University of Montana Foundation

When you interact with the UM Foundation, such as by visiting our websites, making a donation, registering for an event, or communicating with us (“Services”), you acknowledge that we will collect and process personal data as described in this Privacy Notice in accordance with our mission and applicable law.

We collect information about you that is referred to as “personal data”.  We use the term “personal data” to refer to any information that identifies you or can be reasonably used to identify you.  The term does not include de-identified data or information that is publicly available, or that we have a reasonable basis to believe you made publicly available. 

Information You Choose to Provide  

We collect personal data you choose to provide to us through, for example, direct interactions with UM Foundation staff or through forms, surveys, event registrations, or donations.  The type of personal data we collect from you through these channels may include, but is not limited to the following: 

• Name and contact information such as mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses;  

• Title, gender, and date of birth; 

• Names of spouse or partner and family members; 

• Employment information; 

• Engagement information and volunteer activities with or on behalf of the UM Foundation or the University or its affiliated organizations; including information you may provide to register for an event such as dietary restrictions;  

• Affiliation with the University, including attendance, awards, honors and participation in athletics or other activities; 

• Education, degree and graduation information; 

• Membership in groups or organizations; 

• Information related to your charitable donations;  

• Information from your interactions with us, including the time and subject of your inquiries to us, as well as your preferred communication methods and other information you provide to us voluntarily in forms or surveys or online; and 
• Photos and videos taken at UM Foundation or University events in furtherance of our mission. 

Information Collected through the Use of Our Services  

We may also collect personal data about you through your use of our Services.  This information may be collected through our website or other UM Foundation affiliated websites or social media sites.  Generally, when you visit our websites and access information from these sites, your identity remains anonymous.  However, we may track web usage data to evaluate how well our web pages are performing.  This may include information about your device, the operating system, IP address, and mobile network information.  We may also use cookies, pixel tags or web beacons, or other similar tracking tools or server logs.  We may also collect and process information about your actual location with your consent.  

Information Collected from Third Parties.  

As permitted under applicable data protection laws, we may collect and receive personal data from third parties such as the University and its affiliates, including the University Office of Alumni Relations, the University of Montana Alumni Association, and the Grizzly Scholarship Association, as well as from third-party companies, organizations, data providers, or other external sources, including social media sites.  We may combine this data with personal data and other information we have collected.  This personal data collection enhances our ability to provide you with tailored services and make informed decisions in furtherance of our mission.  

The UM Foundation collects personal data to determine your interest and ability to support the University.  We also collect personal data to:  

• Provide donor services, including to manage donations, recognize contributions, support and organize events, track donor history, administer charitable funds, maintain and facilitate relationships with current and prospective donors, and foster ongoing engagement; 

• Process charitable gifts and donations, manage funds, and handle financial transactions; 

• Send important updates, communications, and notices, and respond to inquiries to maintain ongoing connections with UM Foundation and University supporters and community partners; 

• To provide information about UM Foundation and University programs and events to current and prospective donors, as well as the wider community; 

• Conduct internal analysis for the improvement of UM Foundation programs, operations, and services; 

• Fulfill legal obligations and to comply with applicable laws and regulations; and 

• Further our mission, which is to inspire philanthropic support to enhance excellence and opportunity at the University of Montana. 

We may share the personal data we collect from and about you within our organization and with certain third parties.  The following describes the categories of personal data we may share with third parties and the categories of third parties with whom we share this data: 

• The University and its affiliated organizations to further our mission to support the University; 

• Third-party service providers we engage to perform functions on our behalf, including processing and managing financial payments and donations; supporting IT, data management, and web-hosting services; providing professional services such as auditing and legal support; acknowledging charitable gifts; supporting marketing and communications; assisting with organizational goals and operations; and carrying out services in coordination with University-affiliated organizations. 

• Support donor stewardship activities such as providing donor recognitions, annual reports and other publications, unless you have specifically withheld your consent to be referenced in these publications;  

• Comply with requests from government and law enforcement agencies, regulators, or other relevant authorities to comply with legal processes or audits, to enforce the terms of this or other policies or to pursue available legal remedies or defend against any claims; and  

• Comply with your request to share information with other third parties and as permitted by applicable UM Foundation policies or law. 

The UM Foundation accepts various methods of payment, including but not limited to contributions made by credit cards.  We do not proactively collect or store payment information unless you have voluntarily provided it to us.  The UM Foundation uses third-party and PCI-compliant payment processors, which collect this information on our behalf to process and complete the transactions.

The UM Foundation may in some cases receive and process “sensitive data,” which includes but is not limited to data that may reveal racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or precise geolocation data.  For a complete definition of “sensitive data” please see 30-14-2802, MCA.  In accordance with the Montana Consumer Data Protection Act, effective October 1, 2025, we may only collect “sensitive data” with your consent, and we do not sell or use sensitive data for targeted advertising purposes.  This data, if received, is tracked and managed as permitted by law, for legitimate organizational purposes, in compliance with regulatory requirements, and in execution of our Services and in furtherance of our mission.  

We retain your personal data only for as long as it is necessary in relation to the specific purposes for which it was provided or obtained. We will also retain personal data in cases where we have an ongoing legitimate need to retain such data, including for legal, regulatory, tax or accounting purposes. We are prohibited from deleting personal data when it is needed to establish, exercise, or defend against legal claims. In these cases, personal data is retained for as long as it is legitimately needed for compliance and legal purposes. 

For the purposes described in this Privacy Notice, we make reasonable efforts to collect only the personal data that is adequate, relevant, and necessary to support our mission, provide our services, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. We also use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect personal data from loss, misuse, and unauthorized disclosure. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee absolute security for information you provide in person to us, online or through electronic means. To the extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for disclosures resulting from transmission errors, unauthorized access by third-parties, or circumstances beyond our control. Additionally, we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices used by third-party websites that we may provide links to from our website. Such links do not constitute an endorsement of that website or any content or information provided by that website.  

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails from the UM Foundation by following the instructions in any marketing email you receive from us.  Unsubscribing will not stop us from sending emails about your past, current, or future transactions with us.  UM maintains its own subscriptions, which are not governed by this policy. 

At this time, we do not recognize automated “do-not-track” (“DNT”) browser signals. For more information about DNT settings generally, see the explanation provided by the Future of Privacy Forum. 

You are entitled to certain rights regarding your personal data under the Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act (“MCDPA”).  These rights are designed to give you greater transparency and control over how your information is used. They include the following: 

Know What Personal Data We Have.  You have the right to know whether we are processing your personal data and what personal data is being collected about you. 

Access Your Personal Data.  You may request access to your personal data. However, we may request specific information from you to enable us to verify your identity and your right to access your personal data is not absolute. If we cannot provide you with access to your personal data, we will inform you of the reasons, subject to any legal restrictions. 

Correct Your Personal Data.  If you believe the personal data we maintain about you is inaccurate, you may ask us to correct it, considering the nature of the data and the purposes for which it is processed. 

Request Deletion of Your Personal Data.  You may ask us to delete your personal data, unless an exception under law allows or requires us to retain it. 

Data Portability.  You may request a copy of the personal data you provided to us in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format so that you may transmit it to another entity.

Right to Opt Out.  You have the right to opt out of the processing of your personal data in connection with targeted advertising and profiling in furtherance of automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning you.  You also have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal data.  Under the MCDPA, the term “sale” includes both traditional sales for monetary consideration and the exchange of data for other valuable consideration.  The UM Foundation does not sell your personal data for monetary consideration.  However, personal data may be disclosed to third parties (e.g., advertising networks and analytics providers like Google Analytics) where those third parties may use your personal data for their own purposes beyond providing services directly to us.  To exercise your opt out rights, please email us at dataprivacy@supportum.org. 

Withdraw Consent.  You have the right to withdraw any consent you previously provided at any time.  If you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our collecting and processing of your personal data up to the point in time that you withdraw your consent.  Even if you withdraw your consent, we may still use your information, provided it has been fully deidentified and does not personally identify you. 

Costs of Requests.  We will provide you with information in response to your privacy rights requests free of charge, unless we determine that a request is clearly unfounded, excessive, technically not feasible, or repetitive.  In those cases, we may charge a reasonable fee to cover the administrative costs of complying with the request or declining to act on the request.  

Responses.  We will respond to requests without undue delay and no later than 45 days following receipt of the initial request.  We reserve the right to extend the initial 45-day response period when reasonably necessary, considering the complexity and number of requests.  If we extend the response period, we will provide you with the reasons for any extension.  If we decline to act on your request, we will inform you of the reasons. 

Appeal our Decision.  If we deny your request, you may appeal our decision by responding to us at the address from which the response was provided.  We will provide a response no later than 60 days after receipt of the appeal and the reasons for the decision.  If your appeal is denied, you may submit a complaint to the Montana Attorney General’s Office.  

You may exercise the rights listed above by sending us an email at dataprivacy@supportum.org: Include your name, address, email, phone number and your specific request.  Parents, legal guardians, and authorized agents may make a request on behalf of their minor children.  We may be required to take certain steps to verify your identity. An authorized agent will need to provide proof that they are authorized to act on your behalf.

We are located in the United States, and the personal data that we collect is stored on servers located in the United States.  This means that your personal data will be collected, processed and stored in the United States, which may have data protection laws that are different from and sometimes less protective than the laws of your country or region such as the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”) in the European Union or European Economic Area (“EEA”).  By sending us personal data, you agree and consent to the processing of your personal data in the United States. 

We use reasonable safeguards to help ensure that the personal data we process remains protected, including when it is processed internationally or by our third-party service providers and partners.  These safeguards may include contractual agreements that require our service providers to protect your information and limit any onward transfers of personal data.  We may also use additional or comparable measures, as appropriate, to help ensure your information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Notice.

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page and will become effective upon posting. This Privacy Notice was last updated on March 11, 2026.