Privacy Policy
This Web site has security measures in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information under our control. These measures include encryption of data using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) system, and using a secured messaging service when we send you personal information electronically. Despite these measures, the confidentiality of any communication or material transmitted to or from us via this site by Internet or e-mail cannot be guaranteed.
Revisions to the Privacy Statement
We may revise this Privacy Statement from time to time as we add new features or as laws change that may affect our services. If we make material changes to our Privacy Statement, we will post notice of this on our Web site. Any revised Privacy Statement will apply both to information we already have about you at the time of the change, and any personal information created or received after the change takes effect. We encourage you to periodically reread this Privacy Statement, to see if there have been any changes to our policies that may affect you.
Web site visitor data
The Civic League routinely gathers data on Web site activity, such as how many people visit the site, the pages they visit, where they come from, how long they stay on the site, etc. The data is collected on an aggregate, anonymous basis, which means that no personally identifiable information is associated with the data. This data helps us improve site content and overall usage. The information is not shared with other organizations for their independent use.
Collecting and using personal information
Except as disclosed in this Privacy Statement, we do not collect any identifiable information about visitors to this site or our customers who use this site. The policies, sources, and uses of information are outlined in Sections 1 through 11 that follow:
1. Web logs
We maintain standard Web logs that record data about all visitors and customers who use this site and we store this information for a while. These logs may contain the Internet domain from which you access the site (such as aol.com, abc.org, etc.); the IP address which is automatically assigned to your computer when you get on the Internet (a static IP address may be identifiable as being connected to you, while a dynamic address is usually not identifiable); the type of browser and operating system you use; the date and time you visited the site; the pages you viewed on the site; the address of the Web site you linked from, if any. If you sign on to this Web site to use its secured features, our Web logs will also contain an individual identifier and show the services you have accessed.
All Web logs are stored securely, and may only be accessed by The Civic League staff or designees on a need-to-know basis for a specific purpose. The Civic League uses Web log information to help us design our site, to identify popular features, to resolve user, hardware, and software problems, and to make the site more useful to visitors.
2. Internet cookies
We may place Internet "cookies" on the computer hard drives of visitors to The Civic League Web site. Information we obtain from cookies helps us to tailor our site to be more helpful and efficient for our visitors. The cookie consists of a unique identifier that does not contain information about you. You may have software on your computer that will allow you to decline or deactivate Internet cookies, but if you do so, some features of this site may not work properly for you. For instructions on how to remove cookies from your hard drive, go to your browser's Web site for detailed instructions. In addition, further information regarding cookies may be available on other Web sites or from your Internet service provider.
3. Web beacons
We may also occasionally use "Web beacons" (also known as "clear gifs," "Web bugs," "1-pixel gifs," etc.) that allow us to collect non-personal information about your response to our e-mail communications, and for other purposes. Web beacons are tiny images, placed on a Web page or e-mail, that can tell us if you've gone to a particular area on our Web site. For example, if you've given us permission to send you e-mails, we may send you an e-mail urging you to use a certain feature on our Web site. If you do respond to that e-mail and use that feature, the Web beacon will tell us that our e-mail communication with you has been successful.
4. E-mails
The Civic League uses a third-party vendor to help us manage some of our e-mail communications with you. While we do supply this vendor with e-mail addresses of those we wish them to contact, your e-mail address is never used for any purpose other than to communicate with you on our behalf. When you click on a link in an e-mail, you may temporarily be redirected through one of the vendor's servers (although this process will be invisible to you) which will register that you've clicked on that link, and have visited our Web site. The Civic League never shares any information, other than your e-mail address, with our third-party e-mail vendor, which does not share these e-mail addresses with anyone else. Even if you have given us permission to send e-mails to you, you may revoke that permission at any time by following the "unsubscribe" information at the bottom of the e-mail.
5. Evaluation and research
We will periodically ask users to complete surveys asking about their experiences with features of the Web site and other regional issues. Our surveys may ask visitors for demographic information such as age, gender, and education. We use survey information for research and quality improvement purposes, including helping The Civic League to improve information and services offered through the Web site. In addition, users giving feedback may be individually contacted for follow-up due to concerns raised during the course of such evaluation. Demographic information and Web log data may be stored for future research and evaluation.
6. Application for membership
If you apply for membership in The Civic League through this Web site, you will be asked during the application process to disclose certain personal information so that we can evaluate your eligibility. Specifically, you will be asked to provide demographic information (name, address, other contact information), and to answer questions about your participation in the organization.
7. Messages and transactions
Comments or questions sent to us using e-mail or secure messaging forms will be shared with The Civic League staff who are most able to address your concerns. We will archive your messages once we have made our best effort to provide you with a complete and satisfactory response.
8. Credit card transactions
If you provide us with your credit card number for payments, we will treat your credit card number in a secure manner. Payments are processed through a secure merchant payment gateway.
9. Children
We do not knowingly allow The Civic League members under the age of 18 to create accounts that allow access to the secured features of this site.
10. Disclosures
We may disclose personal information to any person performing audit, legal, operational, or other services for us. We will use information which does not identify the individual for these activities whenever feasible. Information disclosed to vendors or contractors for operational purposes may not be re-disclosed to others by such a vendor or contractor.
We may disclose personal information when required to do so by a subpoena, court order, or search warrant. We may disclose personal information as we deem it appropriate to protect the safety of an individual or for an investigation related to public safety or to report an activity that appears to be in violation of law. We may disclose personal information to protect the security and reliability of this site and to take precautions against liability.
11. Opt out
If a user makes a request to receive information in an ongoing manner through this Web site by providing their e-mail address (for example, requesting a subscription to one of our online publications), a user may make a request to discontinue future mailings. Similarly, if you receive information about The Civic League’s services through e-mail, you may make a request to discontinue receiving similar messages in the future. All such materials sent to you by e-mail will contain information about how to opt out.
Questions, complaints, and contacts
If you have any questions about this Privacy Statement, our policies and practices concerning this site, your rights under this statement, and your dealings with The Civic League Web site, please visit the “Contact Us” page to get in touch with us.
