Privacy Policy
The Willowbank Foundation is a registered New Zealand charitable trust committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and respect.
This Privacy Policy explains how The Willowbank Foundation collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you interact with us, including through our website, donations, communications, programmes, partnerships and fundraising activities.
The Willowbank Foundation complies with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 when collecting and managing personal information. This policy does not limit or exclude any rights you have under the Privacy Act.
Your Browsing
You are free to explore The Willowbank Foundation website without providing personal information.
We may collect general information about how visitors use our website, such as pages viewed, browser or device information and website traffic. This information helps us understand how our website is being used and improve the experience we provide.
We will generally only know personally identifiable information about you where you choose to provide it to us, for example by making a donation, subscribing to our communications, completing a form or contacting us.
Who We Collect Personal Information From
Where possible, we collect personal information directly from you when you:
make a donation;
subscribe to our newsletters or communications;
complete a form on our website;
contact or correspond with us;
participate in one of our programmes, initiatives, events or activities;
engage with us as a partner, supporter, donor, funder or volunteer; or
otherwise provide information to the Foundation.
In some circumstances, we may receive information about you from another person or organisation. This may include a community, health, education or family support organisation referring an individual or family to one of our programmes.
Where we collect personal information from another source, we will do so in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and, where required, take reasonable steps to ensure the person concerned is aware that their information has been collected, why it has been collected, who may receive it and their rights in relation to that information.
We may also collect information from publicly available sources where appropriate and permitted by law.
What Personal Information We May Collect
Depending on how you interact with the Foundation, the information we collect may include:
your name and contact details;
email address and telephone number;
information associated with a donation and the issuing of donation receipts;
communication and newsletter preferences;
enquiries and correspondence with us;
information relevant to participation in a Foundation programme or initiative;
information provided by a referring organisation where applicable;
information relating to partnerships, sponsorships, grants, fundraising or other Foundation relationships; and
other information you choose to provide to us.
We aim to collect only the personal information reasonably necessary for the Foundation's activities and purposes.
Donations and Payment Information
When you make a donation to The Willowbank Foundation, we may collect information required to process and acknowledge your donation and, where applicable, issue a donation receipt.
Online payments may be processed through third-party payment providers. Payment card information is processed through the relevant secure payment provider and is not intended to be stored directly by The Willowbank Foundation.
We may retain information relating to donations where required for financial, tax, audit, legal or record-keeping purposes.
We do not sell, rent or trade donor information.
How We Use Your Personal Information
We may use your personal information to:
process and acknowledge donations;
issue donation receipts;
respond to enquiries, requests or communications;
administer Foundation programmes, initiatives and activities;
communicate with programme participants, families and referral partners;
manage relationships with donors, supporters, partners, sponsors, funders and volunteers;
provide newsletters, Foundation updates, appeals and other communications you have agreed to receive;
understand and improve our programmes, fundraising, communications and website;
undertake reporting, evaluation and analysis;
meet our financial, regulatory and legal obligations;
protect the Foundation's legal rights and interests; and
carry out other activities reasonably connected with the purposes for which the information was collected.
We will not use personal information for a purpose that is unrelated to the purpose for which it was collected unless permitted by law or authorised by you.
Programme and Referral Information
Some Willowbank Foundation community programmes may involve referrals from trusted community, health, education or family support organisations.
Where a referral partner provides personal information about an individual or family, we will only collect information reasonably necessary to assess, coordinate or deliver the relevant programme or experience.
We will take reasonable steps to ensure that individuals are appropriately informed about the collection and use of their information, unless an exception under the Privacy Act applies.
Information provided through referrals will be treated confidentially and will only be shared with people or organisations involved in delivering the relevant programme where necessary and appropriate.
Where information is particularly sensitive, we will take additional care in determining what information needs to be collected, retained or shared.
Email Newsletters and Communications
If you subscribe to receive updates from The Willowbank Foundation, we may use your name and email address to send you information about our work, conservation projects, community and education initiatives, science and research, fundraising campaigns, events and other Foundation news.
We may use a third-party email platform to manage our subscriber database and distribute these communications.
Every marketing email will provide you with an opportunity to unsubscribe. You can also contact us at any time and ask to be removed from our mailing list.
Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not prevent us from contacting you where necessary in relation to a donation, enquiry, programme or other existing relationship with the Foundation.
Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to understand website traffic, audience behaviour and how visitors interact with our website.
This information may be used to improve our website, communications and digital activity.
You can change your browser settings to refuse or delete cookies. Doing so may affect some aspects of your browsing experience.
Disclosure of Information to Third Parties
We may use trusted third-party service providers to support the Foundation's activities, including providers of:
website and hosting services;
email and communication platforms;
payment processing;
database and information management services;
digital analytics;
professional and administrative services; and
fundraising and marketing services.
We only provide personal information to third parties where reasonably necessary for them to provide services to us or where otherwise permitted by law.
Where personal information is disclosed to or stored by a service provider outside New Zealand, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the information is protected in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act 2020.
We may also disclose personal information where required or authorised by law.
The Willowbank Foundation does not sell personal information.
Storage and Security of Personal Information
We treat personal information provided to us as confidential and take reasonable steps to protect it from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Personal information may be stored electronically or in physical records and may be held by the Foundation or by trusted service providers acting on our behalf.
While we take reasonable steps to protect information transmitted electronically, no internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Retention of Personal Information
We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected or where retention is required for legal, financial, audit or record-keeping purposes.
When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy or anonymise it.
Accessing or Correcting Your Personal Information
You have the right to request access to personal information the Willowbank Foundation holds about you and to ask us to correct that information if you believe it is inaccurate.
We may need to verify your identity before providing access to or changing personal information.
If we do not make a correction you have requested, you may ask us to record that you requested the correction.
You may also contact us if you would like us to delete personal information we hold about you, subject to any information we are required or entitled to retain for legal, financial or record-keeping purposes.
Privacy Breaches
If a privacy breach occurs, The Willowbank Foundation will assess and respond to the breach in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.
Where a breach is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals where required by law.
Other Websites
Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations.
The Willowbank Foundation is not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external website you visit.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our activities, technology, service providers or legal obligations.
Any updated policy will be published on our website.
Last updated: September 2026
Contact Us About Privacy
If you have any questions, concerns or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the personal information we hold about you, please contact:
Willowbank Foundation
60 Hussey Road
Northwood, Christchurch 8051
New Zealand
Email: info@willowbankfoundation.org.nz
Phone: +64 3 359 6226
You can also find further information about your privacy rights through the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner.