Privacy policy

The North Central Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ("we," "our," or "the Lieutenancy") respects your privacy. This policy describes what information we collect when you visit eohsj-ncl.org, how we use it, and the choices you have. We collect as little as possible — just what's needed to communicate with you, process donations, and operate the site.

1. Information we collect

We collect information in three ways:

Information you provide directly

When you fill out a form on our site, we collect what you give us:

• Newsletter signup: your email address.
• Contact form: your name, email address, and the message you send us.
• Donation form: your name, email address, mailing address (if you choose to provide it), and the amount and cause of your gift. Payment card information is handled by our payment processor — see section 4.

Information collected automatically

Like nearly all websites, our hosting provider keeps standard server logs when you visit. This includes:

• Your IP address and approximate geographic location (country/region level).
• Your browser type, operating system, and device type.
• The pages you visit on our site and the time of your visit.
• The website that referred you (if any).

These logs are used to keep the site running, troubleshoot problems, and identify security threats. We do not use them to build profiles of individual visitors.

Information from third parties

When you make a donation, our payment processor provides us with confirmation that the payment succeeded and the donation amount. We do not receive or store your full payment card details.

2. How we use your information

We use the information we collect for these purposes:

• To deliver newsletters and updates you've subscribed to.
• To respond to questions or requests you send us.
• To process and acknowledge donations, and to provide tax-deduction records.
• To keep you informed about events, pilgrimages, and the work of the Order in the Holy Land.
• To operate, maintain, and improve the website.
• To protect the site and our visitors from fraud and security threats.
• To comply with applicable laws, including those governing charitable organizations.

We do not sell or rent your information to anyone. We do not use it for advertising or marketing on behalf of third parties.

3. When we share information

We share information only in these limited circumstances:

• Service providers we rely on: Companies that help us operate the site (such as our web hosting provider and payment processor) may handle information on our behalf. They are bound by contracts and applicable law to use that information only for the purposes we direct.
• Other Lieutenancy leadership: Your contact information may be shared with Lieutenancy officers, Section Presidents, or other Order leaders when needed to respond to your inquiry or fulfill the purpose for which you contacted us.
• The Grand Magisterium and Latin Patriarchate: Aggregate donation totals and high-level reporting are shared with the worldwide Order in Rome and with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem to demonstrate the impact of the North Central Lieutenancy's work. We do not share individual donor details for this purpose.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government request, or when necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Lieutenancy or others.

4. Donations and payment processing

Donations made through our site are processed by a third-party payment processor. When you make a gift:

• Your payment card information is entered directly on the payment processor's secure form and transmitted to them, not to us.
• We receive confirmation that the donation was successful, along with your name, email address, donation amount, and any cause designation.
• For tax acknowledgment purposes, we retain records of your donation.
• The payment processor is subject to its own privacy policy and security standards.

If you have questions about how the payment processor handles your information, please review their privacy policy or contact them directly.

5. Cookies and tracking

Our site uses a minimal number of cookies — small text files stored on your device — only as needed to operate the site. We do not currently use cookies for analytics, advertising, or tracking your activity across other websites.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies will not prevent you from reading our content, though some features (like remembering form input) may not work as expected.

If we add analytics or tracking tools in the future, we will update this policy and notify visitors as appropriate.

6. How we protect your information

We take reasonable steps to protect the information we collect:

• Our website is served over an encrypted connection (HTTPS).
• Payment card information is handled only by our payment processor, which complies with industry standards for payment security.
• Access to information we hold is limited to Lieutenancy leaders and authorized service providers who need it to perform their roles.

No system is perfectly secure. While we work to safeguard your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security and recommend that you be thoughtful about what you share online.

7. How long we keep information

We retain information only as long as needed for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law:

• Newsletter subscribers: Your email address is retained while you remain subscribed and removed promptly when you unsubscribe.
• Contact inquiries: Messages are typically retained for one to two years to maintain a record of correspondence.
• Donation records: Retained as required for tax and accounting purposes, typically seven years.
• Server logs: Retained for a limited period (typically 30 to 90 days) and then deleted or anonymized.

8. Your rights and choices

You have choices about the information we hold:

• Unsubscribe from emails: Every newsletter we send includes an unsubscribe link. You can also email us to be removed from any mailing list.
• Update your information: If your name, email, or mailing address changes, contact us and we'll update our records.
• Request a copy of your information: You may ask what information we hold about you. We'll provide it within a reasonable time, free of charge for the first request in a given year.
• Request deletion: You may ask us to delete information we hold about you. We will honor this request except where we are required to retain records by law (such as tax records for donations).
• Decline cookies: Use your browser's settings to block or limit cookies as described in section 5.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in section 12.

9. Children's privacy

Our website is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

10. Links to other websites

Our site links to other websites we don't control, including:

• The Vatican's Order website (oessh.va)
• Event websites operated by individual Sections (such as the Cleveland Section's investiture site)
• Photo album hosting services (such as SmugMug)

This policy applies only to eohsj-ncl.org. When you follow a link to another site, you are subject to that site's privacy policy. We encourage you to read the policies of any site you visit.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page shows when the policy was most recently revised. Material changes will be communicated through our newsletter or a prominent notice on the site.

12. How to contact us

If you have questions about this policy, want to exercise your rights, or need to reach us about anything related to your privacy, please get in touch.