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Privacy Policy

Effective: 5/15/25

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Empty Chairs Inc. ("Empty Chairs," "we," "us," or "our") values and respects the privacy of our supporters, donors, and visitors. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information. It applies to all information collected through our website www.empty-chairs.org, in person, by phone, by mail, or via any other method of communication.
By interacting with us, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.
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1. Who We Are

Empty Chairs Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation registered in the State of Colorado. We exist to create space for LGBT+ Catholics and help others do the same.​

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2. Scope and Applicability

This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals whose data we collect, including donors, subscribers, volunteers, and website users, regardless of location. If you are a resident of Colorado or certain other jurisdictions (e.g., EU/EEA), you may have specific rights under applicable privacy laws, which are described in Section 10.
 

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal information directly from you or automatically via your interaction with our services. The types of personal information we collect include:
•    Identifiers: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address.
•    Financial Information: Credit/debit card or bank account information (collected and processed via PCI-compliant third parties such as Stripe).
•    Internet Activity: IP address, browser type, device ID, site usage data (via cookies and analytics tools).
•    Demographic Information: Voluntarily submitted data via surveys, event registrations, or applications.
•    Other: Any additional information you provide to us voluntarily through forms, correspondence, or events.

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4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following lawful and legitimate nonprofit purposes:

  • To process donations and provide donation receipts

  • To communicate with you about our mission, events, news, and opportunities

  • To register you for events, volunteer activities, or small groups

  • To comply with IRS and other legal requirements

  • To analyze and improve our website and outreach efforts

  • To respond to your inquiries or feedback

We do not use your personal information for profiling in a way that produces legal or similarly significant effects, nor do we use it for automated decision-making.

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5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, lease, or share your personal information with unaffiliated third parties for marketing purposes.

We may share your personal information only with:

  • Service Providers: Third parties that assist us in operating our organization (e.g., payment processors, email services, CRM systems, cloud storage). These entities are contractually obligated to maintain data confidentiality and are only permitted to use your data to perform services for us.

  • Legal Authorities: When required to comply with federal or state law, subpoena, legal process, or to protect our legal rights, property, or safety.

  • Successors: In the event of a merger, restructuring, dissolution, or other organizational change, your information may be transferred in accordance with applicable law.

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6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to analyze website traffic and improve user experience. These technologies may collect:

  • IP addresses

  • Browser and device type

  • Pages viewed and referring websites

  • Interaction timestamps

You may disable cookies through your browser settings. However, doing so may limit some functionalities of the website.

We currently do not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals sent by browsers.

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7. Children’s Privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age in accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If we discover that we have collected such data without verified parental consent, we will delete it promptly.

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8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations (e.g., IRS recordkeeping requirements). When we no longer need your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

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9. Data Security

We implement reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

  • SSL encryption on our website

  • Use of secure, PCI-compliant payment processors

  • Access controls and staff training

  • Encryption of sensitive data at rest and in transit

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to use caution when submitting personal data online.

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10. Your Rights

If you are a resident of Colorado (under the Colorado Privacy Act):

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we have about you

  • Request correction of inaccurate information

  • Request deletion of your personal information

  • Opt out of data processing for profiling or targeted advertising (note: we do not currently conduct these activities)

  • Obtain a portable copy of your personal information (data portability)

To exercise these rights, contact us at emptychairshome@gmail.com. We will verify your identity before fulfilling such requests, and we will respond within 45 days as required by Colorado law.

If you are a resident of the EU/EEA (under the GDPR):

You may also have the right to:

  • Restrict or object to certain types of processing

  • Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

  • Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)

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11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers are located. We take appropriate steps to ensure that any such transfers comply with applicable privacy laws, including implementing standard contractual clauses where required.

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12. Behavioral Advertising and Third-Party Links

We do not participate in behavioral advertising.

Our website may include links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

We use tools like Google’s Invisible reCAPTCHA to protect our site from spam. Use of this feature is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

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13. Policy Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, operational, or technological developments. Changes will be posted to this page with a new “Effective Date.” If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or website notice.

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14. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, your rights, or how we use your data, please contact us:

Email: emptychairshome@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
Empty Chairs Inc.
P.O. Box 36202
Denver, CO 80236

Legal Compliance References:

  • Colorado Privacy Act, C.R.S. § 6-1-1301 et seq.

  • Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

  • IRS Publication 4221-PC (Recordkeeping Requirements for 501(c)(3) Public Charities)

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