Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 7, 2019

The Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation (“SHSF”), which owns and operates americankindertransport.org and shs.foundation. SHSF(“we” or “our”) is committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of its website visitors and other individuals who communicate with SHSF (“you” or “your”). We wish to help you better understand the information we gather and how we handle and disclose it.

The following Privacy Policy applies when you visit our sites, AmericanKinderTransport.org and shs.foundation (the “Site”); use the services offered on our Sites, such as requesting more information, or signing up for a newsletter; or otherwise provide us with your information, such as when you contact us with an inquiry (collectively, the Site and our services are the “Services”).

Please note that the Services are intended for use in the United States, and our data are stored on servers that are located in the United States. If you use the Services from outside of the United States, you are responsible for complying with the laws and regulations of the territory from which you access or use the Services.

1. Information we collect

We collect information about you in multiple ways, including (a) information you provide directly to us; and (b) information that is automatically collected from you when you navigate our Site and use our Services, such as from your browser or device. We may combine all of the information we collect about you from these various sources.

a. Information you provide directly to us

When you sign a petition we host on our site, we will request your name and contact information, such as an email address and mailing address and other personal information such as your age and willingness to undergo a background check.

When you sign up to receive our electronic newsletters, we will request certain information about you (such as your name, address and zip code, and email address). This information ensures that we can securely process your request for information and communicate with you about it. We also collect any other information that you choose to provide to us, such as information that you provide to us in an email inquiry. We ask that you do not provide us with any sensitive personal information via email.

From time to time, we may also send out surveys to individuals who have provided us their contact information. Participation in such surveys is completely voluntary. If you choose to participate in these surveys, we will collect your responses and use them for the purposes set forth in this Policy.

b. Automatically collected information

i. Device and usage information

We also collect certain information that is automatically generated by the computer or other device (including mobile devices or tablets) that you use to navigate our Services. As further described below, we may collect and analyze information such as: (A) IP address, unique device identifiers, IMEAI address, browser types, browser language, operating system, mobile device carrier information, the state or country from which you accessed the Services, and other information about your computer or device(s); and (B) information related to the ways in which you interact with the Services, such as: referring and exit web pages and URLs, platform type, the number of clicks, domain names, landing pages, pages and content viewed and the order of those pages, statistical information about your visit to the Services, the frequency of your visit to the Services, error logs, and other similar information. As further described below, we may use third-party analytics providers and technologies, including cookies and similar tools, to assist in collecting this information.

ii. Cookies and other tracking technologies

We also collect data about your visit(s) and use of the Services through the use of Internet server logs and online tracking technologies, like cookies and/or tracking pixels. A web server log is a file where website activity is stored. A “cookie” is a standard software feature that is placed on your computer when you visit a website and assigns you a unique, random number. Cookies enable us to: (A) recognize your computer; (B) store your preferences and settings; (C) understand the web pages of the Site you have visited; (D) perform searches and analytics; and (E) assist with security administration functions.

We also may use tracking pixels (sometimes referred to as web beacons or clear GIFs), which are tiny electronic tags embedded in websites and emails, and that are designed to access cookies and provide usage information, such as how often the Services were accessed. We also may include web beacons in email messages, newsletters, and other electronic communications to determine whether the message has been opened and for other analytics and personalization purposes. As we adopt additional technologies, we may also gather additional information through other methods.

Please note that you can change your settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated, or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the “Help” section of your browser for more information (e.g., Internet Explorer; Google Chrome; Mozilla Firefox; or Apple Safari. Please note that by blocking any or all cookies, you may not have access to certain features or offerings on our Services.

2. How we use your information

We may use the information we collect from and about you for the following purposes:

  • For the purposes for which you provided it, including to send you information you requested, such as newsletters to which you have subscribed;

  • To process and respond to your inquiries or to request your feedback;

  • To submit petitions that you have signed;

  • To contact you regarding relevant actions you can take in connection with petitions you have signed;

  • To provide and improve the Services, including to develop new features or services, provide you with tailored content, and for technical or other support;

  • To expand and analyze our audience;

  • For internal analytics, research, and reporting;

  • To comply with the law and protect the safety, rights, property, or security of SHSF, and the general public;

  • To enforce any legal terms that govern your relationship with us or your use of the Services; and

  • To verify your identity and for fraud prevention.

Please note that we may combine information that we collect from you and about you (including automatically generated information) with information that we obtain from third parties, and use such combined information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

We may aggregate and/or de-identify information collected through the Services and use such information for any purpose, provided that such information cannot reasonably be used to re-identify you.

3. How we disclose your information

We may disclose and/or share your information under the following circumstances:

  • Petition Signatures Shared With Government Agencies, Other Organizations and the Public.  When you sign a petition hosted on our site, we may submit the information you provide to the government agency or other entity to which the petition is addressed, or other organizations. While we do not disclose your name on our site, these other entities may lawfully disclose this information to the public upon request.

  • Service Providers: We may disclose your information with third parties who perform services on our behalf, including without limitation data storage (such as hosting our information database), data analysis and processing, and legal services.

  • Legal Compliance and Protection of SHSF and Others. We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or on a good faith belief that such disclosure is permitted by this Privacy Policy or reasonably necessary or appropriate for any of the following reasons: (A) to comply with legal process; (B) to enforce this Privacy Policy, or other contracts with you, including investigations of potential violations thereof; (C) to respond to claims that any content violates the rights of a third party; (D) to respond to your requests for customer service; and/or (E) to protect the rights, property, or personal safety of SHSF. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, spam/malware prevention, and other similar purposes.

  • Business Transfers. We may disclose your information in the event that we undergo organizational restructuring (e.g., establish a subsidiary or merge with another entity). In such transactions (including in contemplation of such transactions, e.g., due diligence) your information may be disclosed. If any of our assets are sold or transferred to a third party, your information would likely be one of the transferred business assets.

  • Unaffiliated Partner Organizations. If you sign up for our newsletter or participate in our surveys, we may share your name, email address, and/or survey responses with our trusted partner organizations. These organizations are not affiliated with SHSF.

  • Consent. We may disclose your information to any third parties if you provide us with your consent to do so.

4. Online analytics

We may use third-party web analytics services (such as those of Google Analytics) on our Services to collect and analyze the information discussed above, and to engage in auditing, research, or reporting. The information (including your IP address) collected by various analytics technologies described above will be disclosed to or collected directly by these service providers, who use the information to evaluate your use of the Services, including by noting the third-party website from which you arrive to our Services, analyzing usage trends, assisting with fraud prevention, and providing certain features to you. To learn more about Google’s privacy practices, please review the Google Privacy Policy; to prevent Google Analytics from using your information for analytics, you may install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on by clicking here.

If you receive email from us, we may use certain tags or pixels to capture data such as when you open our message or click on any links or banners our email contains. This data allows us to gauge the effectiveness of our communications and marketing campaigns.

Additionally, if you visit our Services from one of our newsletters or from a third party site that has requested a link to our Services, we may use certain tags or pixels that help us match referring sites to any donations made. Do-Not-Track disclosure

Do Not Track (“DNT”) is a privacy preference that you can set in certain web browsers. We do not recognize or respond to browser-initiated DNT signals, as the Internet industry is currently still working toward defining exactly what DNT means, what it means to comply with DNT, and a common approach to responding to DNT. You can learn more about Do Not Track here.

5. Your rights and choices

If you would like to review the information we have collected about you, make a request to update or delete your information, or opt out of having your information shared with our partner organizations, you can contact us by emailing info@shs.foundation. You can unsubscribe from our newsletters and promotional emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link they contain.

6. Security

We have implemented administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect against the loss, misuse, and/or alteration of your information. You should be aware, however, no transmission over the internet is guaranteed to be secure, and third parties may unlawfully intercept or access information, transmissions, and private communications. 

7. Data retention

We will hold your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes set forth in this Privacy Policy or as long as we are legally required or permitted to do so. Information may persist in copies made for backup and business continuity purposes for additional time.

8. Third-party links

Our Services contain links to other websites and applications, including a Facebook “Like” button and the Twitter “Tweet” button. These widgets and features collect information such as your IP address and which page you are visiting on our Services, and they may set a cookie or employ similar technologies to enable the feature to function properly. Widgets and social media features may be hosted by a third party or hosted directly by us. Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policy of the company providing it and you should consult those privacy policies for more information.

SHSF makes no representations whatsoever concerning the content of any third-party websites, applications, or social media features. The fact that SHSF has provided a link is not an endorsement, authorization, sponsorship, or affiliation with respect to such service, its owners, or its providers. There are risks associated with using any information, software, or products found on the Internet, and SHSF cautions you to make sure that you understand these risks before retrieving, using, relying upon, or engaging in credit card transactions via the Internet. SHSF is not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

9. Children’s Information

The Services are not directed to children under the age of 16 and we do not knowingly collect personal information (as that term is defined in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”)) from children under the age of 16. If we discover that a child under 16 has submitted personal information or personal data to us, we will attempt to delete the information as soon as possible.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We will continue to evaluate this Privacy Policy as we update and expand the Services, and we may make changes to the Privacy Notice accordingly. Any changes will be posted here and you should check this page periodically for updates. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will provide you with notice as required by law.

11. Questions or suggestions

SHSF is committed to protecting your privacy while using this Site. If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy, or want to let us know what you think about our Services, please send an email to info@shs.foundation.