Who We Are

TWF Gemach is an interest-free loan service operating under MTT Foundation, a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Registration Number: 1165689).

Contact: twfgemach@tiferesyisroel.org.uk

What Information We Collect

When you apply for a loan through our application form, we collect:

• Personal details (name, address, date of birth)
• Contact information (phone number, email address)
• Financial information (income, employment details, reason for loan, requested loan amount)
• Any other information you provide in your application

When you contact us about donating, we collect only the information necessary to process your donation and provide acknowledgment.

Why We Collect This Information

We process your personal data to:

• Assess your loan application fairly and thoroughly
• Contact you regarding your application status and decisions
• Administer approved loans, including setting up repayment schedules
• Maintain accurate records for charity governance, compliance, and accountability
• Process donations and provide appropriate acknowledgment to donors

Legal basis: We process your data based on legitimate interests (assessing and providing interest-free loans to community members in need) and, where applicable, your consent for specific communications.

How We Store Your Information

Your application data is stored securely in Google Sheets, which is accessible only to authorized gemach administrators. We implement appropriate security measures including:

• Password-protected access with strong authentication
• Limited user permissions based on role requirements
• Regular review and audit of access rights
• Secure communication protocols

All administrators are committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of your personal information.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your personal information for the following periods:

• Successful applications: We retain records for 7 years after loan completion. This aligns with charity accounting standards and allows us to maintain proper financial records and respond to any queries.
• Unsuccessful applications: We retain records for 12 months, after which they are securely deleted. This allows for reconsideration if circumstances change and provides a reasonable period for record-keeping.
• Donor information: Retained in accordance with charity accounting requirements, typically 7 years from the date of donation.

Who We Share Your Information With

We do not share your personal information with third parties except:

• Where required by law or legal process
• With Google LLC, as our data storage provider. Google processes data in accordance with their privacy and security standards, which include strong encryption and security measures.

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information. All information provided in applications is treated with strict confidentiality.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to erasure: You can request deletion of your data, subject to our legal and charitable obligations
• Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
• Right to object: You can object to our processing of your data in certain situations
• Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time (though this may affect our ability to process your application)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at twfgemach@tiferesyisroel.org.uk. We will respond to your request within one month.

Information for Donors

If you donate to support TWF Gemach, we collect only the information necessary to process your donation and send appropriate acknowledgment. Donor information is kept confidential and is not shared with third parties except where required for Gift Aid processing or legal compliance. Donors have the same data protection rights as outlined above.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our services after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

Complaints and Concerns

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us at twfgemach@tiferesyisroel.org.uk. We will do our best to resolve any issues.