PRIVACY POLICY
Last revised: 01/05/2021
Our Commitment
Compassion International is committed to your privacy. We value your trust and want to assure you that we will always strive to be responsible in our management of your personal information.
We provide this Privacy Policy to make you aware of our privacy practices and to inform you about the way your information is collected and used. We commit that any activity we engage in with your information is ultimately for the greater purpose of helping to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact us at (800) 336-7676, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. MT or via email.
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Compassion International (collectively, “Compassion,” “we,” “us” or “our”) collects, uses, shares and safeguards personal information. This Privacy Policy also tells you about your choices with respect to your personal information, and how you can reach us to get answers to your questions.
Types of Personal Information
We collect your name and contact information when you create an account. We also collect information relating to the actions that you perform while logged into your account.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use the personal information for our legitimate interest and with your consent to better serve you to provide account-related functionalities to our users. Accounts can be used for easy checkout and to save your preferences and transaction history.
Cookies and First-Party Tracking
Types of Personal Information
We use cookies and clear GIFs. “Cookies” are small pieces of information that a website sends to a computer’s hard drive while a web site is viewed.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use these cookies for our legitimate interest to make our website operate efficiently.
Cookies and Third-Party Tracking
Types of Personal Information
We participate in behavior-based advertising. This means that a third party uses technology (e.g., a cookie) to collect information about your use of our website so that we can provide advertising about products and services tailored to your interests on other websites.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use these cookies to engage in advertising and capture website analytics for our legitimate interest.
Donation and Sponsorship Information
Types of Personal Information
We collect information from our donors and sponsors such as contact and payment information, and demographic information about our donors.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use contact and payment information to process donations and sponsorships. We also use this information for our legitimate interest in updating you about your sponsorship or sponsored child. We also may alert you to other ways to engage with our ministry, including giving opportunities and job opportunities. Occasionally we use other information, including information from third parties, to learn about donors and sponsors for the purpose of identifying other individuals who might be interested in helping children in poverty. This includes sharing anonymized data with cooperative database providers.
Email Interconnectivity
Types of Personal Information
If you receive email from us, we use certain tools to capture data related to when you open our message, click on any links it contains, and make donations.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use this information to understand how you interact with our communications for our legitimate interest and to better serve you.
Employment
Types of Personal Information
If you apply for a job posting or become an employee, we collect information necessary to process your application or to retain you as an employee. This may include, among other things, your Social Security Number. Providing this information is required for employment.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use information about job applicants and current employees for compliance with employment law and other statutory requirements. We also use your information to have efficient staffing and workforce operations.
Events, Tours, and Visits
Types of Personal Information
If you travel on a Compassion tour or participate in a Compassion event, including virtual events, with your acknowledgment we collect additional information about you, including dietary preferences, health requirements, passport and visa information, background information and video recordings, as well as emergency contact information.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use this information for your safety and for the safety of children and to facilitate your participation in the event or tour for our legitimate interest.
Feedback/Support
Types of Personal Information
If you provide us feedback or contact us for support, we will collect your name and email address, as well as any other content that you send to us, in order to reply.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We have a legitimate interest in receiving, and acting upon, your feedback or issues.
Letters (and other communication) to Sponsored Children
Types of Personal Information
If you write a letter to a sponsored child, we store those letters digitally, including any information you include in the letter.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We store letters and communication for our legitimate interests, for example, so that they can be referenced by both the writer and the child, as well as to monitor communications for inappropriate behavior.
Mailing List
Types of Personal Information
When you sign up for one of our mailing lists, we collect your email address or postal address.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use your address to share information about our products and services with you and for our legitimate interest.
Partner and Church Promotion
Types of Personal Information
We may collect information that you provide as part of a co-branded promotion with one of our partners. If the partner will also use that information, a separate privacy notice will be provided at the time of collection that describes their use of the data.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use your information for our legitimate interest to fulfill our promotions. We also use your information to support the legitimate interests of partners that we have disclosed.
Religious, Denominational, and Ethnicity-based Information
Types of Personal Information
We may collect information in these categories when you participate in research activities or as a consequence of Compassion being a religious organization.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
This information is processed with your express consent. These types of information may be anonymized when possible. We collect this information to optimize our services.
Surveys and Research
Types of Personal Information
When you participate in a survey or a research study, we collect information that you provide through the survey or questionnaires. If the survey or research is facilitated by a third-party service provider, the third party’s privacy policy applies to the collection, use and disclosure of your information.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We have a legitimate interest in understanding your opinions and collecting information relevant to our organization.
Sweepstakes or Contests
Types of Personal Information
When you participate in a sweepstakes or contest, we collect information about you which includes contact information to notify you if you are selected.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We have a legitimate interest in operating the sweepstakes. In some contexts, we are also required by law to collect information about those who enter into our sweepstakes, and we have a legitimate interest in complying with those laws.
Website Interactions
Types of Personal Information
We use technology to monitor and record how you interact with our website. This includes which links you click on, pages you visit, actions you take, or forms you complete. This also includes information about your device or browser.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use this information to understand how you interact with our website to improve it, and to understand your preferences and interests in order to select offerings. We also use it to detect and prevent fraud. These are all our legitimate interests.
Web Logs
Types of Personal Information
We collect information, including your browser type, operating system, Internet Protocol (IP) address (a number that is automatically assigned to a computer when the internet is used), domain name, click activity, referring website and/or a date/time stamp for visitors.
Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Personal Information
We use this information to monitor our networks and the visitors to our websites. Among other things, it helps us understand which of our services is the most popular. These are all legitimate interests of Compassion.
In addition to the information that we collect from you directly, we also receive information about you from other sources, including third parties, business partners, our affiliates or publicly available sources. For example, if you submit a job application or become an employee, we conduct a background check. We also check the National Sex Offender registry to ensure the safety of Compassion’s sponsored children and use other public information to investigate possible sex offenses. We may verify the accuracy of your data by comparing it to third-party sources. One example of this would be comparing your address data to the National Change of Address service. We perform these checks to protect all the children that we serve and to serve with integrity.
To learn more about our commitment to protecting the privacy of children in our program, visit https://www.compassion.com/how-we-work/commitment-child-protection.htm.
Use and Processing of Information
In addition to the purposes and uses described above, we use information in the following ways:
- To identify you when you visit our website.
- To process donations and sponsorship.
- To improve our services and support our mission.
- To conduct analytics.
- To respond to inquiries related to support, employment opportunities, or other requests.
- To send marketing and promotional materials, including information relating to Compassion’s mission and programs.
- In order to update you on your sponsored child and special events.
- To create and steward effective partnerships with churches and volunteers.
- For internal administrative purposes, as well as to manage our relationships.
Although the sections above describe our primary purpose in collecting your information, in many situations we have more than one purpose. As a result, our collection and processing of your information is based in different contexts upon your consent, our need to perform a contract, our obligations under law, and/or Compassion’s legitimate interest.
Sharing of Information
In addition to the specific situations discussed elsewhere in this policy, we disclose information in the following situations:
- Affiliates. We share information with Compassion affiliates (e.g., international Compassion entities).
- Other Disclosures with Your Consent. We may ask if you would like us to share your information with other unaffiliated third parties who are not described elsewhere in this policy.
- Other Disclosures without Your Consent. We disclose information in response to subpoenas, warrants or court orders, or in connection with any legal process, or to comply with relevant laws. We may also share your information in order to establish or exercise our rights; to defend against a legal claim; to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding possible illegal activities, suspected fraud, safety of person or property, or a violation of our policies; or to comply with your request for the shipment of products by or the provision of services by a third-party intermediary.
- Public. Some of our websites provide the opportunity to post comments or reviews in a public forum. If you decide to submit information on these pages, that information may be publicly available.
- Service Providers. We share your information with third-party service providers. Among other things, service providers help us to administer our website, conduct surveys, provide technical support, conduct analytics, improve our services, facilitate events and process payments.
Cookies and Similar Technology
A cookie is a series of data characters that, when programmed into a website, is placed by the web server into the browser's application folder on your computer. Once placed onto your machine, the cookie will allow the website to "recognize" you as a unique individual. Cookies do not collect data from the end user's device.
Cookies are used to determine the success of Compassion's website and marketing campaigns. This allows us to be good stewards with the donations that are given to us to determine our online effectiveness, which also helps keep our expenses low.
Cookies can be removed from your device. Also, depending on what type of web browser and what browser version you are using, you may be able to change the properties on your cookie file so that cookies are not used or saved. Please check with your browser provider for more information on removing cookies.
In addition to cookies, we use other technologies, including pixel tags, to gather information on how visitors interact with our website and to help us efficiently monitor our website and marketing campaigns. These technologies, for example, show us popular pages, conversion rates, click-throughs and other information that can be used to improve our website. We also occasionally share select non-personal information with trusted third parties. Compassion and its third-party vendors use pixel tags to track and analyze non-personally-identifiable usage information to compile statistical traffic analysis or usage patterns. Third-party cookies may also be used to inform, optimize and serve Compassion ads on other websites based on your visits to Compassion websites.
We collect information on the pages you have visited on our Website and the contents of those pages, any information you input, your referring URL or IP address, your time of visit and related session information, your requested page, displayed and modified html, Web browser type, user agent, status of request (successful reply), cookies, browser timings, additional API/AJAX requests and responses, query string, mouse movements, page scrolls, clicks, device orientation when applicable, screen size, window size, selections, data entered, and information below. We may associate user identifiable information with the data collected so that we may better improve your experience. We also use this data to better understand Web site usage in the aggregate so that we know what areas of our Web site users prefer or we can improve. This information is stored and can be used for session replay as well as statistical reporting.
Your Choices
Compassion provides all rights to your information that are required by law. In any case, Compassion will consider all requests from individuals regarding their data. These requests may include:
- Access to Your Personal Information. You may request access to your personal information by contacting us at the address described below. If required by law, upon request, we will grant you reasonable access to the personal information that we have about you.
- Changes to Your Personal Information. We rely on you to update and correct your personal information. Our website allows you to modify your account profile. You may also contact us at the address described below in order to request that your information by modified. Note that we keep historical information in our backup files as permitted by law.
- Deletion and Retention of Your Personal Information. Typically, we retain your personal information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. If required by law we will grant a request to delete information, but you should note that in many situations we must keep your personal information to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or for another one of our business purposes.
- Online Tracking. We do not currently recognize automated browser signals regarding tracking mechanisms, which include "Do Not Track" instructions.
- Objection to Certain Processing. In certain scenarios and in certain jurisdictions, you can object to our use or disclosure of your personal information by contacting us at the address described below. Residents of the European Union, for example, may be able to object if our processing of your personal information is based on consent.
- Promotional Emails. You may choose to provide us with your email address for the purpose of allowing us to send materials to you. You can stop receiving promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in emails that you receive. If you decide not to receive promotional emails, we will still send you service-related communications. If you choose to opt out of all email, we will no longer be able to send you information pertinent to your account via email.
- Text Messages. To discontinue SMS text messages from Compassion, text STOP to 97646. To learn more about SMS Terms and Conditions, visit https://www.compassion.com/sms-terms-and-conditions.htm.
- Revocation of Consent. If you revoke your consent for the processing of personal information, then we may no longer be able to facilitate a child sponsorship for you or provide you with other services. In some cases, we will limit or deny your request to revoke consent if the law permits or requires us to do so, or if we are unable to adequately verify your identity. You may revoke consent to processing (where such processing is based upon consent) by contacting us at the address described below.
How We Protect Personal Information
No method of transmission over the internet, or method of electronic storage, is fully secure. While we use reasonable efforts to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information. In the event that we are required by law to inform you of a breach to your personal information, we will notify you electronically, in writing or by telephone, if legally permitted.
Some of our websites permit you to create an account. When you do, you will be prompted to create a password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password, and you are responsible for any access to or use of your account by someone else who has obtained your password, whether or not such access or use has been authorized by you. You should notify us of any unauthorized use of your password or account.
Miscellaneous
The following additional information relates to our privacy practices:
- Transmission of Information to Other Countries. Your information may be processed in a foreign country where privacy laws are less stringent than the laws in your country, including the Unites States. Compassion utilizes Standard Contractual Clauses as an adequacy measure for data transfers from the European Union.
- Third Party Applications/Websites. We have no control over the privacy practices of websites or applications that we do not own.
- Changes to This Privacy Policy. We will change our Privacy Policy and practices over time. To the extent that our policy changes in a material way, the policy that was in place at the time that you submitted personal information to us will generally govern that information, unless we receive your consent to the new Privacy Policy. We will note the effective date of the latest version at the beginning of the Privacy Policy.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, comments or complaints concerning our privacy practices or conditions of use, please contact us at the appropriate address below. We will attempt to respond to your requests and to provide you with additional privacy-related information.
Compassion International
12290 Voyager Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
If you are not satisfied with our response, and are in the European Union, you may have a right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.