Privacy Policy
Your privacy is very
important to The 8th Episcopal District of the African Methodist
Episcopal (AME) Church. We want to make your experience using our services
and on the Internet as enjoyable and rewarding as possible, and we want you
to use the Internet's vast array of information, tools, and opportunities
with complete confidence.
We have created this
Privacy Policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy and security.
This Privacy Policy describes how the 8th Episcopal District of
the AME Church collects information from all end users of the 8th
Episcopal District of the AME Church’s Internet services - those who access
some of our Services but do not have accounts as well as those who make
purchases and donations - what we do with the information we collect, and
the choices Visitors and Customers have concerning the collection and use of
such information. The 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church
requests that you read this Privacy Policy carefully.
The 8th Episcopal District
of the AME Church is committed to protecting the privacy of our donors,
website visitors and others with whom we communicate. Your privacy is very
important to us. This privacy policy explains our commitment to you when you
use our site or make a donation. It also specifies our use of personal
information with which you entrust us, and delineates the use of any such
information we may gather on our own, through electronic means or otherwise.
Visiting our Website indicates your acceptance of this
privacy policy.
Commitment to Data Security
To prevent unauthorized
access, maintain data accuracy and ensure the correct use of information, we
have put in place appropriate procedures to safeguard and secure the
information we collect online. We monitor our site and employ industry
standard techniques such as encryption, firewalls and intrusion detection to
shield your personal information from unauthorized access.
Secure communications on
the internet require attention to authentication, encryption and data
integrity which our website addresses by industry-standard SSL (Secure
Sockets Layer) protocol. We use SSL to communicate with secure browsers such
as AOL, Netscape and Internet Explorer. This means your name, address,
credit card numbers and any other information you provide through SSL are
encrypted in a way that makes it extremely difficult for others to decode.
We use technology provided by Veri-Sign to make your online visit as secure
as possible. All payment information is collected in a secure environment
that can be confirmed through Veri-Sign, Inc. You can tell if your computer
is using SSL when you see a lock icon at the bottom of your screen or by
checking the URL to ensure it is pointing to "https."
The 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church maintains its
own donor information database and processes its own mail donations. Credit
card payments are handled by a secure outside vendor. Credit card companies
and banking institutions have access to your personal information as
required to perform their functions. The 8th Episcopal District of the AME
Church requires these companies keep such information confidential, use
high-grade encryption and security protocols, and meet all industry
standards. Personal information you provide is stored in a secure location,
accessible only by designated employees who are trained in proper handling
of such information. The 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church has
selected these institutions with care and in good faith and assumes no
liability for the unlawful interception of private communications. Donors
who are concerned about internet security should make their donation by U.S.
Mail.
The Information We Collect
As a nonprofit corporation,
we must make full disclosure of donations on our Federal tax return Form 990
each year. If you make a donation we will request certain identifying
information such as your name, address, phone number, credit card
information and e-mail address. We do not rent, sell or exchange your
information. We use donation-generated donor information to communicate with
you and to keep accurate, confidential records to meet tax reporting
requirements, except in cases of law enforcement inquiries, court orders or
subpoenas, or if we are notified that such disclosure is necessary in
connection with activity that violates the law or may expose the 8th
Episcopal District of the AME Church or anyone associated with the 8th
Episcopal District of the AME Church to liability.
The 8th Episcopal District
of the AME Church does not collect your personal information when you visit
our website unless you choose to provide this information. We reserve the
right to review standard server logs to collect information such as the IP
(Internet Protocol) address, the site that referred you, the pages you
visited, browser types, operating systems, the files you downloaded, and the
dates, times and duration of visits.
Information Dissemination
Exceptions
Except as stated in this
policy, we will never give out your information without your permission. As
noted above, we may be required to share certain information if one of our
partners requires it, but these situations are rare and we will always ask
for your explicit permission first. We reserve the right to give out such
information without explicit permission in the following circumstances:
1.
As and to the
extent required or permitted by law, or where we believe in good-faith that
it is reasonably necessary to comply with subpoenas, court orders, other
legal process, or requests of governmental authorities;
2.
When intended
to report, prevent or assist in the investigation of suspected fraud or
other illegal activities, or otherwise to take actions in connection with
such activities;
3.
To enforce
our Terms of Service or otherwise establish or exercise our legal rights or
defense against legal claims; or
4.
Otherwise as
provided for in this Privacy Policy.
Cookies & How We Use Them
Our online store
functionality is based on "cookies" or customized pieces of information our
site stores on your hard drive. Because cookies only contain text, they
cannot transmit a virus or damage your system. They cannot gather
information about you or your computer. The sole purpose of storing cookies
is to remember information about your 8th Episcopal District of the AME
Church transaction and make online donating easier. If you prefer not to
accept cookies, it may be necessary for you to donate by mailing a check
directly to our office.
Donations from Children
The 8th Episcopal District
of the AME Church does not accept donations from children. If you are under
18 years of age, do not make a donation or submit any information without
the express consent and participation of a parent or guardian.
Commitment to Children's
Privacy.
Protecting children's
privacy is especially important to us. It is our policy to comply with the
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 and all other applicable
laws. While we make every effort to ensure that our web sites are fun and
age-appropriate for our younger audience, we believe that there is no
substitute for proper parental supervision. the 8th Episcopal District of
the AME Church recommends that children ask a parent for permission before
sending personal information to the 8th Episcopal District of the AME
Church, or to anyone online.
Governing Law and Dispute
Resolution
You agree any disputes
relating to your use of this Privacy Policy shall be governed in all
respects by the laws of the State of Mississippi and the State of Louisiana,
the states in which the 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church is
incorporated as a nonprofit corporation. Any dispute relating to this
Privacy Policy shall be resolved solely in the state or federal courts
located in the aforementioned states.
Responses to E-mail
Inquiries
When Visitors or Users send
e-mail inquiries to the 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church, the return
e-mail address is used to answer the e-mail inquiry we receive. the 8th
Episcopal District of the AME Church does not use the return e-mail address
for any other purpose and does not share the return e-mail address with any
third party.
Special Cases
It is the 8th Episcopal
District of the AME Church’s policy not to use or share the personal
information about Visitors of Users in ways unrelated to the ones described
above without also providing you an opportunity to opt out or otherwise
prohibit such unrelated uses. However, the 8th Episcopal District of the AME
Church may disclose personal information about Visitors or Users, or
information regarding your use of the Services or Web sites accessible
through our Services, for any reason if, in our sole discretion, we believe
that it is reasonable to do so, including: to satisfy laws, such as the
Electronic Communications Privacy Act, regulations, or governmental or legal
requests for such information; to disclose information that is necessary to
identify, contact, or bring legal action against someone who may be
violating our Acceptable Use Policy or other user policies; to operate the
Services properly; or to protect the 8th Episcopal District of the AME
Church and our Users.
Public Forums
Please remember that any
information you may disclose in our forums or other public areas of our Web
sites or the Internet, becomes public information. You should exercise
caution when deciding to disclose personal information in these public
areas.
Donations
The 8th
Episcopal District of the AME Church which comprises all of the AME churches
in the states of Mississippi and Louisiana has applied to the Internal
Revenue Service to be a qualified charitable organization exempt from
Federal and state income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code. This application was approved and therefore all donations are
tax-deductible.
Refund Policy
Donations to the 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church are
not refundable.
Where to Direct Questions
If you have any questions
about this Privacy Policy or the practices described herein, you may contact
the webmaster at
webmaster@8thepiscopaldistrict.com .
September 19, 2008
