Privacy Policy

Donor Data Protection

The Alghini Institute for Italian Americans (EIN: 99-0439703) is committed to the highest standards of donor stewardship. We adhere to the Association of Fundraising Professionals' (AFP) Donor Bill of Rights and maintain the following institutional commitments:

• Donor names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, giving amounts, and giving history are private and are not sold or rented. With separate explicit permission and after verification, we may publish a donor’s chosen display name and Annual Fund Drive circle. Existing 12-month acknowledgments retain their original terms; new opt-ins to the 2027 Donors archive remain on that year's page indefinitely unless the donor withdraws permission or removal is otherwise required. Necessary information is shared with service providers for processing and administration, or when required by law.
• We do not send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations.
• Donors may contact us to update communication preferences. Any future promotional email will include a working unsubscribe method.
• Direct donations on our website are processed through Stripe. Workplace gifts are processed through your employer’s giving program and its providers, which may include Benevity and a partner foundation. We do not store credit card numbers on our servers.
• We provide timely, accurate acknowledgment letters and tax receipts for all contributions as required by IRS regulations.
• Donor information is accessible only to authorized staff members who require it to process donations and issue receipts.

This donor data protection policy is reviewed annually by our Board of Directors to ensure ongoing compliance with nonprofit best practices and applicable state and federal regulations.

General Privacy Notice

The Alghini Institute for Italian Americans (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates italianamericans.com and archive.italianamericans.com. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you read our sites, submit a story, make a donation, or request updates. Cookie choices are stored separately on each site; the archive offers optional analytics only.

We reserve the right to update this policy at any time. Changes are indicated by the “Last updated” date above. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Information We Collect

Personal Data You Provide

We collect personally identifiable information that you voluntarily provide, including:

• Names and email addresses submitted through contact forms, and email addresses submitted through optional update-interest forms. Update-interest forms create a stored request for possible future updates; they do not currently subscribe you to an active mailing service.
• Mailing address (donor correspondence)
• Donation and payment information (processed via Stripe; we never store card details)
• Optional donation tributes and workplace-giving reports: gift date and amount, and any name, email, employer, transaction reference, or match information you choose to provide. These records are private and help us acknowledge and reconcile gifts. We publish aggregate verified campaign totals.
• Optional Annual Fund Drive donor recognition requests: a chosen display name, gift date, personal gift amount, explicit publication permission, and any email, transaction reference, or employer you provide. After staff verification and approval, only your chosen display name and circle are public. Earlier recognition agreements last 12 months from publication. New permanent 2027 Donors acknowledgments remain on that year's public archive page unless you request removal or removal is otherwise required. Employer matches do not determine your personal donor circle. Your email, employer, transaction reference, and precise gift amount remain private. You may request removal by emailing salve@italianamericans.com; internal gift and consent records may be retained for administration and recordkeeping.
• Corporate sponsor inquiries: contact name, company, business email, message, and optional website or budget. We use this information to respond to your inquiry and discuss potential support. An inquiry does not create a donation or permission to publish your company’s name or logo. Any corporate acknowledgment requires a separate agreement and brand permission.
• User-generated content (heritage recordings, guest blog submissions, community posts)

Automatically Collected Data

If you allow analytics, Google Analytics and HubSpot receive usage and device information to help us understand our public website. HubSpot uses cookies to recognize returning visitors and may associate visits with contact information you provide through forms. If you also allow advertising measurement, Google Ads measures completed actions associated with our advertising. These services receive network information, including your IP address when a request reaches the provider. We do not describe this collection as anonymous.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies with your consent. Types include:

• Essential cookies: Required for site operation (session management, authentication). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand site usage (Google Analytics and HubSpot). Enabled only after you provide consent via our cookie banner.
• Advertising measurement: Google Ads helps measure responses to our ads when you choose Allow both. We keep ad personalization disabled and do not send names, email addresses, or submitted stories as conversion data.
• Functionality cookies: Remember your preferences (language selection, cookie consent status).

Choose Analytics only, Allow both, or Reject optional in the cookie banner. Google measurement tags and HubSpot load only after an applicable choice on public production pages. Use Cookie settings to change or withdraw consent; changing an active choice reloads the page to stop previously loaded tracking. Rejecting optional tracking does not prevent reading or submitting forms. Sign-in cookies remain necessary for account access.

How We Use Your Information

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Site and services
• To process and acknowledge donations and issue tax receipts
• To reconcile workplace gifts and employer matches. Permission to receive campaign updates is separate from submitting a giving report and does not create an active newsletter subscription.
• When email signup is available, to send a requested confirmation email and, after you confirm, heritage stories, resources, and fundraising updates. Earlier update-interest records are not automatically subscribed.
• To respond to inquiries and provide support
• To analyze usage patterns for site improvement
• To detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized activity
• To comply with legal obligations

Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share data in these limited cases:

• Service providers: Trusted vendors who help operate the Site and process payments (e.g., Stripe, Supabase, Google Analytics, HubSpot), under strict confidentiality agreements.
• Email subscriptions: When you request an email subscription, Brevo processes your address to confirm and deliver the emails you requested. We retain subscription and suppression records to respect your choices. We do not send your email address or confirmation links to Google Analytics.
• Legal requirements: When required by law, regulation, or governmental request.
• Protection: To protect rights, property, or safety of the Institute, our users, or the public.

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Lawful basis: We process personal data based on your requests and choices (including optional update-interest forms and analytics cookies), to process donations, and for legitimate interests such as site security and fraud prevention.
• Right of access: Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”), subject to legal retention requirements.
• Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing.

To exercise these rights, contact us at salve@italianamericans.com. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

International data transfers: Data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We take appropriate safeguards, including encryption in transit and at rest, to protect your data during transfer.

California Privacy Rights (CalOPPA & CCPA)

Under the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have the following rights:

• Right to know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you in the preceding 12 months.
• Right to delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected, with certain exceptions.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
• Do Not Track signals: Our Site currently does not respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals. However, analytics cookies are only activated upon your affirmative consent via our cookie banner.
• Sale of personal information: We do not sell personal information as defined under the CCPA.

To submit a California privacy request, email salve@italianamericans.com with the subject line “California Privacy Request.” We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. These include TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit, encrypted storage, and role-based access controls. Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe in compliance with PCI DSS Level 1 standards. No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Donation records are retained for a minimum of seven years for tax and audit compliance. Contact form submissions are retained for up to two years. Update-interest addresses are stored in our database; we have not set a fixed retention period for them. You can request removal by emailing salve@italianamericans.com.

Opt-Out & Communication Preferences

You can control your email subscription and request removal of an earlier update-interest record. The Alghini Institute provides the following ways to manage your information:

• Email updates: Use the unsubscribe link in an email to stop future updates. To request deletion or removal of an earlier update-interest record, email salve@italianamericans.com with the subject line “Remove my email address.” We may retain a minimal suppression record to prevent unwanted future mail.
• Cookies & analytics: You may withdraw cookie consent at any time via our on-site cookie banner, or by adjusting your browser settings to block cookies.
• Account deletion: If you have created an account, you may request full deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us at salve@italianamericans.com.
• Donor communications: Donors who wish to remain anonymous or cease receiving acknowledgment correspondence may notify us at any time.

Opting out of promotional communications will not affect transactional messages such as donation receipts or account security notifications.

Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete it promptly. If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, including partner organizations and educational resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or wish to exercise your rights: