Giving Group Privacy Policy
The Giving Group, Inc. (referred to throughout as "us," "we," "our," etc.), is the owner and operator of the givinggroup.com website, a fundraising platform for nonprofits. This Privacy Policy applies to the givinggroup.com website, any subdomains thereof, any API integrations or widgets we offer, and any other websites or webpages we own or operate that include a link to this policy (all of which together are referred to as the "Website"). Although we provide shorter answers to privacy questions on the Website in order to be helpful, this Privacy Policy is the exclusive and authoritative source of our privacy practices. Please keep in mind that this Privacy Policy does not apply to other websites, which may be accessible from the Website. External websites may have data collection, storage, and use practices and policies that differ materially from those contained here.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we do so, we will notify you by posting the date of the last change or amendment at the top of this page. You agree that this method of notice is sufficient and that you will regularly check this Privacy Policy to see if updates or changes have been made.
Types Of Information Collected
Traffic Data. As is true of most websites, we may automatically collect certain information when you visit our Website. This information may include: (i) IP addresses, (ii) domain servers, (iii) types of computers accessing the Website, (iv) types of web browsers used to access the Website, (v) referring/exit pages, (vi) data about usage patterns throughout the Website (e.g. click rates on different links etc.). Information of this type ("Traffic Data") is anonymous information that does not personally identify you but is helpful for us to improve the business performance and user experience of the Website.
Personal Information. In order for you to make donations through the Website, register with the Website, purchase tickets or registrations through the Website, RSVP to free events posted on the Website, or take certain other actions on the Website (e.g. contacting us through forms, etc.) we require you to provide us with information that personally identifies you ("Personal Information"). Personal Information includes the following types of data:
§Contact Data such as name, mailing address, e-mail address, and user-name, account number, and password
§Financial Data such as your account or credit card number
§Demographic Data such as your zip code, age, and gender
§Company Data such as your business name, size, and business type
§Activity Data such as your donation history, fundraising history, events attended, etc.
How Traffic Data Is Collected
As is true of most websites, we use cookies to collect Traffic Data related to the Website. We use another company to place cookies on your computer to compile this non-personally identifiable information so we can aggregate statistical information about usage of the Website.
The Website also contains web beacons, which are electronic images that are used along with cookies to compile statistics so we can analyze how the Website is being used. Our e-mails may also contain web beacons so we can track how many people open the message or click on links within the message. This information helps us improve our communication and marketing efforts.
We use a third party to gather information on how you and others are using the Website. By using this service we are able (for example) to see how many people visited a given page or clicked on a given link. This information helps us optimize the performance of the Website.
Personal Information Is Kept Confidential
Except as otherwise provided in this Privacy Policy, we will keep your Personal Information private and will not share it with other third parties unless such disclosure is necessary to: (i) comply with a court order or other legal process, (ii) to protect our rights or property, or (iii) to enforce our Terms of Service. Please keep in mind that while we take reasonable precautions to safeguard your Personal Information no amount of protection can guarantee its security.
Use Of Personal Information
We use your information in a variety of ways to help us run the Website. Here are some of the ways we use your information:
§To send you receipts
§To send you updates about the Website
§To send you updates about activity on the Website related to you
§To send newsletters
§To administer your account
§To respond to customer service inquiries
§To send marketing materials
§To improve our Website and marketing efforts
§To administer awards or other promotions you have entered
Access To Credit Card Number Information
PayPal processes all donations and ticket/registration sales made through the Website. Financial and Contact data you input to consummate a transaction is encrypted using SSL technology and sent to PayPal. For recurring donations your Financial and Contact data is stored by PayPal in accordance with industry standards. Only PayPal has access to your credit card number. We do not have access to your credit card number. Data handled by PayPal is subject to PayPal's terms and privacy policy, which you should review by visiting www.paypal.com.
Access To Personal Information (Except For Credit Card #)
We share your Personal information with other business partners who assist us in performing core services (such as hosting, data storage, and security) related to the operation of the Website. These business partners only use your Personal Information to perform these core services, which are necessary for the orderly operation of the Website.
Unless you donate anonymously, any organization you make a contribution to, or purchase from, through the Website will have access to your Personal Information (except for your credit card number). If you make a donation or purchase through an individual fundraising page, then the person who created the fundraising page will also have access to your Personal Information (except for your credit card number). If you make a donation or purchase through an individual fundraising page associated with a fundraising team, or directly to a team fundraising page, then the person who created the team page will also have access to your Personal Information (again, except for your credit card number). You consent to the foregoing and agree that we are not responsible for how these organizations or persons handle your Personal Information. You should contact them directly for their privacy policies and data usage practices.
From time to time, businesses or other entities will run campaigns to benefit charities through the Website. In such a situation, your Personal Information (except for credit card number) may be accessible to the business or other entity running the campaign. If that is the case, we will provide additional notice to you during checkout to let you know if the business or other entity will have access to your data.
Individual Profiles
When you make a transaction through the Website, we automatically index it for you. That information remains hidden from the public unless you register with the Website. If you decide to register (by, for example, creating a personal fundraising page), then by default your giving history, fundraising history, and the events you are attending will be displayed in your profile, which is publicly accessible. Your profile will also display your name, city, and state. You can hide information in your profile from the public by clicking on "Account Settings" (accessible at the top of your screen when you login) and hiding the information you do not wish to share.
Charity Profiles
Each nonprofit that registers with the Website is automatically created a charity profile. This profile displays the nonprofit's active events, campaigns, and projects (unless they've been made "private"). It also displays the total amount the nonprofit has raised through the Website. Each charity profile also includes an activity feed that displays activity occurring on the Website related to that charity (e.g. donations made, events posted, etc.). Charity profiles are public. They can be located by using the search within the Website or by external search engines.
Webpages You Create
If you create a personal fundraising page, an event page, campaign page, checkout page, "get involved page," or other webpage on the Website, it is not private. Pages created on the Website are indexed by search engines and accessible to the public.
If you create an event or campaign on the Website and select the "private" setting, this means that the event or campaign link will not be displayed through the activity feeds on the Website, the event or campaign will not be available through the internal search function on the Website, and it will not be indexed by external search engines like Google. It does not mean, however, that people cannot still wind up on your page (e.g. if the link is shared with them). Please keep in mind that, even if you make a campaign or event private, any personal fundraising pages created by your supporters as part of that campaign or event will remain publicly accessible.
Public Information
Information you post on event pages, campaign pages, personal fundraising pages, your profile (unless hidden), a charity profile, blog posts, or other public pages on the Website can be accessed by other people. You should exercise caution when deciding to share information on public pages. We cannot control who accesses shared information or how other parties will use that information.
Activity Feeds
Activity feeds are streamed displays of actions occurring on the Website. There are various public activity feeds on the Website. Our homepage contains an activity feed displaying recent activity occurring across the whole Website (e.g. donations, new events, ticket purchases, etc.). Charity profiles also have activity feeds that display activity relevant to each respective charity (e.g. donations to, or ticket purchases from, that organization). Each individual profile also contains an activity feed that indexes actions taken by that individual on the Website.
Unless you select the option to donate anonymously, your name and the amount of your donation (or ticket/registration purchase) will be publicly displayed through the homepage activity feed, the relevant charity profile's activity feed, and (if you are registered) through the activity feed on your individual profile.
Nonprofits using the Website also have access to certain widgets (widgets are small snippets of code we generate that the nonprofit can then put into another website). These widgets allow a nonprofit to display activity occurring on the Website on the nonprofit's own website, blog, or another website. Unless you donate anonymously, your name and the amount of your donation (or ticket/registration purchase) may be publicly displayed through the activity feed on a widget. If you become a supporter of a nonprofit on the Website, or fundraise for a nonprofit on the Website, your name and picture may also be displayed on a widget. Please keep in mind that we cannot control, where a given nonprofit will embed the widgets we make accessible to it.
API's And How Your Information Can Be Shared
We make an application programming interface (an "API") available to nonprofit clients. An API (in non-technical terms) allows a nonprofit to automatically retrieve information from our site, for use/display elsewhere (e.g. on the nonprofit's website). To give an example, a nonprofit might use our API to retrieve the names and photos of the top 5 fundraisers for a campaign it is running; the nonprofit could then display that information on a leader board on its own website. If you are fundraising for a nonprofit your name, picture, amount raised, and goal, can be retrieved by the nonprofit through our API. If you create a team fundraising page, then your name, the team goal, and the amount raised by the team can also be retrieved by the nonprofit through our API. If you host an event for a charity, then your name, contact info, and the location of your event can be retrieved by the benefitting nonprofit through our API. The foregoing examples are for illustrative purposes only. The nonprofit you engage with has access to other information through our API such as tickets sold, number of attendees, etc. That being said, the information that we make available through our API is (generally) information that is otherwise available on the Website (e.g. already posted on an event page, campaign page, available through search results, etc.).
Your Choice
It's up to you whether or not you want to provide us with Personal Information. You can still visit the Website without providing us with Personal information, but you will be unable to take certain actions without doing so.
If you are an individual that registers with the Website, and therefore have a public profile, you can make your information private by clicking on "Account Settings" (accessible at the top of the screen) and changing your privacy settings.
You can also choose to make contributions anonymously. If you make an anonymous contribution, your name will not be displayed through the Website's activity feeds and your Personal Information will not be given to the organization you are making a contribution to.
Updating And/Or Correcting Personal Information
If you have registered (and therefore have an individual profile) you can update your information by clicking on "Account Settings" which is accessible at the top of your screen once you've logged in.
Lost Or Stolen Information
If you know, or suspect, that your credit card, user name, or password has been lost, stolen, or used without your authorization you need to contact us immediately at info@givinggroup.com.Upon notification, we will take reasonable steps to mitigate any damage which may have been caused. You are responsible for the safety and security of your user name and password. You should logout after each session you have with the Website and you shouldn't share this information.
Children's Use of the Website
Our Website is intended for those 18 and older. If you are not 18 or older, please do not view this site or post any Personal Information to this site. Content on this site is intended for a general audience and is not targeted towards children. If your child has used the Website and submitted Personal Information to us, please contact us and we will endeavor to remove that information from the Website and our database. While we strive to comply with all of the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, we assume that all Personal Information provided through this Website is provided by persons 18 or older, unless actually notified otherwise at: info@givinggroup.com.