP-based geolocation), and any other information you or others make available that indicates your location.
  • “Technical Data” is information that we collect about your device and your use of MFA Sites and may include your IP address or a unique identifier for a mobile device used to access MFA Sites, web browser, operating system, device model and manufacturer, performance issues, or activity on MFA Sites.
  • Other information that you provide to us. This may include the content of your communications with us and contacts through social media channels.
How does MFA collect my information?

MFA collects information from Users through several points on our MFA Sites. The types of data collected will vary with your particular use of MFA Sites.

This may include the following:

  • Information you provide to us directly, such as when you submit any of our forms; subscribe to our newsletters, updates, or action alerts; join our Hen Heroes team; make a donation; shop in our online store; sign up for mobile texts; participate in advocacy campaigns; request information about us; volunteer with us; sign up for our email lists; or participate in contests
  • Financial Information you provide when donating through any of our platforms or shopping in our online store. Online donations and online store purchases are securely processed by payment service providers compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). All online transactions are protected and securely transmitted using the most current encryption protocols/algorithms, such as TLS/SSL. Any offline donations that you make via credit card are securely processed by PCI DSS-compliant payment service providers. Any credit card details provided to us over the phone or via paper form are securely processed and are retained for a minimal time. For records, we retain the information in digital form with all but the last four digits of your card number redacted.
  • Information automatically collected when you access an MFA Site and when you enable location services on your device when accessing an MFA Site
  • Information collected through digital tools, including but not limited to cookies and pixels
  • Information obtained from other sources, such as from social media networks (for example, when you interact with us by liking us on Facebook or Instagram or following us on Twitter), other publicly available sources and databases, data aggregators, marketing companies, or other third parties. For example, if you are on a third-party website and request information from us, that website may send us your contact information.

By submitting your information through these various channels, you consent to receiving communications and content from MFA, including but not limited to communications relating to important developments in the animal rights movement, volunteer opportunities, demonstrations, or similar activities.

Please follow the instructions contained in this Policy to withdraw consent (opt out) or to limit our ability to receive certain types of information through our digital tools or the tools of our third-party partners.

Cookies and Pixels

A “cookie” is a small file placed on your device’s hard drive that collects and stores information about your equipment, preferences, and browsing patterns. MFA uses cookies to remember some details about Users, including but not limited to language preferences or contents of your shopping cart in our online store. MFA also relies on information obtained from cookies to perform ongoing analysis and improve MFA Sites and to tailor our content to your interests. MFA may use both first-party cookies, as set by us, and third-party cookies, from a domain other than the MFA Site domain you are visiting. These cookies may allow us to obtain basic information, such as your Location Information, the way that you reached the MFA Site, and your activity on the MFA Site. You can set your internet browser settings to stop accepting new cookies, notice when you receive a new cookie, disable existing cookies, or omit images. The opt-out will apply only to the browser you are using when you elect to opt out of cookies. Note that without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of all features of MFA Sites. You also may not receive advertising or other offers from us that are relevant to your interests and needs. Pixels (also referred to as web beacons, clear GIFs, or pixel tags) are transparent images used in tandem with cookies that enable us, our vendors, or other business partners to record a User’s actions. We use these to count and track Users who have visited pages, to perform ongoing analysis, to improve MFA Sites, and for other statistical purposes.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to help us understand how users engage with MFA Sites. Google Analytics uses cookies to track your interactions with MFA Sites and then collects that information and reports it to us, without individually identifying Users. This information helps us improve MFA Sites.

How does MFA use my information?

We may use your information for the following purposes:

  • Communication with you: We may contact you to offer information and updates about MFA, MFA Sites, and our campaigns and programs; send you information and material for events, activities, donation opportunities, and volunteer opportunities relating to important developments in the animal rights movement, as well as plant-based eating tips; or get in touch with you regarding any transactions conducted through an MFA Site.
  • Text messaging: We may use your mobile phone number to send you text messages about MFA, donation opportunities, events, and campaigns.
  • Improving MFA Sites: We may use your information to help us improve the content and functionality of MFA Sites and to facilitate and enhance MFA Site features that require User input, whether this information is submitted directly by a User or collected through technologies such as cookies.
  • Improving campaigns and programs through planning, analysis, and other operational processes: By collecting User information, we are able to measure interest in our various campaigns and programs and use this information to better serve you and help make our advocacy efforts more effective. We may also use this information to recognize when a User has participated in a campaign and send you information about campaigns that may be of interest to you.
  • Legal purposes: We will use your information when required by law, regulation, subpoena, court order, warrant, or similar legal process or if necessary to assert our rights or protect our assets.
  • Sharing of information: We may share your name, address, and donation amounts and histories with other charities and organizations (and third-party vendors may do so on our behalf) so that the other charities and organizations can contact you for marketing purposes. You can opt out of sharing your Personal Information at any time by emailing us at [email protected] or by checking the do-not-share box that may be contained in certain emails to you.
  • We may share your information internally and with third parties, including but not limited to our affiliated partners, vendors, and contractors. MFA uses various third parties for certain services, such as to process online donations, capture data, and produce analytics. When you order from MFA’s online store, we may use third-party vendors for ordering and fulfillment.
  • If you sign up to receive an information packet on the free-will-service page of our www.mercyforanimals.org website, your name and address will be passed to the FreeWill Co. (“FreeWill”) so that they can send you the requested information. There is no obligation to leave a gift in your will to MFA as part of the free will service. Your will remains confidential, and we will not receive a copy, but FreeWill will let us know if you have left a gift to us and may send us your name and contact information (you will be subject to the policies, rules, and terms of FreeWill as a third party) so that we can inform our legacy team and send you a thank-you letter.
  • We will not sell your Personal Information, and we will not share your Personal Information with any third parties except in the circumstances set out elsewhere in this Policy.
  • De-identified information: We may also de-identify your information or aggregate your information with that of other Users. This de-identified information is not Personal Information because it cannot be used to identify you and may be used by us for any lawful purpose.
  • Other purposes: In addition to the foregoing, we may use your information for any other reason that we tell you when we collect it or in an authorization or consent.
How can I opt out or correct or change my Personal Information?

We respect our Users’ choices and control over their information. You may opt out of email communications from us by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the emails or by emailing us at [email protected]. MFA will respond to all requests to provide records of available information, correct erroneous information, or remove personal information. Such requests can be submitted by email to [email protected]. You may also make such requests online using our supporter hub, which enables you to directly correct or change your information or unsubscribe, at https://mymfa.mercyforanimals.org/page/8104/hub/1.

If you are currently receiving text messages from us and wish to opt out of receiving such messages, you may do so by replying “STOP” or by emailing us at datapr[email protected].

How is my information protected?

MFA uses advanced security protocols to ensure the privacy of your information. MFA maintains data-security measures in line with current industry standards for MFA Sites to protect the Personal Information under its control against unauthorized access and disclosure. These measures include the implementation of reasonable industry-recommended technical, physical, and administrative data-security safeguards. Please keep in mind, however, that no data transmitted over the internet is 100 percent secure, and any information disclosed online can potentially be collected and used by parties other than the intended recipient.

Are there additional privacy rights for California residents?

California law permits users that are residents of California to request the following information regarding our disclosure of your Personal Information to third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes: (i) a list of certain categories of Personal Information that we have disclosed to certain third parties for their direct marketing purposes during the immediately preceding calendar year; (ii) the identity of certain third parties that received Personal Information from us for their direct marketing purposes during that calendar year; and (iii) examples of the products or services marketed (if we have that information). If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please email us at [email protected]

The California Online Privacy Protection Act (“CalOPPA”) requires MFA to post a privacy policy and disclose how it responds to “do not track” signals. MFA does not recognize or respond to “do not track” browser settings.

Notice for Children Under 13

We are committed to complying fully with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”). MFA does not knowingly solicit or collect Personal Information (as defined in COPPA, 15 U.S.C. § 6501) from children under the age of 13, and no one under the age of 13 may provide any information to or through MFA Sites. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 13 years of age and believe that the child disclosed information to us, please contact us at [email protected]. If we learn that we have collected or received Personal Information of persons under 13 years of age without verification of parental consent, we will exercise commercially reasonable efforts to delete this information.

European Union or Other Locations Outside the United States

Your information collected through MFA Sites may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which MFA or its affiliates or service providers maintain facilities. If you are located in the European Union or other regions with laws governing data collection and use that may differ from U.S. law, please note that we may transfer your information, including Personal Information, to a country and jurisdiction that does not have the same data-protection laws as your jurisdiction, and note that you consent to the transfer of information to the United States or any other country in which MFA or its affiliated partners, contractors, or vendors maintain facilities and the use and disclosure of information about you as described in this Privacy Policy.

Please follow the instructions contained in this Privacy Policy to withdraw consent, to limit our ability to receive certain types of information through our digital tools or the tools of our third-party partners, or to request deletion of your Personal Information.

Links to Other Sites

One or more MFA Sites may contain links to other sites, products, and services that are external and not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices employed by or content of such other sites, products, and services. We encourage you to be aware when you leave MFA Sites and to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites or services, as you will be subject to their policies, rules, and terms.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may change this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Please check this Privacy Policy regularly to ensure that you are aware of any changes. Your visit to or use of any MFA Site after changes to this Privacy Policy have been made means you have accepted the changes. If you do not agree with the changes, immediately stop visiting or using MFA Sites.

Contacting Us

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact us.

For questions specifically about your Personal Information, email [email protected].

For questions about this Privacy Policy or your rights hereunder, email [email protected].

Or write us:
Mercy For Animals
8033 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 864
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Attn: Legal Affairs Department

Last updated on August 9, 2021