Effective Date: May 6, 2025
Last Updated: May 6, 2025
Сдружение Българка Чикаго (“Bulgarka Chicago,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices. This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website www.bulgarkachicago.org or engage with our initiatives.
If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal data is used, please contact us at bulgarkachicago@gmail.com and we will assist you promptly.
By using our website or participating in our programs, you agree to the collection and processing of your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect and store different types of information when you interact with Сдружение Българка Чикаго, including when you:
- Make a donation
- Volunteer or partner with us
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Fill out a contact form
- Visit our website
The types of data we may collect include:
- Personal Identification Information: Your name, email address, phone number, postal address, and any other information you provide when communicating with us, making a donation, or registering for events.
- Donation and Transaction Information: When you donate or purchase items through our website or through partners (e.g., Enchant Brands), we may collect information related to your donation or transaction. Please note that we do not store your payment card information; donations are processed via third-party platforms such as PayPal or Stripe.
- Technical and Usage Information: We may collect information about how you access and use our website, including your IP address, browser type, device data, and browsing activity.
2. Additional Information Collection Details
In addition to the information you provide directly, we automatically collect certain data when you interact with our website and digital services:
- Device Information: We may collect information about the devices you use to access our website, such as device type, operating system, and browser settings.
- Log Files: Our server automatically records information such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you visit, and the time and date of your visit.
- Geographic Location Data: Depending on your device and browser settings, we may collect general location information based on your IP address.
- Cookies and Analytics Tools: We use cookies and similar technologies to understand how visitors interact with our website. This helps us improve our services, evaluate interest in our causes, and measure the effectiveness of our outreach and communication efforts.
3. Purpose of Data Collection
We collect your information in order to:
- Operate and maintain our website and ensure a smooth user experience
- Communicate with you, including responding to inquiries, confirming donations, or sending updates about our campaigns and community events
- Process donations and provide donor acknowledgments and receipts
- Improve and personalize our services, including tailoring content and communications to better serve the needs of our community
- Track engagement with our initiatives and measure the effectiveness of our outreach
- Prevent fraud and protect the security of our website and donor systems
We use your information solely in support of our nonprofit mission and do not sell or rent your data to third parties.
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
At Сдружение Българка Чикаго, we treat your personal data with care. We only share your information in the following cases:
- Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who support our operations, such as website hosting, email distribution, payment processing (e.g., PayPal, Stripe), or analytics tools. These providers are contractually obligated to handle your data securely and only for the purposes outlined by us.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal processes, such as subpoenas, court orders, or government requests. We may also disclose data in good faith when necessary to protect our rights, prevent fraud, or ensure the safety of our community.
- Partnership Campaigns: If you participate in a co-branded campaign (e.g., with Enchant Brands), some limited information (such as order totals or referral sources) may be shared for tracking and transparency purposes. Personal contact details are not shared without your consent.
- No Sale of Data: We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to any third parties under any circumstances.
By using our website or participating in our initiatives, you agree to the data-sharing practices described above.
5. Data Security Measures
At Сдружение Българка Чикаго, we take the protection of your personal data seriously. We use industry-standard measures to safeguard your information against unauthorized access, misuse, or disclosure. These include:
- Secure Payment Processing: Donations made through our website are processed by trusted third-party platforms like PayPal and Stripe, which use encryption and secure protocols.
- Website Protection: Our website is secured with SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption to protect data transmission between your browser and our server.
- Access Controls: Only authorized members of our team or service providers have access to personal data, and they are required to keep it confidential.
- Regular Maintenance: We regularly update our website’s software, plugins, and security settings to protect against known vulnerabilities.
- Internal Protocols: We follow procedures to limit data access and protect against unauthorized use, loss, or alteration.
5.1 Data Security Limitations
While we do our best to protect your personal information, no method of data transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we continuously work to improve our safeguards.
5.2 User Responsibility
You also play a role in protecting your information. We recommend not sharing sensitive personal information via unsecured email and being cautious when using shared or public devices to interact with our website.
6. User Rights and Contact Information
At Сдружение Българка Чикаго, we respect your rights and are committed to giving you control over your personal data. Depending on your location and applicable laws, you may have the right to:
- Access your personal data that we store
- Correct any inaccurate or incomplete information
- Request deletion of your personal data
- Object to the processing of your data
- Restrict processing under certain conditions
- Request data portability, allowing you to obtain and reuse your personal data across different services
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on your permission
6.1 Exercising Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights or request more information, please contact us directly:
📧 Email: bulgarkachicago@gmail.com
📞 Phone: +1 (630) 440 2487
We will respond to your request promptly and do our best to address your concerns in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
7. Cookie and Technology Usage
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze visitor behavior, and support the effectiveness of our outreach and fundraising efforts.
7.1 Types of Cookies Used
- Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the basic functioning of our website and cannot be disabled. They help with features like form submissions and session management.
- Performance Cookies: These collect data on how visitors use our site, such as which pages are most visited. This helps us improve content and user experience.
- Functionality Cookies: These remember your preferences, such as language or region, so you don’t have to set them each time you visit.
- Analytics and Marketing Cookies: These cookies track visitor behavior to help us understand the impact of our campaigns and website performance.
7.2 Consent for Cookies
When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner where you can choose to accept or decline non-essential cookies. Your consent is voluntary, and you may change your preferences at any time through your browser settings.
7.3 Managing Cookies
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect your experience on our site, but essential features will still function.
7.4 Additional Tracking Technologies
We may include click-tracking links in our email communications to measure engagement. If you do not wish to be tracked, avoid clicking these links.
7.5 Data Treatment
Data collected via cookies is generally used in aggregated form. If local regulations classify IP addresses or cookie identifiers as personal data, we treat it with the same protections described in this policy.
7.6 Opting Out
You can opt out of non-essential cookies at any time via your browser settings or by contacting us at bulgarkachicago@gmail.com for assistance.
7.7 Changes to Our Cookie Policy
We may update this cookie section from time to time. Updates will be reflected with the effective date at the top of this document.
8. Compliance with Regulations
Сдружение Българка Чикаго is committed to complying with all applicable privacy laws and data protection regulations, including:
8.1 GDPR Compliance (European Economic Area Users)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), your personal data is protected under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
- Restrict or object to data processing in certain situations
- Request transfer of your data to another organization (data portability)
- Withdraw your consent at any time
We process your data lawfully, fairly, and transparently, and only for purposes related to our nonprofit mission.
8.2 CCPA Compliance (California Residents)
If you are a California resident, you are protected under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which gives you the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect and how we use it
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Request deletion of your data
- Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights
We are committed to honoring your CCPA rights and keeping our practices transparent.
8.3 COPPA Compliance (Children’s Privacy)
Our services and website are intended for adults over the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware of unintentional data collection from a child, we will delete the data promptly.
Parents or legal guardians who believe their child has submitted personal information may contact us at bulgarkachicago@gmail.com to request its removal.
9. Data Retention
At Сдружение Българка Чикаго, we retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, operational, or accountability reasons.
Retention periods vary depending on the type of data:
- Donor and Contact Information: Retained for up to 24 months after your last interaction with us unless you request deletion sooner.
- Transactional Records (e.g., donations): Retained for at least 7 years for accounting, auditing, and tax purposes.
- Website Usage Data (e.g., IP logs, analytics): Retained for up to 24 months to improve our website’s security and performance.
- Email Communications and Support Requests: Retained for up to 2 years to ensure service quality and maintain contact history.
When personal data is no longer needed, we securely delete, anonymize, or archive it in accordance with applicable laws.
If you have any questions about our data retention practices or wish to request deletion, please contact us at:
- Email: bulgarkachicago@gmail.com
- Phone: +1 (630) 440 2487
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or improvements to our services. When we make significant changes, we will:
- Update the “Effective Date” at the top of this page
- Post the revised version on our website at https://bulgarkachicago.com/
- Notify you through appropriate means if the changes are material and legally required
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal information.
Commitment to Compliance
We are dedicated to protecting your privacy and honoring your trust. If you have any questions or concerns about your rights or how we handle your data, please contact us:
- Email: bulgarkachicago@gmail.com
- Phone: +1 (224) 600 9240