Privacy Policy

We may collect information about you in a variety of ways. The types of information we may collect include:

Personal Information You Provide

When you voluntarily interact with us, you may provide information such as:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, mailing address, and phone number when you fill out our contact form, apply for a grant, or register for events.
• Donation Information: When you make a donation through our website, your payment is processed securely by Stripe, a PCI-compliant third-party payment processor. We do not store your full credit card number, expiration date, or CVV on our servers. We may retain your name, email, mailing address, donation amount, and transaction ID for our records and tax receipt purposes.
• Grant Application Data: Information submitted through grant applications, including organizational details, project descriptions, budgets, and contact information for authorized representatives.
• Volunteer Information: Name, contact details, skills, availability, and areas of interest when you sign up to volunteer.
• Newsletter Subscription: Your email address when you subscribe to our newsletter.
• Correspondence: Any information you include in emails, phone calls, or messages you send to us.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

• Device & Browser Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, and referring URLs.
• IP Address: Your Internet Protocol (IP) address, which may be used to approximate your general geographic location.
• Cookies & Similar Technologies: Small data files stored on your device to enhance your experience (see Section 6 for details).

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Fulfill Our Mission: To process donations, administer grants, coordinate volunteer programs, and carry out our educational, research, and community-building initiatives.
• Communications: To send you donation receipts, grant status updates, event invitations, newsletters, and other correspondence you have requested or that relates to your involvement with us.
• Website Improvement: To analyze how visitors use our website so we can improve its content, functionality, and user experience.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes, including IRS requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations regarding charitable contributions and record-keeping.
• Donor Stewardship: To maintain relationships with our supporters, acknowledge contributions, and provide annual giving summaries for tax purposes.
• Safety & Security: To protect against fraud, unauthorized transactions, and other illegal activities, and to protect the rights and safety of our organization and the public.

We do not sell, trade, rent, or otherwise share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, processing donations (e.g., Stripe), sending communications, or conducting our programs — but only to the extent necessary for them to perform those services on our behalf. These providers are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information when required by law, subpoena, court order, or governmental regulation, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.
• Organizational Transfers: In the unlikely event that The Caldwell Foundation merges with or transfers assets to another 501(c)(3) organization, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the same privacy protections described in this policy.
• Aggregate or De-identified Data: We may share aggregate or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you for research, analytical, or reporting purposes.

Our Commitment: As a non-profit dedicated to the well-being of our community, we treat your personal information with the same respect and care we bring to all of our work. Your trust is essential to our mission.

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect it from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction. Our security measures include:

• Encryption: Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption (HTTPS) to secure data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
• PCI Compliance: All payment processing is handled by Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 compliant payment processor. We never store, process, or transmit your full credit card information on our systems.
• Access Controls: Access to personal information is restricted to authorized personnel who need it to perform their duties and who are trained in privacy and data protection practices.
• Regular Review: We periodically review our data collection, storage, and processing practices to ensure we are maintaining appropriate safeguards.

While we strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to taking all reasonable steps to protect your data.

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access & Correction: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct any inaccuracies.
• Opt-Out of Communications: You may unsubscribe from our newsletter or marketing communications at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email or by contacting us directly. Please note that even if you opt out, we may still send you transactional messages related to your donations or grant applications.
• Data Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information from our records, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., information we are required to retain for legal or tax purposes as a 501(c)(3) organization).
• Do Not Track: Our website does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals. However, you can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
• Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA): If you are a Virginia resident, you may have additional rights under the VCDPA, including the right to access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of your personal data, as well as the right to opt out of certain data processing activities. To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 11.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at (540) 505-0330 or through our contact form. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser.

Types of Cookies We May Use

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Required for the website to function properly (e.g., session management, security features). These cannot be disabled.
• Functional Cookies: Help us remember your preferences and settings to provide a more personalized experience.
• Analytics Cookies: Allow us to understand how visitors interact with our website, which pages are most popular, and how users navigate through the site. This information helps us improve our website.

Managing Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies, accept only certain cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website. Consult your browser's help documentation for instructions on how to manage cookie settings.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources (such as social media platforms, partner organizations, or payment processors) that are not operated or controlled by The Caldwell Foundation. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by us through our website.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of any third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit before providing any personal information.

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 you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately at (540) 505-0330. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will take prompt steps to delete that information from our records.

For programs that involve minors (such as youth education or mentorship programs), we collect information only from parents or legal guardians and take additional precautions to ensure the privacy and safety of all participants.

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Specific retention periods include:

• Donation Records: Retained for a minimum of seven (7) years to comply with IRS requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations and to provide annual giving summaries for your tax records.
• Grant Application Data: Retained for five (5) years after the conclusion of the grant period for audit, reporting, and compliance purposes.
• Newsletter Subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe or request removal.
• Volunteer Records: Retained for the duration of your active volunteer relationship and for three (3) years thereafter.
• Website Analytics Data: Retained in aggregate or de-identified form and may be kept indefinitely for trend analysis.
• Contact Inquiries: Retained for two (2) years unless a longer retention period is required for an ongoing matter.

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

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 "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• Post a notice on our website for a reasonable period of time.
• For significant changes affecting donors or grant recipients, we may provide direct notification via email.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Commitment to Transparency: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Caldwell Foundation is committed to operating with integrity and transparency in all aspects of our work, including how we handle your personal information. We believe that trust is the foundation of strong communities, and we will always strive to earn and maintain yours.