Privacy Policy

1) Information We Collect

a) Information you provide

• Accounts & profiles (e.g., name, email, password, organization/role, contact details).
• Directory submissions (e.g., name, organization, role, location, website, photo/bio) for listings we host on our site (such as leadership/alliance pages or similar public rosters).
• Orders, donations & registrations via WooCommerce (e.g., items selected, billing/shipping details, email/phone). Payment card data is handled by our payment processor(s); we do not store full card numbers on our servers. Our site may include products/donations/registration listings and merchandise.
• Communications (emails, forms, event applications, surveys, support requests).
• Newsletter sign-ups (we obtain consent to receive marketing emails at subscription).

b) Automatically collected

• Usage & device data (IP address, device/browser, pages viewed, timestamps, referrer).
• Cookies and similar technologies to keep you logged in, remember preferences, enable cart/checkout, measure site performance, deliver and measure advertising, reduce fraud, and improve content (see Cookies, Analytics & Advertising below).

c) From third parties

• Payment processors (transaction status, fraud-prevention signals).
• Email/communication and analytics providers (aggregate metrics).
• Shipping and address-verification services (when applicable).
• Advertising partners (see Cookies, Analytics & Advertising).

2) How We Use Information

We use personal information to:

• Provide, secure, and improve the Services (including WordPress/WooCommerce functionality).
• Process memberships, orders, donations, event registrations, refunds, and support.
• Publish and manage directory or roster entries you choose to share (see Section 6).
• Send transactional messages (receipts, account notices) and—with consent or as permitted—send newsletters and updates.
• Analyze engagement and improve content and performance.
• Enforce policies; protect against fraud and security incidents; comply with legal obligations.
• Deliver, personalize, and measure advertising on our site and across the web, and to understand our audience (see Cookies, Analytics & Advertising).

3) Lawful Bases for Processing (EU/UK Visitors)

Where the EU GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on:

• Contract (to deliver requested Services, registrations, orders/donations).
• Consent (certain emails; analytics/non-essential cookies where required; publishing directory entries when consent is the chosen basis; ads personalization and measurement in the EEA/UK/CH where required).
• Legitimate interests (operate and improve our programs; secure the Services; prevent fraud; limited outreach to existing participants, balanced against your rights).
• Legal obligation (tax, accounting, compliance).

We conduct only occasional, small-scale processing of EU/UK personal data and do not process special categories or criminal-related data.

4) Sharing of Information

We share information with:

• Service providers/processors supporting our website, store, event registration, payments, email, analytics, hosting, security, advertising, and IT—under contracts requiring appropriate safeguards and limited use.
• Directory visitors for information you choose to publish (see Section 6).
• Event/program partners as needed to fulfill registrations or co-hosted activities (disclosed when applicable).
• Legal/safety (to comply with law, subpoenas, or protect rights, property, and safety).
• Organizational changes (e.g., nonprofit reorganization/merger), consistent with this Policy.

We do not sell personal information.

5) International Transfers

We are located in the United States; your information may be processed in countries with different data-protection laws. For EU/UK data, when required we use Standard Contractual Clauses with processors and adopt appropriate supplementary measures. Given our small-scale, occasional EU/UK processing and absence of special/criminal data, we do not appoint an EU/UK representative at this time.

6) Directory & Public Listings

Our website hosts public/member-facing listings (e.g., leadership rosters, alliance/partner lists, cohort pages).

• What we publish: only information you submit for publication (e.g., name, organization, role/title, country/region, photo/bio, website/social links).
• Your choices: you may opt in/out of a listing and choose which fields appear, where applicable.
• Updating/removal: email [email protected] to update or remove your listing; we will respond within a reasonable time.
• Sensitive data: please do not submit sensitive data to directories/rosters; we may decline or remove content that is inappropriate or unsafe.

7) Cookies, Analytics & Advertising

We (and approved providers) use cookies and similar technologies to run essential site features, remember preferences, measure traffic, deliver and measure advertising, and improve our Services.

a) Types of cookies/technologies

• Strictly necessary (e.g., login/session, cart/checkout, security/fraud prevention).
• Analytics/performance (e.g., to understand how the site is used and improve it).
• Advertising (e.g., to personalize ads, limit repeats, measure performance, and understand audiences). Partners may set cookies and use identifiers to enable these purposes.

b) Your choices

• EEA/UK/CH visitors: Where required, we obtain your consent before using cookies/identifiers for analytics and ads personalization and measurement. You can manage preferences anytime via our cookie banner. If we participate in the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF v2.2), your choices will be shared with participating vendors to respect your preferences.
• U.S. residents: Some states provide rights to opt out of “sale” or “sharing” of personal information and/or targeted advertising. If our use of advertising cookies and similar technologies constitutes “sale,” “sharing,” or targeted advertising under applicable law, you may exercise your rights via our “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” process (see Section 10(b)). We also honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where required.
• Browser controls: You may block or delete cookies via your browser. Essential features may not function without necessary cookies.
• Industry tools: You may opt out of interest-based advertising with participating companies via industry tools (e.g., the DAA WebChoices page). These opt-outs are browser-specific and may rely on cookies to remember your choice.

8) Data Retention

We retain information only as long as needed for the purposes described or as required by law. Illustrative periods:

• Orders/donations/registrations: retain financial records for 7 years (or as required by law).
• Accounts/memberships: retained while active, then deleted or anonymized after a defined period.
• Directory entries: retained until you update or request removal.
• Security logs: retained for a limited period for security and troubleshooting.

9) Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the data, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls, regular updates to WordPress, WooCommerce, and plugins, and least-privilege practices. No method of transmission or storage is fully secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10) Your Rights

a) EU/UK data subject rights

When GDPR/UK GDPR applies, you may have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict or object to certain processing (including direct marketing), and data portability. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time. Contact [email protected]. 

b) U.S. state privacy rights and opt-outs

Some U.S. state laws provide consumer rights (e.g., access, deletion, correction). Where applicable, we will honor your requests consistent with those laws.

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information / Targeted Advertising Opt-Out: If you are a resident of a U.S. state that provides this right (e.g., California), you may opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information and/or targeted advertising by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Privacy Request.” We also honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where required by law.

c) Email and marketing choices

You can unsubscribe from non-transactional emails via the link in the email or by contacting us. We will continue to send essential transactional messages (e.g., receipts, order updates, account notices).

11) Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU/UK). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us to request deletion.

12) Third-Party Services and Plugins

Our Services run on WordPress and WooCommerce and may also use additional plugins/integrations (e.g., payment processors, form builders, security, analytics, email services, and advertising partners). These third parties process personal information to provide their features; we recommend reviewing their privacy notices. We maintain a list of key service providers upon request and in our cookie banner.

13) Payment Processing

Payments/donations/registrations are handled by third-party payment processors that comply with industry standards. We receive only the information necessary to confirm/fulfill transactions (e.g., tokenized payment data, status). For full card details and security practices, see the applicable processor’s privacy notice.

14) Do Not Track

Browsers may offer a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. Our Services do not respond to DNT signals. We honor legally required consent/opt-out mechanisms where applicable, including Global Privacy Control (see Section 10(b)).

15) Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Effective date” above shows when it was last revised. Material changes will be posted on this page and, if appropriate, communicated by email or on-site notice.

16) Contact Us

World Forum Foundation
7700 A Street, Lincoln, NE 68510 USA
+1 (844) 260-5805 (toll-free in the US) | +1 (402) 474-7970 (main)
[email protected]