Global Communities takes very seriously the privacy of its website visitors and the security of any personal information that may be provided via the organizations website. Global Communities believes you have the right to know the type of information the organization collects, how it is protected and used, and the circumstances under which it may be disclosed. For easy access, this Privacy Policy Statement is posted on Global Communities' homepage, all internal website pages and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

Any privacy policy provided on any specific Global Communities-branded website will always supersede this general policy. Please check the Global Communities website(s) that you use for the applicable privacy policy.

The Information We Collect and How it is Gathered and Used

Personal Information

This notice applies to all information collected or submitted on the Global Communities website. On some pages, visitors can make information requests, register to receive program updates or resource materials, or make financial contributions. Global Communities collects only the personal information voluntarily provided through this website. This may include, but is not limited to, your name, email address, contact information, credit card information and any other demographic data or details related to your background or interests that you choose to provide.

Global Communities does not share personal information provided by you through its website with any other institution, company, government or governmental agency or other organization. Global Communities is obligated to disclose personal information in exceptional cases as required by US law, including a subpoena.

Global Communities uses the information you provide about yourself for various services, which are disclosed to you when you provide the information. Examples include email newsletters, invitations to Global Communities events, or for information alerts about Global Communities programs or activities. In some cases, Global Communities uses this information, including the email addresses and contact information gathered from our websites, for fundraising activities.

Information collected on Global Communities websites are never used for commercial purposes.

Email Updates

We use a third-party email marketing party to deliver emails. This company employs techniques for tracking open rates and click-through that use email addresses as unique identifiers.

You will be given the option to remove your name from our email list at the bottom of each email update. We will not sell, rent or trade your email address to a third party.

Site Usage Information

When visitors browse, read or download information on the Global Communities website, limited, anonymous data is collected about the visit. For instance, the web server may record the numerical Internet Protocol address of your computer; information about your browser and operating system; date and time of access; and the Internet address and page that linked (referred) you to our site. If you search the site, your search requests may be logged. Global Communities uses this information to measure the number of visitors to different sections of the site, diagnose and correct system errors, and conduct research—all with the sole objective of improving the information services, features and usability of the site.

Cookies

The Global Communities website uses web cookies—a mechanism by which a website and a web browser can jointly “remember” information within or between browsing sessions. Cookies are useful because they can improve the user experience. However, cookies have been subject to criticism because they also can be employed to invisibly assemble information about user’s browsing habits for marketing purposes.

Global Communities uses cookies only to improve the user experience within the context of a single browser session or between site visits and not for any form of information gathering about user browsing. Cookies may contain a “key,” so that you do not need to login every time you visit a new page, or when you return to the Global Communities website from the same computer at a later date. Remember, if you are using a public computer, and you fail to log out from the website after finishing your session, another person may be able to access your account.

Global Communities Partner Websites and Links to Independent Websites

The Global Communities privacy policy does not apply to such websites that are developed and maintained by Global Communities partners with Global Communities financial or technical assistance. Global Communities would typically encourage these partners to develop and implement their own privacy policies for information collected on their websites. It is Global Communities' policy never to take possession of or use personal information provided to partners through these kinds of websites.

Similarly, Global Communities websites may contain pages with links to independent, external websites for which the Institute is not responsible.

Global Communities Commitment to Data Security

To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy and ensure the correct use of information, Global Communities uses industry standard SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption to protect the confidentiality of your personal information and the security of your transaction during transmission.

Overview and Donor Access Rights

GLOBAL COMMUNITIES appreciates those individuals and entities whose contributions finance GLOBAL COMMUNITIES’s operations (“Donors”). To that end it wishes to explicitly clarify the types of Donor Information it receives, and its procedures with respect to this information.

Further, in addition to other safeguards listed in this privacy policy, GLOBAL COMMUNITIES confirms that (unless required to comply with law, statute, or regulation) it does not sell or share a Donor’s Personal Data without its explicit consent. A Donor that has provided such consent may revoke such consent at any time via written notice and, subject to exceptions stated in applicable law, GLOBAL COMMUNITIES shall act in accordance with such revocation. For avoidance of doubt, this addendum applies equally to Donor Personal Data received through this website and any other forms of information acquisition.

Any revocation of consent may be submitted to the following email address: amueller@globalcommunities.org

With respect to offline donations:

  1. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES’s staff may obtain basic personal data including address, email, and phone number. Incidental to the form of payment, the staff involved with donation in the form of a physical intake may have access to information located on a check. Such physical checks will be discarded upon either (a) physical cashing of the check, or (b) in line with the recommendations provided by [Organization’s] bank’s mobile application.
  2. Offline potential donors may prefer to provide credit card information. Staff will not solicit such information, and shall inform the donor of other payment options, prior to accepting this information.
  3. Staff responsible for finance and accounting may have access to such information provided by Donors as necessary for financial accounting of donations in line with generally accepted practices.
  4. Basic personal data and donation amounts may be uploaded into databases utilized to document the donor-organization relationship.
  5. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES will periodically review personnel, or categories of personnel, having access to the information described in points (1)-(4). It will periodically refine access rights, limiting access to those reasonably having a need to know. Accounts having such access will be password protected.
  6. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES may utilize third party software and vendors in connection with this process. It shall periodically review such vendors to verify their privacy practices, and commitment to processing data in line with best practice (including the use of encryption technologies) and applicable GLOBAL COMMUNITIES policies.
  7. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES will retain such Donor Information in line with its Data Retention Policies.

With respect to online/digital donations:

  1. Payments are processed through third party sites and vendors, and monitored by Communications and Finance Staff. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES collects basic information (such as name, email, and other information that Donor elects to provide), and the amounts paid. Encrypted information and partial credit card information may be transmitted from such providers to verify payment.
  2. Staff responsible for finance and accounting may have access to such information as necessary for financial accounting of donations in line with generally accepted practices.
  3. Basic personal data may be uploaded and stored into databases utilized to document the donor-organization relationship.
  4. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES will periodically review personnel, or categories of personnel, having access to the information described in points (1)-(3). It will periodically reevaluate access rights, limiting access to those reasonably having a need to know. Accounts having such access will be password protected.
  5. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES may utilize third party software and vendors in connection with this process. It shall periodically review such vendors to verify their privacy practices (including the use of encryption technologies), and commitment to processing data in line with best practice and applicable GLOBAL COMMUNITIES policies.
  6. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES will retain such Donor Information in line with its Data Retention Policies.
Data Subject Rights and Requests

You have rights when it comes to how we handle your personal data. These rights vary depending on where you reside, but may include rights to:

  • Transfer or access personal data
  • Correct personal data
  • Erase personal data
  • Object to the processing of personal data
  • Withdraw consent to further processing of personal data

A Global Communities’ representative will respond to your request in a timely manner, and in no event longer than 30 days. To initiative this process, you will be required to submit this Data Subject Access Request Form. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our Data Protection Unit at InfoSec@globalcommunities.org.

Changes to this Policy

Global Communities retains the right to make changes, at its sole discretion, to this Privacy Policy Statement or the privacy policies of the various Global Communities program websites, which will be posted in an accessible place on the pertinent site.

How to Contact Global Communities

Should you have other questions or concerns about these privacy policies, please send us an email on our Contact Us page.