Privacy Policy

Global Build International Foundation Inc. ("GBI Foundation," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 47-4016484) headquartered in Arlington, VA 22201. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at gbifoundation.org, make a donation, sign up for our newsletter, or otherwise interact with our organization.

By using our website or providing your information to us, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described herein, please do not use our website or provide us with your personal information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly and information gathered automatically when you use our website.

Information You Provide

When you interact with GBI Foundation, you may provide us with the following types of personal information:

• Donation Information: Name, email address, mailing address, phone number, payment card details (processed securely through our third-party payment processor), donation amount, and recurring donation preferences.
• Newsletter Signups: Name and email address when you subscribe to our newsletter or email communications.
• Contact Form Submissions: Name, email address, phone number, organization name, and any message or inquiry content you provide through our contact forms.
• Volunteer and Partnership Inquiries: Professional background information, areas of interest, availability, and organizational affiliations.
• Event Registrations: Name, email, dietary restrictions, accessibility needs, and emergency contact information for event participation.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information through cookies and similar tracking technologies:

• Device and Browser Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, referring URLs, and navigation paths through our website.
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location based on IP address (city/region level only).

2. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and understand user behavior. Specifically, we use:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): We use GA4 to collect anonymized usage statistics, including page views, session duration, user demographics (aggregated), traffic sources, and engagement events. GA4 uses first-party cookies to distinguish unique users and sessions. Data is processed in accordance with Google's privacy policies.
• Google Tag Manager (GTM): We use GTM to manage and deploy analytics tags and marketing pixels on our website. GTM itself does not collect personal data but facilitates the firing of tags that may collect data as described in this policy.
• Essential Cookies: These are strictly necessary for the website to function properly, including session management, security features, and accessibility preferences.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or alert you when a cookie is being set. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. You may also opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Processing and acknowledging your charitable donations, including issuing tax-deductible receipts
• Sending newsletters, program updates, impact reports, and fundraising communications you have opted into
• Responding to your inquiries and providing information about our programs and services
• Improving our website functionality, content, and user experience based on aggregated analytics data
• Administering events, volunteer programs, and partnership activities
• Complying with legal obligations, including IRS reporting requirements for nonprofit organizations
• Detecting and preventing fraud or unauthorized activity on our website
• Communicating organizational updates, policy changes, or other administrative information

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We work with trusted third-party vendors who assist us with payment processing, email communications, website hosting, and analytics. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and may only use it to perform services on our behalf.
• Legal Compliance: We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
• Organizational Transfers: In the unlikely event of a merger, acquisition, or dissolution of the organization, your information may be transferred as part of organizational assets, subject to the same protections described in this policy.

5. Donor Privacy

GBI Foundation is committed to respecting the privacy of our donors. We adhere to the following principles regarding donor information:

• We will not share or sell donor names, addresses, email addresses, or any other personal information with any third party not directly involved in processing your donation.
• Donors may choose to remain anonymous in public recognition materials, including annual reports, donor walls, and website acknowledgments.
• We will honor donor requests regarding the frequency and type of communications received from our organization.
• Financial information (credit card numbers, bank account details) is never stored on our servers. All payment processing is handled by PCI-DSS compliant third-party processors.
• Donation records are maintained as required by IRS regulations for 501(c)(3) organizations and are accessible only to authorized staff with a legitimate need.

6. Security Measures

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our website
• Encrypted storage of sensitive personal data at rest
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning of our web infrastructure
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Staff training on data protection and privacy best practices
• Secure third-party payment processing through PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant providers

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to promptly addressing any data breach in accordance with applicable law.

7. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our records. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@gbifoundation.org so we can take appropriate action.

8. Your Rights Under CCPA and GDPR

Depending on your location, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information:

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose about you
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of the sale of your personal information (note: we do not sell personal information)
• Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
• Correct inaccurate personal information we hold about you

European Economic Area Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Erasure ("right to be forgotten") of your personal data under certain circumstances
• Restrict processing of your personal data
• Data portability — receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used format
• Object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes
• Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@gbifoundation.org. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days (or 45 days if additional time is needed, with notice).

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Donation Records: Maintained for a minimum of seven (7) years as required by IRS regulations for 501(c)(3) organizations.
• Newsletter Subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Contact Form Inquiries: Retained for up to two (2) years after the last interaction.
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely for trend analysis. Individual-level data collected via GA4 is subject to Google's data retention settings (currently configured to 14 months).
• Volunteer Records: Retained for the duration of the volunteer relationship and two (2) years thereafter.

When personal information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data management procedures.

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: