Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

  • Donate now
  • Sign up
  • Connect

    Your Email Address

    Enter your email address to sign up for our newsletter.
  • Donate Now
  • Connect
  • Connect

    Your Email Address

    Enter your email address to sign up for our newsletter.
  • Log In
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • vimeo
 

Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar

July 11, 2016 | 0 Comments
Tweet
Share
Share
0 Shares

Fundamental #6: Respect Confidentiality

For the better part of two years, our Federation team has been making a deliberate effort to define what drives our work and how we do it. The four core values of Community, Inclusivity, Learning, and Integrity rose to the top. The next step was to identify a list of fundamentals: actionable, daily core behaviors that bring our core values to life and define our culture. Each week, we make a point to focus on practicing a different fundamental, and I kick off that effort by sharing my thoughts on each one at the beginning of each week. Here are my thoughts for our sixth week:

Fundamental #6: RESPECT CONFIDENTIALITY.  Our volunteers, donors, and their families share information with us because they trust us.  Honor that trust by keeping their information in confidence and taking appropriate steps to safeguard how and where it’s used.  The same is true for information about our own agency as well as about your teammates.

The recent legal and media fight between the FBI and Apple was front page news around the world. It exploded the debate about the responsibility that we assume when others entrust their confidential information to us. Apple argued that its responsibility to protect the confidentiality of its customers’ data is so total that it trumps helping the FBI to solve a terrorist attack.

The information we (all of us) keep in our databases is just as sensitive in many ways as the information that Apple keeps. We keep information on our supporters’ home addresses, their places of worship, and, of course, about their charitable giving.

And, our situation is not as easy as Apple’s. We can’t “just say no” to the FBI.  And our donors entrust us in a more personal way.  

But knowing which information is appropriate to share in which situations, is tricky. Sometimes a committed volunteer will ask for information about another volunteer to assist with fund-raising.  How can we be sure where to draw the line? 

Anytime you have the slightest doubt, I urge you to consult with your supervisor, your teammates, Danielle, Barb, Avi or me.  Every case is unique and two heads are better than one. 

Here are a few draft guidelines (we want to draft more precise and helpful guidelines and are happy for anyone who’d like to be involved):  

> Why is the information being sought? Is it with good intentions? Is it appropriate Federation business or purpose?  

> If we had to explain to the donor how we used their information, would it sound reasonable?

> Is this information publicly available? (If so, there is less concern if we share it as well)?

Also, while the primary risk to confidentiality is one of us sharing it beyond what is required and appropriate, there is another risk—we can also risk such confidential information by accident, when we forget to follow the procedures designed to protect confidentiality. What helps me to comply with rules is when I focus on the reason we have these rules—these make all of our work possible.  

The world is changing in scary ways—hacking is skyrocketing, making data theft more likely. At the same time, the world is dramatically increasing the level of expected confidentiality, whether we are Apple or the Federation. All these changes means that we need to continually assess and improve in this area. So I am asking you this week, to please use any team meetings to discuss this Fundamental, and in particular, please try to identify areas where we need to do a better job to protect confidentiality.  Please share with your department head or with me, where we should improve and any suggestions for that improvement. 

Shep Englander Denise Brundage Federation Way Fundamentals
Tweet
Share
Share
0 Shares

you might also be interested in:

No related posts.

Tweet
Share
Share
0 Shares

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

  • Blog Home
  • Our Bloggers




    Danielle V. Minson
    CEO
    Raising the Bar






    Jackie Congedo
    JCRC Director
    In Conversation






    Tamara Harkavy
    Chief Development Officer
    How You Help






    Jaynie Levinson
    Jaynie Levinson works to create networking and engagement opportunities that attract and retain Jewish young adults in Cincinnati.





    Israeli Chronicles
    Connecting Israel & Cincinnati


COMMUNITY RESOURCES

  • Career Center
  • Cincy Journeys
  • Community Calendar
  • Community Directory
  • COVID-19 Hotline
  • COVID-19 Resource Hub
  • Create Your Jewish Legacy
  • Interest Free Loans
  • PJ Library

QUICK LINKS

  • 2019 Community Study
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Donor-Advised Funds
  • Jewish Holiday Calendar
  • Make a Gift of Stock
  • Media Resources
  • Online Rules of Conduct

CONTACT US

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
8499 Ridge Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236

5139851500
info@jfedcin.org

CONNECT

Sign up for updates

The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati has received a 4-star rating of "exceptional," the highest possible, from Charity Navigator. The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Copyright © 2022 Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by FEDWEB ® Central Privacy Policy Terms of Use