Opinion: Massachusetts Can Lead on Privacy Without Leaving Nonprofits Behind

As a nonprofit organization, we strive to take every advantage to reach new audiences and expand our impact. With a limited budget and a mission that ensures the proceeds we receive are used to support our goals, we don’t have an expansive marketing team or the means to purchase expensive advertisements to promote our annual events. At the same time, while word of mouth has always supported our growth, the need to reach a broader segment of the community to fund our operation has never been more critical.

That’s where digital tools have come into play. Social media platforms have become an integral part of our strategy for reaching new supporters and expanding our impact. Although the event we host is an annual one, the efforts to fuel its success are ongoing throughout the year. We begin advertising for our December event just after the new year, utilizing digital tools to connect with local leaders and spread the word about the work we do in our community, as well as how people can contribute.

The goal of Kevin for Kids is to bring members of our community together during the holiday season and collect toys and gifts that are donated to area nonprofits dedicated to ensuring children have holiday gifts. Everything we raise supports that mission. Each year, we collect thousands of toys to donate, but as need has grown, so too has our use of vital digital tools.

Currently, Massachusetts policymakers are considering various proposals to limit the type of information and data that organizations can collect and use. While ensuring data privacy is an important goal, for many of us, the prospect of dramatically limiting data collection could mean losing the ability to reach the consumers and donors we need to operate.

As conversations continue, I hope our legislators strike a balance between the needs of small businesses and the nonprofit community and the pressing demand for guardrails Massachusetts can lead on data privacy in a way that safeguards Bay Staters while preserving the operability of digital tools that many of us rely on.