How User Privacy is Protected on this Site

This peer-to-peer fundraising platform enables alumni, for the first time, to build personal fundraising Web pages to encourage fellow classmates to make critical financial contributions. As such, this platform presents powerful new opportunities for alumni to make their mark. As part of leveraging this exciting tool, we have implemented robust security features and policies to safeguard volunteer fundraisers' and donors' private information.

We are also committed to communicating exactly how we may use your contact information per the fundraising platform's terms of service. The following policy statement explains exactly how we treat the personal information that we receive, with "personal information" being understood to mean information like name, address, email address, phone number, and refers only to information that is not publicly available. This policy can not apply to the practices of vendors who provide plug-in applications to the fundraising platform or other entities fundraisers may use while promoting their page (such as Facebook or email service providers), but all instances during which a fundraiser or donor will be interfacing with a third-party vendor are very clearly labeled and differentiated from the main platform.

What personal user information does this platform collect?

We gather information that allows us to provide and continually improve this fundraising software. Here are the categories of information we gather.

Information You Give Us: We receive and may store all information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way, with one critical exception: we do not store credit card information. Credit card information is encrypted and securely transmitted to our Payment Card Industry-compliant credit card processor via Secure Sockets Layer. When a volunteer fundraiser creates a log-in account to use this platform (which is powered by the fundraising software provider, AlumniFidelity) he or she provides a name, address, email address, and optionally may provide a profile picture. We use the contact information to provide support and assistance with the creation of fundraising pages. Donor contact information is collected at the time of donation, and this information enables us to track the gifts, send gift confirmation receipts, and in some instances, follow up with donors through time to properly steward the gifts, communicate how we are spending the funds, and express future goals.
Automatic Information: We receive and may store certain types of information when users interact with the fundraising platform. For example, like many Web sites, we employ "cookies" (data segments about users that help us improve the site experience) and we obtain demographic and other general information when your Web browser accesses the fundraising platform and/or content served by or on behalf of the platform on other Web sites.
E-mail Communications: Because of the nature of this peer-to-peer fundraising approach, we may store email messages sent to and from you through the platform's proprietary messaging system. We require your e-mail address when you donate so that we can e-mail you a receipt. To help us make e-mails more useful and relevant, we may receive a confirmation or other feedback when you open or respond to messages. If you do not want to receive e-mail or other mail related to this fundraising platform, you will have easy, one-click ways to opt-out or unsubscribe.
Other Sources: Sometimes we receive information about fundraisers and donors from various other sources (unrelated to this fundraising platform). We may choose to combine information you provide us through this fundraising platform with other information that we already had or may later receive about you.

Cookies and IP addresses

"Cookies" are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer through your Web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser and allow storage of information that you have supplied during visits. Like many Web sites, we employ cookies because they help improve the site experience for users. We also log IP addresses, which are the locations of computers or networks on the Internet, and analyze the addresses for systems administration and troubleshooting purposes. We may also aggregate the number of page hits and collect other data in order to track the popularity and use of certain pages and features and improve the quality of our site.

Should you desire, the "Help" menu tab of most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies or adjust your cookies settings. Because cookies allow us to make our platform more effective and improve user experience, we recommend that you leave them turned on.

How we use your information, and how we don't

We will never provide your private contact information to any third party without your permission, except in non-commercial safety-related circumstances, such as to cooperate with law enforcement activities or to enable consultants to provide fraud protection, credit risk reduction and similar services. In accordance with the terms of service, we do, of course, provide selective, necessary individual information to our vendors who require such information to process donations and perform other vital transactions. We use aggregate, non-personalized user information to analyze data, improve the Web platform, and provide customer service and similar functions. The creators of fundraising pages also receive reports about donations and activity that occurs through their personal page, including dates, amounts, and designated recipients of the contributions.

Information storage security

Payment card information is concealed with high-grade encryption and transmitted to our Payment Card Industry-compliant credit card processor using a state-of-the-industry Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
Your payment card information is not stored by our system after the moment of transaction.
All other individual contact information is stored on servers that are electronically and physically secured and password-protected in all cases.

What choices do I have?

As discussed above, you can always choose not to provide optional information, even though not doing so may prevent you from taking full advantage of the fundraising platform.
If you do not want to receive email from us, simply opt out at the moment of donation or unsubscribe later. (Electing not to receive email may prevent you from receiving notifications of updates to this privacy policy and/or other site policies or terms of service; if you opt out of email contact, these policies still govern your use of the platform, and it will be your responsibility to review them periodically for changes.)
The "Help" menu tab on most browsers will tell you how to adjust your browser's cookies settings.

Age limitations

We do not desire contributions to be made through this Web site by individuals under 18 years old. If you are under 18, please do not make a contribution through this Web site without authorization and involvement of a parent or legal guardian.

Conditions of use, notices, and revisions

If you choose to visit this platform, your visit and any dispute over privacy is subject to this policy and our terms of service, including limitations on damages, resolution of disputes, and application of the law of the Commonwealth of Virginia. If you have any other privacy concerns, please contact us. Our business changes constantly, and our Privacy Notice and the Terms of Service will change also. We may email periodic reminders of our notices and conditions, unless you have instructed us not to, but you should check our Web site frequently to see recent changes. Unless stated otherwise, our current Privacy Notice applies to all information that we have about you.

Last revised 12.28.09.