Why We Need Non-Disclosure Agreements
Lately you may have been hearing a lot about GAIL Non-Disclosure Agreements. While they may seem like just another form, they’re actually a very important piece of the puzzle that is sharing GAIL data.
- NDA’s allow Advancement Services to keep track of when GAIL data is being shared.
- When you begin a Non-Disclosure Agreement, it alerts Advancement Services that you plan to share GAIL data. This allows us to follow up and ensure that your project is an appropriate use of GAIL data.
- NDA’s outline the rules and regulations for sharing and using GAIL data.
- When you sign an NDA, you agree to follow our data security policies. You as the data provider (person with GAIL access) are assuming responsibility for how the data is used when you share it with someone outside of the system, so it’s incredibly important that you understand the requirements for securely sharing and using the data and that you can explain those expectations to the person you are sharing the information with.
- NDA’s protect us in case of a security breach.
- Plain and simple. It’s getting more and more difficult to be secure online. The NDA form helps protect us in the event that our information finds itself in the wrong hands.
Completing the Forms
In summer 2020, we switched from a printed form to a virtual DocuSign process for Non-Disclosure Agreements. The old forms will no longer be accepted, but you can access the DocuSign forms at the links below.
- Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement for individuals
- Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement for companies and organizations
If you are unfamiliar with how DocuSign works, here’s a general outline of the process you should follow:
- You (the person with GAIL Access) will fill out the form at one of the links above.
- Put your information in the first box.
- Put the information of the person you are sharing data with in the second box.
- A staff member of the Client Services information will auto-populate in the third box.
- Once you complete the first page and then sign your section of the form, the next person in the chain will be prompted to sign their portion and so on until the form is complete.
- The completed NDA will be filed on the GAIL record of the constituent/organization that you are sharing data with.
Sharing the Data
Once the NDA has been completed (meaning it has been approved by Client Services and filed on the constituent’s record in GAIL) you may begin sharing GAIL data. You are required to use SendFiles to share any GAIL data and should never use email as it is not secure. If you or your data recipient have questions about using SendFiles, you can read more about it here.