1. About this Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Benefund Pty Ltd (ABN [pending]) ("Benefund", "we", "us", "our") handles your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
By using Benefund's services, opening a fund, contributing, partnering as an employer or charity, or otherwise interacting with us, you agree to the collection and use of information described in this Policy.
2. What information we collect
We collect personal information that is necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, and operate Benefund safely. This includes:
- Identity information: name, date of birth, residential address, government identification numbers (TFN if you provide it, plus identity documents such as driver's licence or passport for verification under AML/CTF law).
- Contact information: email address, phone number, postal address.
- Financial information: bank account details, employer payroll information (where contributions come from payroll), tax residency, contribution history, fund balances, and distribution records.
- Charitable preferences: the charities you choose to support and how you allocate distributions among them.
- Technical information: IP address, device and browser information, usage analytics, and similar information collected when you visit our website or use our app.
3. How we use your information
We use your information to:
- Provide and operate the Benefund service, including opening and managing your fund, processing contributions, and distributing yield to charities.
- Verify your identity and meet anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations.
- Issue ATO-compliant gift receipts and tax statements.
- Communicate with you about your fund, our service, and related updates.
- Improve our products and services through analytics and customer feedback.
- Comply with legal, regulatory, and reporting obligations under Australian law.
4. Who we share information with
We share your personal information only with parties that have a legitimate role in providing our services or where required by law:
- Service providers: investment managers, custodians, identity verification providers, payment processors, cloud hosting providers, customer support platforms, and analytics providers — all under appropriate data handling agreements.
- Charity partners: when distributions are made, recipient charities receive an aggregated payment with reconciliation data, but they do not receive personally identifiable contributor data unless you opt in.
- Employer partners: when you participate via an employer programme, we share aggregated participation and contribution data with your employer (for matching and reporting purposes), but no charity-specific or individually identifiable distribution detail beyond what is required by law or that you've explicitly authorised.
- Regulators and law enforcement: where required by Australian law, court order, or regulator request.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your data for third-party advertising.
5. Storage and security
Your data is stored on infrastructure located in Australia or under arrangements that ensure equivalent privacy protection. We use industry-standard security measures including encryption at rest and in transit, access controls, regular security reviews, and incident response procedures.
While we work hard to protect your information, no internet-based service can guarantee absolute security. We notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) of eligible data breaches under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
6. Your rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct any information that is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete.
- Lodge a complaint with us, or with the OAIC if you believe we have breached the Privacy Act.
- Withdraw consent for non-essential processing (note: some processing is necessary to operate your fund and cannot be withdrawn while the fund is open).
7. Cookies and analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience, remember your preferences, and analyse aggregate usage. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings.
We use privacy-respecting analytics tools to understand how our services are used. These tools do not collect personally identifiable information beyond what is necessary for analytics purposes.
8. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified to active members by email and posted prominently on our website. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent change.
9. Contact us
For privacy-related questions, complaints, or requests, please contact our Privacy Officer:
Email: privacy@benefund.com.au
Postal: Privacy Officer, Benefund Pty Ltd, [Registered office to be confirmed], Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.