Privacy Policy

Read Charlotte is a civic initiative of Foundation For The Carolinas. 

At Foundation For The Carolinas (“FFTC”, “We”, or “Us”) we are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy is intended to help you understand the types of information we collect and receive, why we collect it, what we do with that information, and with whom we share this information.

In addition to this policy, please also read our Terms of Use which applies to our Website. By using our platform, you agree to be bound by our terms of use and consent to the data practices described in this policy.

This policy applies to individuals who browse and use our Website (www.fftc.org) and affiliate websites or applications (including mobile apps) hosted by FFTC (all of such Internet locations collectively referred to as the “Website”), and those individuals whose information is provided to us, either directly or by third party service providers (“Partners”) for the purposes described in this policy.

What information do we collect?

You may be asked to provide personal information when you interact with us or one of our affiliates. The types of information we collect from you depend on how you use our Website or services. Not all of the following types of information will apply to everyone. The following types of information may be collected by or on behalf of FFTC or our Partners:

• Contact details, such as your name, address, telephone number, email address;
• Login information if you register with us;
• Information related to a donation, grant, fund, or our other services;
• Information you provide when you interact with us to subscribe to our newsletter, respond to a survey, or similar activities;
• Background information if you apply for a job or scholarship;
• Technical information that is created and logged automatically when you use our Website. This might include information about your device and how you interact with our Website.

HOW DO WE COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION?

1. We Collect Information Directly From You.

We may collect and receive information directly from you, including when you:

• use or access our Website, such as when you donate, register an account, fill out an application, fill out a form, or respond to a survey;
• communicate with us by email, telephone, in writing, or social media; and/or
• use any of our services, including when you interact with us or receive assistance.

2. We Collect Information Automatically When You Access Our Website.

Like many websites, we automatically collect information from your browser or mobile device when you use or interact with our Website. We collect this information to improve our Website, to better understand you and to communicate with you. This information may include:

• how you interact with our Website, such as the pages you view or how long you stay on our Website;
• computer and connection information such as browser type, version, and time-zone setting;
• your browser plug-in type and version;
• your device’s operating system and platform; and
• your Internet Protocol (IP) address and device identification.

3. We Collect Information From Other Sources.

• We may collect and receive information about you from other sources, such as: individuals requesting services for or on your behalf;
• background information about you in connection with your application for a job;
• publicly available sources; and/or
• marketing service providers.

HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION?

We collect and use your information so that we can operate effectively, provide the service you have requested, and provide you with the best experience when you interact with us. Providing this information to us ensures that you are receiving the necessary services, consistent with your rights and interests. We also use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Processing of donations and grants. Completing the donation transaction, accepting, and processing grant applications, customizing our services to your preferences, and keeping proper records of those transactions.
• Customer support. Notifying you of any changes to our services; responding to your inquiries via email, phone, writing, or social media; investigate and address concerns raised by you; and monitor and improve our customer support responses.
• Improving our services. Conducting data analysis and audits; developing new products and services; enhancing our Website; improving our services; identifying usage trends and visiting patterns; conducting customer satisfaction, market research, and quality assurance surveys; determining the effectiveness of our promotions; and meeting contractual obligations.
• Marketing. To communicate news about our services, features, content, and other information we think may be of interest to you.
• Safety and security. Closed circuit television systems, electronic key cards, and other security systems to maintain the safety and security of you; your data; and our guests, visitors, and employees at our offices.
• Legal proceedings and requirements. Investigating or addressing claims or disputes relating to your use of our services; or as otherwise allowed by applicable law; or as requested by regulators, government entities, and official inquiries. The legal basis for this data usage is legal obligation and legitimate interests.

HOW DO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

We may share personal information we collect with:

1. Affiliated Entities
We may share personal information with our Partners, subsidiaries, and affiliates, for the purposes described in this privacy policy.

2. Strategic Partners
From time to time, we may enter a relationship with another company that is not owned by or affiliated with FFTC to provide additional features on the Website. These relationships may include Partners, sponsors, and co-branded sites (referred to here as “co-branded pages”). Any information, including personal information that you provide on one of these co-branded pages, may be shared with such Partners or sponsors. By participating in activities or providing your personal information on these co-branded pages (or by accessing these co-branded pages or the Website), you consent to us providing your personal information to such Partners or sponsors. Partners or sponsors will use your personal information in accordance with their own privacy practices, so you should review their privacy policies. We may share your personal information with such strategic partners so that they may communicate with you directly about their services.

3. Service Providers
We may use third party service providers to help us operate our business and the Website or administer activities on our behalf, such as sending emails, fulfilling donations or requests.

4. Other Disclosures
In addition to the third parties described above, personal information may also be shared with parties outside of FFTC: (i) as permitted by law, (ii) in the event of a transfer of ownership, assets or a bankruptcy of FFTC, (iii) if we determine that disclosure of specific information is necessary to comply with the request of a law enforcement or regulatory agency or other legal process, or (iv) to protect the interests or safety of FFTC or visitors to the Website.

5. Consent
We may share your personal information other than as described in this policy if you give us your consent to do so.

HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?

To the extent permissible by applicable law, we will retain your personal information for such period as necessary to satisfy or to fulfill the following:

• the purposes for which the personal information was provided;
• an identifiable and ongoing business need, including record keeping;
• a specific legal or regulatory requirement; and/or  a requirement to retain records that may be relevant to any notified regulatory investigations or active legal proceedings.

WHERE DO WE STORE YOUR INFORMATION?

We process and store personal information inside the United States. Our vendors may store personal information in other countries in accordance with this privacy policy. FFTC complies with laws in the United States that are applicable to FFTC’s business practices with respect to the privacy and security of personal information.

DO WE USE COOKIES?

We use various technologies to automatically collect and store information when you visit our Website. These technologies allow us to serve you better. They allow us to understand website and internet usage and to improve or customize our Website. For example, we may use cookies to personalize your experience at our Website (e.g., to recognize you when you return), or save your password in password-protected areas.

The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:

• COOKIES. A cookie is a small file that is stored on your computer, to enable our site to store information such as your website preferences, so that we can remember certain choices you have made. Cookies can also be used to recognize your device so that you do not have to provide the same information more than once.
• WEB BEACONS. Pages of our website may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as pixel tags or single pixel gifs) that permit us, for example, to count users who have visited certain web pages and for other related website statistics.
• OTHER TECHNOLOGIES. There are other local storage and internet technologies, such as local shared objects (also referred to as “flash cookies”) and HTML5 local storage, which operate similarly to the technologies discussed above.

You may be able to refuse or disable cookies by adjusting your web browser settings. Some browsers have options that allow the visitor to control whether the browser will accept cookies, reject cookies, or notify the visitor each time a cookie is sent. Because each web browser is different, please consult the instructions provided by your web browser (typically in the “help” section). Please note that you may need to take additional steps to refuse or disable local shared objects and similar technologies. If you choose to refuse, disable, or delete these technologies, some of the functionality of the Website may no longer be available to you.

You can learn more about cookies by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org or www.youronlinechoices.eu.

DO NOT TRACK POLICY

Your browser may offer you a “Do Not Track” option, which allows you to signal to operators of websites that you do not wish such operators to track your online activities over time and across different websites. Our Website is not configured to read or respond to “do not track” settings or signals in your browser headings.

INFORMATION ABOUT CHILDREN

Our website is directed to and intended for use only by those who are 16 years of age or over. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from any person under 16 years of age, and we will not knowingly link to any third-party website that solicits or collects personal information from any person under 16 years of age. If FFTC is informed that it is improperly in possession of such information or that we have linked to such a third-party website, the information will be deleted.

YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

If you are a California resident, you may request information regarding the disclosure of your personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email to donorrelations@fftc.org or write to us at: Foundation For The Carolinas; Attn: Privacy; 220 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.

HOW WILL WE NOTIFY YOU OF CHANGES TO THIS POLICY?

We may occasionally update this policy. When this occurs, the new policy will be posted on the Website. You should check the Website periodically to review the most recent policy. Your use of the Website or providing personal information to FFTC or any of our Partners after any update, modification, or change to this policy constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to such updates, modifications, or changes.

CONTACT US

Questions, comments, or complaints about FFTC’s data practices can be sent to us by sending an email to support@fftc.org or write to us at: Foundation For The Carolinas; Attn: Legal Department – Privacy; 220 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.