We are writing to let you know about a data security incident that took place at a third-party vendor that the Michigan 4-H Foundation uses to track philanthropic giving that may have involved your personal information. The Michigan 4-H Foundation takes the protection and proper use of your information very seriously.

Sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card or bank information, was never provided to the vendor and was not compromised. However, we know any information security incident causes concern and we want you to know we are taking appropriate action.

On July 16, we were contacted by Blackbaud, a large service provider of customer relationship management systems for nonprofit organizations, informing us of a data security incident from May 2020. At this time, we understand they discovered and stopped a ransomware attack. While no Michigan 4-H Foundation-owned technology, networks or systems were impacted by this incident, we wanted to be transparent about the incident’s impact to you.

The information that may have been exposed includes:

• Public information such as names, titles, dates of birth and spouse names.
• Address and contact information such as phone numbers and email addresses.
• Philanthropic interests, giving capacity and summary giving history to Michigan 4-H.

As with all information security incidents, we recommend that you continue to take precautionary measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Being aware of the possibility of phishing emails;
• Creating effective passwords;
• Using two-factor password authentication on devices and accounts whenever possible;
• Deleting files and data when you are done using them; and
• Pulling a free credit report annually. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once every 12 months by visiting annualcreditreport.com, or by calling toll-free 877-322-8228.

Ensuring the safety of our constituents’ data is of the utmost importance to the Michigan 4‑H Foundation. For more information on this security incident, a page on the Michigan 4-H Foundation’s website has been established and will be updated as more information becomes available. You may also visit blackbaud.com/securityincident for a more detailed description of the incident and of Blackbaud’s response.

We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience and unnecessary concern this event might cause. Please be assured that we are taking all appropriate measures to protect your personal information and are always grateful for your continued support of Michigan 4-H.