Privacy Policy

FOUNDATION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD FAMILY SERVICES, ISD 196 PRIVACY POLICY
Updated as of February 6, 2005

Simple version:

Any contact or financial information you give us will not be sold or distributed to anyone outside of the Foundation for ECFS. We promise.

Complicated version:

The Foundation for Early Childhood Family Services, ISD 196, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation (“Foundation,” “Foundation for ECFS,” “we,” “us”), provides the www.ecfsfoundation.org site and all site-related services (collectively, the “Site”). This Privacy Policy governs your interaction with the Site. Except as set forth within this Privacy Policy and other published guidelines, we do not release personally identifiable information about our visitors without their permission. Please note that the Foundation modifies its privacy practices from time to time, and that those practices are, therefore, subject to change. Such changes will be effective and binding beginning the date they are posted here. We ask that you bookmark and periodically review this Privacy Policy to ensure continuing familiarity with the most current version of our Privacy Policy. To contact the Foundation about privacy issues please e-mail us at contact@ecfsfoundation.org.

THE INFORMATION WE GATHER

* Non-personally identifiable information When visitors come to the Site, we collect and aggregate information indicating, among other things, which pages of the Site were visited and which hyperlinks were clicked. Such information is not personally identifiable but rather demographic in nature and allows us to administer and improve the Site. For each visitor to the Site, our web server automatically recognizes the visitor's IP address (no personally identifiable information, such as e-mail addresses, are automatically recognized by our server). We use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer the Site. We may use cookies to improve content, provide easier access, and understand how visitors use the Site, such as by measuring the length of time each visitor spends at any particular area of the Site and what hyperlinks a visitor uses. A “cookie” is a small text files placed on a visitor’s computer hard drive. Cookies are only read by the server that placed them and are unable to execute any code or virus. For more information on how to control whether cookies will be accepted by your web browser, please refer to the documentation accompanying your web browser.

* Personally identifiable information In certain areas of the Site – for example, when registering for the Foundation Newsletter or making a donation – we require that you provide us with personally identifiable information (including, for example, the first name, last name, street address, email address, telephone number, and credit card information when applicable). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children (defined herein as minors younger than thirteen years of age) without first obtaining parental consent.

HOW WE USE (AND DO NOT USE) THE INFORMATION WE GATHER

Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the different ways the Foundation uses the information that it gathers.

* Non-personally identifiable information The Foundation uses non-personally identifiable information in aggregate form to build higher quality, more useful online services by performing statistical analyses of the collective characteristics and behavior of visitors, and by measuring demographics and interests regarding specific areas of the Site.

The Site contains links to third party web sites, such as early childhood and family education resources and other service providers whom we believe may be of interest to our visitors. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, we are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such third party sites, including such sites’ use of any information (such as IP number, browser type or operating system) collected when visitors to the Site click through links to those sites. Even though such information might not identify you personally, we strongly encourage you to become familiar with the privacy practices of those sites.

* Personally identifiable information You provide us with your personally identifiable information, such as your name, address and email address, in using the Site, such as when you register for the Foundation newsletter or make a donation. We use the information you provide to provide the services on the Site (such as delivering the newsletter) or process your donation. We may also use that information to let you know of events and programs we offer. You can choose “opt out,” or not to receive such information, by letting us know on the screen when you provide such information to us.

In addition, the Foundation sometimes uses personally-identifiable information to “target” communications to its visitors. For example, the Foundation may notify visitors who have not opted out and who have previously donated that a new fund-raising campaign is launching.

We reserve the right to release information contained within our access logs concerning any visitor when that visitor is in violation of our Terms of Use or other published guidelines, or in special cases such as a physical threat to you or others, or if a visitor partakes (or is reasonably suspected of partaking) in any illegal activity, even without a subpoena, warrant or other court order. We may release such information in response to court and governmental orders, civil subpoenas, discovery requests and as otherwise required by law. We cooperate with law enforcement agencies in identifying those who may be using our servers or services for illegal activities. We also reserve the right to report any suspected illegal activity to law enforcement individuals or entities for investigation or prosecution.