Data ethics

Data is the information that allows us to live, decide, and grow. Each miniscule datum helps us optimize our personal, professional, and communal lives. It also fuels and inspires our most inherent human trait: giving. Data helps us decide if to give, how much, to whom, when, and why.

Our data ethics are driven by metrical dos and don'ts. What we do and do not do in creating our tools, products, and solutions; what we do and do not do in their process and production; and what we do and do not do in implementing a more giving future.

• We will only use data for the purposes of promoting the work of nonprofit 501c3 organizations and philanthropic corporations and consultants.
• We will only use personal data that is legally obtained from public sources (public personal data), shared with us by organizations after proper disclosures (organization personal data), or willfully shared with by individual donors (private personal data).
• We will always maintain full transparency regarding our data processing.
• We will never edit or modify data to misrepresent their sources.
• We will always adhere to the best practices and highest industry standards of data safety and security.
• We will never compromise the security of even the slightest bit of datum.

• We will always vet our products for potentially biased outputs and other ethical risks associated with data driven products, especially machine learning. This includes working hard to collect data on the diverse array of people who our products will impact.
• We will never misrepresent individuals by selectively concealing or altering public data about them.
• We will always research and do our due-diligence to innovate and lead to a more giving and cause-driven future. We will never be satisfied by the ethical status quo.
• We will never allow our research, discovery, or production processes to dictate our ethics.

• We will always ensure that individuals have control over their private personal data; upholding individual’s right to ask for all their data to be removed from our systems.
• We will always allow individuals to have control over their data, including:
  • What organization uses it
  • What they do with it
  • Deleting the data upon request
• We will never use private personal data in a way that will disadvantage the individual.
• We will never present private or organizational personal data, as a whole or specific parts, against the will of the individual.
• We will always guarantee organizations proactive, meaningful, mutually beneficial opt-in for any third-party data shares.
• We will never share data with anyone outside of the Hatch purview, including cross-pollination with our clients, without the organizations’ clear, complete opt-in and meaningful consent.
• We will always respect agreements and understandings between individuals and organizations on the control and usage of organization data. We will never take sides in case of a dispute between the latter.
• We will always protect individual’s private and organization intellectual property in accordance with the highest ethical, legal, and security standards
• We will never monetize personal data, public, organizational or private without an organization's permission.
• We will never partner with any person or entity that doesn't adhere to their relevant data privacy and security laws.
• We will always audit our processes through the clearest ethical lens of our advisory board, The Donor Bill of Rights, and AFPs Code of Ethical Standards, refining as we evolve and preempting any opaque algorithms or outputs.

To view our full terms of use and privacy policies, please click here