Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how Franciscans International uses and protects any information that you give us when you use our website, and informs you of your rights.Franciscans International Association is a Swiss association within the meaning of Articles 60 and following the Code of Obligations, with headquarters at 37/39 Rue de Vermont, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland. 

If you have a question or request, please send us an email at the following address: communications@franciscansinternational.org.

When you use this website (the “Website”) or more generally the services available on the Website, such as donations and newsletters (collectively the “Service(s)”), we commit to protecting and processing your personal data according to this Privacy Policy and in compliance with the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (“FDPA”) and related data protection regulations. 

By Personal Data we mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (data subject or you); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

Franciscans International is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected when accessing our Website and/or using our Services. Personal Data is processed pursuant to the provisions of the applicable laws and this Privacy Policy. 

In case you should not agree to any part of this Privacy Policy, please inform us and discontinue using our Website or Service(s).

What Personal Data we collect

We may collect one or all of the following information:

  • Name and surname
  • Contact information
  • Demographic information
  • Payment and billing information
  • Language of preference 

We collect Personal Data related to your behavior on our Website through Jetpack Analytics (page visited, bounce rates, time spent on different pages, etc.). This is to provide you with the best, audience-tailored service possible.  If you want to know more about Jetpack’s privacy policy click here.  

What we do with the data we gather

We require this information for two reasons: (1) to understand your needs and provide you with a better service and (2) to send you relevant information about our work. The following are the ways in which we will use your data:

  • Internal record keeping, particularly when gathering information for campaigns and communication outreach
  • Improvement of our products and services
  • To process a donation
  • Allocation of our publications and information in the language of your preference
  • Improve the way we offer information about our work on our website. We may use the information to customize the website according to your interests.

We care about your privacy. For this reason we do not sell your personal data to anyone and we will destroy your records should you wish us to do so (see section “your rights”  below)

Tracking traffic through social media

We share information about our work also on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. To be able to offer information that is audience-tailored, we use those services to gather information about the traffic on our social media channels. To know more about the data policies of the social media we use, please follow the relative links: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may occasionally include embedded content (e.g. YouTube videos). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Links to other websites

Franciscans International website may contain links to other websites. Please, be advised that once you use any of these links and leave our website, we do not have any control on the way your data will be treated by other websites. We cannot, therefore, be held responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you may provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the websites in question.    

How we protect your data

We take the greatest care in the security of your submitted information. Our website uses up-to-date Secure Socket Layers (SSL) encryption in order to protect the transmission of your data upon submission to our servers.

Where your information is stored

Depending on the type of information you have submitted, your data will either be stored securely in a database on our server in Switzerland; or in the database of our trusted third-party partners, if data was directly submitted by you for a particular purpose on our website. These third-party partners include:

  1. MailChimp – for email mailing list subscriptions.
  2. Jetpack Analytics – for anonymous statistical information.
  3. Stripe – for donations submitted on our website via credit card.
  4. GiveCloud – for donation form functionality and processing.
  5. DonorPerfect – for documenting giving history, providing donor communication services and features.

Information stored by these third-parties is protected by and subject to their privacy policy. You can find their policies at the links below:

Mailchimp    Jetpack Analytics     Stripe     GiveCloud     DonorPerfect

International Transfers

Due to the multinational locations of the servers of our third-party partners, any information which you consented to provide may be transferred to a location outside of the country or region you are located in. Data will only be transferred to trusted third-party partners, as indicated in the above section, which we determine to have adequate transparency and security parameters in place for the protection, storage and accessibility of your data.

Data Controller & Data Protection Officer

The data controller is the organization/entity responsible for the protection of information on and submitted to this website. The Data Controller is Franciscans International Association (37/39 Rue de Vermont, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland).

If you feel something is not addressed in this Privacy Policy or have further questions, our Data Protection Officer (DPO) can be reached at communications@franciscansinternational.org.

How Long We Store Your Data For

Personal information submitted directly on our website through a form is stored indefinitely, or until manual deletion is requested.

Your rights

You have the following rights in relation to your Personal Data, unless in presence of a legal or regulatory obligation or an overriding legitimate interest of Franciscans International or of a third party :

  • a right of access and request a copy of your Personal Data;
  • a right of rectification where the information we hold about you is inaccurate;
  • a right to request that your Personal Data be erased where for instance they are not necessary for the purpose for which they were collected or processed or if you withdraw your consent;
  • a right to restrict the use of your personal information;
  • a right to object to the processing of Personal Data;
  • where applicable, a right to data portability;
  • a right to withdraw your consent for the processing of Personal Data at any time. Please note that such withdrawal shall only apply for future data processing and shall not impact the processing that occurred in the past;
  • a right to submit a complaint with the competent data protection authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes applicable data protection laws. In Switzerland, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner is competent to supervise private entities: info@edoeb.admin.ch.

You may unsubscribe from our newsletter or from any marketing communication at any time by informing us via communications@franciscansinternational.org or by clicking on the link at the bottom of each newsletter.

We will, in general, not charge a fee for the exercise of any of your rights in relation to your Personal Data. However, we may charge an access fee if your request involves significant costs to us, in which case we will inform you as required by applicable law.

Cookies 

Franciscans International’s website, like most websites, uses small text files called cookies. Below you can find information on what cookies are, which cookies Franciscans International uses, and how they can be controlled.

What are cookies?

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your device when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognizes that cookie. Cookies are widely used because they allow a website to recognize a user’s device and therefore allow enhanced functionality.

You can find out more information about cookies at: www.allaboutcookies.org.

Changing your cookie settings

You can adjust your cookie settings or withdraw your consent here.

Definitions

First Party/ Third party cookies

First-party cookies are those set by a website that is being visited by the user at the time – the website displayed in the URL window. Third-party cookies are cookies that are set by a domain other than that of the website being visited by the user. If a user visits a website and another entity sets the cookie through that website, this would be a third-party cookie.

Persistent cookies

These cookies remain on a user’s device for the period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time that the user visits the website that created that particular cookie.

Session cookies

These cookies allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Session cookies are created temporarily. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.

Jetpack Analytics 

Franciscans International uses Jetpack Analytics to monitor the performance of our website. 

Jetpack Analytics cookies collect standard internet log information and visitor behavior information in an anonymous form. For more information on how Jetpack Analytics uses cookies click here. For more information on Jetpack Analytics’ Privacy policy see here.

Changes To This Policy

Franciscans International will occasionally update this Privacy Policy to match its practices, meet new legal requirements or remove outdated information. Any changes to this Policy will be posted directly on this page. We indicate at the bottom of the Privacy Policy when it was last updated. 

In case of any substantive changes to the way we collect and use data, we will post a notice on our website to announce the update to you and request your consent to the changes. 

Last update: 26 January 2023