Legal Information
Privacy Policy
Michigan Food & Farming Systems (“MIFFS” or the “Organization”) is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who visit the Organization’s websites (“Visitors”), individuals who make a donation to the Organization (“Donors”) and individuals who register to attend the Organization’s events (“Attendees”). Updated July 2025
What information will we collect about you?
We will collect information about you when you subscribe to our newsletter lists, complete an inquiry form, register for or attend an event, or make a donation. When expressing an interest in subscribing to our newsletters or mailing lists, MIFFS requires you to provide the Organization with personal contact information, such as first and last name, email and/or mailing address.
When donating to the Organization, MIFFS may require you to provide the Organization with financial qualification and billing information, such as billing name and address and credit card number. MIFFS does not retain any credit card information. Credit card donations through our website are processed exclusively through PayPal. For further details about their privacy practices, please consult their website directly at https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/paypal/privacy-full.
We will also collect personal information about website usage through cookies (see the section on Cookies, Google Analytics and third party cookies below) and server logs, which track the IP addresses of users visiting our site and the pages they visit.
How do we store and secure personal information we collect?
MIFFS utilizes Microsoft, Nord VPN and Google to store data securely. We use MFAs, dedicated VPNs and other advanced technology to prevent interference or access from outside intruders. Donor information is protected using both server authentication and data encryption, ensuring that your data is safe, secure, and available only to authorized users. Only authorized MIFFS staff are provided access to our databases via a unique user name and password and MFA that must be entered each time a user logs on to the databases.
MIFFS cannot guarantee the total security of information transmitted to us. Nevertheless, despite our best efforts, no transmission over the Internet and no data storage method can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.
This privacy policy statement governs only this site. By visiting our website you understand our privacy statement and limitations.
Cookies, Google Analytics, and IP Addresses
Cookies: Cookies: Cookies are text files placed on your computer to help us analyze how users use our site. A cookie is a small data file able to track the online movements of an individual. This information could potentially be used to build an online profile of individuals and uniquely locate them in the world. For further information on cookies visit www.allaboutcookies.org or www.aboutcookies.org.
If you prefer not to receive cookies while browsing our website, you can set your browser to refuse all cookies that are stored on your computer; the above websites tell you how to do this. You do not need to have cookies turned on to use or navigate through most parts of our website, although some functionality may be lost.
IP Addresses: When you visit MIFFS’s websites, the Organization collects your Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses upon submission of an online form hosted on the MIFFS site. These forms include info queries, event registration forms, newsletter subscription page, and contact forms.
How do we use the information collected?
Information collected via MIFF’s server logs includes users’ IP addresses and the web pages visited; this will be used to manage the web system, restrict users for the purposes of security and troubleshoot problems.
How we share your information
(a) Personally Identifiable Information: MIFFS will not sell, license or trade your personal information without your consent. We will not share your personal information with others unless they are acting under our instructions or we are required to do so by law or to meet national security requirements. MIFFS may share information collected with other companies or contractors authorized to work on MIFFS’ behalf. We may store personal information in locations outside the direct control of MIFFS (e.g., on servers or databases co-located with hosting providers). Any personally identifiable information you elect to make publicly available on MIFFS websites or social media pages, such as commenting on our YouTube channel, will be available to others. If you remove information that you have made public on our websites or social media pages, copies may remain viewable in cached and archived pages of our websites or if other users have copied or saved the information.
(b) Non-Personally Identifiable Information: We may share non-personally identifiable information (e.g., anonymous usage data, referring/exit pages and URLs, number of clicks, etc.) with interested third parties (e.g., fundraising consultant) to help them understand usage patterns for MIFFS Visitors, Donors, and Attendees. If you remove information that you have made public on MIFFS websites, copies may remain viewable in cached and archived pages of MIFFS websites or if other users have copied or saved the information. Non-personally identifiable information may be stored indefinitely.
Data Retention
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata may be retained indefinitely.
Website analytic data is retained indefinitely.
Data Controller and Data Processor
MIFFS does not own, control, or determine the use of any of the Personal Data stored or processed by a Visitor, Donor, or Attendee on MIFFS websites. Only the Client or Users are entitled to access, retrieve and direct the use of such Client data. Therefore, MIFFS acts as a data processor rather than as a data controller. Visitors, Donors, and Attendees are the data controllers.
Other Websites and the Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Statement covers the information practices of websites that link to this Privacy Statement, including: https://miffs.org. This website contains links to other sites. This privacy policy applies to MIFFS websites only. If you link to others you may want to read their privacy policies. The information practices or the content of such other websites is governed by the privacy statements of such other websites.
Email Communication Preferences
Every mass email message from MIFFS contains instructions on how to opt out of receiving further emails from the organization. You may opt out of mass emails at any time.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we will place any updates on this webpage. This policy was last updated in July of 2025.
How to Contact Us
Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy or information. If you have any questions about this privacy statement or to review personal information collected and request corrections please contact MIFFS by email at info@miffs.org or by mail: MIFFS, 2438 Woodlake Circle, Suite 200, Okemos, MI 48864 or by phone 231.680.0554.
Terms of Use
Use of Materials on This Website
The materials published on the site, including text, images, and illustrations (which we call the “Content”), are protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, and/or other proprietary rights and laws of the United States or other countries. You, a visitor to this site, acquire no rights or licenses to the Content other than the limited rights to use it in accordance with these terms, and you agree to abide by all posted copyright notices or restrictions relating to the Content. Except as provided in the next paragraph, you may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, perform, modify, create derivative works from, transmit, or in any way exploit any part of the Content.
You may download or copy the Content and other downloadable items displayed on the site for personal use only, provided that you keep intact all copyright and other notices contained therein. Copying or storing of any Content for purposes other than personal use is expressly prohibited without prior written permission from MIFFS or the copyright holder identified in the copyright notice contained in the Content. Any unauthorized use of the Content may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity, and communications regulations and statutes.
Trademark Information
The MIFFS and Heroes to Hives names and the MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos are protected trademarks and service marks. No use of these names or logos may be made without the express written consent of MIFFS and/or Heroes to Hives. They are provided for personal, noncommercial use without the right of reproduction.
Use of MIFFS or Heroes to Hives Logo
The MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos are used to identify our organizations, products, and activities. You cannot use the MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos without written permission, and only MIFFS and/or Heroes to Hives can grant authorization for use of the logos. For written permission please contact info@miffs.org. At the time permission is granted, MIFFS and/or Heroes to Hives will provide you with our requirements as to color, typeface, size, etc. for reproduction of the logo.
Improper use of MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos:
1. You cannot use the MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos to refer to another organization or another organization’s products or services.
2. You cannot use the MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos in any manner that would confuse the viewer or could imply sponsorship or endorsement.
3. You cannot change or alter the appearance of the MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos.
4. You cannot use the MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos without giving MIFFS and Heroes to Hives proper ownership
5. You cannot use the MIFFS and Heroes to Hives logos as a link separate from an attaching URL.
Links
MIFFS and Heroes to Hives does not object to adding our link to your site as long as you adhere to the following guidelines:
1. We do not allow our links to appear on websites that promote any form of bigotry or pornography or any site encouraging or engaged in illegal activities.
2. We require that you place the following disclaimer on your page, “MIFFS and Heroes to Hives do not endorse, review, or authorize the content stated on this site.”
3. MIFFS and Heroes to Hives are nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations. No statement should be made that implies or suggests that MIFFS and Heroes to Hives are partners of your organization without the written approval of MIFFS and Heroes to Hives.
4. You cannot link to our site if your website harms or diminishes the mission of MIFFS and Heroes to Hives.
5. You cannot add our link to your site if it in any way suggests that MIFFS and Heroes to Hives endorses a product, service, individual, or organization.