Privacy Policy

This Web Site, located at http://www.osiny.org/, (“Web Site”) is published and maintained by the Open Space Institute, Inc., with offices located at 1370 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10018-7799 (“OSI”). OSI is a tax-exempt public charity under section 501 (c)(3) and 509 (a)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. OSI is referred to in this Privacy Policy as “we,” “us,” “our,” or other similar pronouns.

This Privacy Policy governs your use of the OSI Web Site. By visiting this Web Site, or using the services offered on or through this Web Site, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy as they may be amended from time to time. As we update and expand our services, this Privacy Policy may change, so check back to this page from time to time.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to information that you may provide to us, or that we may obtain, other than through our Web Site, such as by phone, through postal mail and through other live and print media. This Privacy Policy shall be interpreted under the laws of the United States.

PURPOSE

Your privacy is a serious matter to us. In order to make your visits to our Web Site and use of the services available through our Web Site as worthwhile as possible, we may ask you for certain Personal Information and we may collect certain information from your computer each time you visit us. “Personal Information” includes, for example, your name; home and/or business address; e-mail address; telephone, wireless and/or fax number; demographic information and/or other information that may identify you as an individual or allow online or offline contact with you as an individual. This Privacy Policy explains, in general, what Personal Information and other information is collected on our Web Site, how the information is used, and with whom we may share such information. Please take a few minutes to read our Privacy Policy so that you understand how OSI treats your information.

RIGHT TO OPT IN AND OPT OUT

You have the right to “opt in” and “opt-out” of certain of our uses of your Personal Information. For example, at the time you are requested to provide Personal Information on this Web Site (for example, when you sign up for our newsletter), you may have the opportunity to elect to or not to receive correspondence from us. You may opt-out of receiving correspondence from us by clicking on an opt-out link within the e-mail you receive, or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. In this e-mail, please say whether: (i) you would like to opt-out of receiving promotional correspondence from OSI in general, or just via e-mail or postal mail, (ii) you would only like to opt-out of certain of OSI’s e-newsletters or correspondence, and if so which ones.

Please understand that if you opt-out of receiving correspondence from us, we may still contact you in connection with your relationship, activities, transactions and communications with us.

WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED ON THIS WEB SITE?

User-Provided Information
We collect Personal Information from users of our Web Site, for example, through such users’ activities, transactions and completion of online forms on our Web Site. Such information is collected, for example, when users register or subscribe for accounts or features on our Web Site (such as our newsletters), submit a comment or question to us using a “contact us” or similar feature on our Web Site, send us an e-mail, or in any other way submit Personal Information to us via our Web Site.

You may be able to send information about our services to your friends and family members through our Web Site by clicking on an “Tell-A-Friend” or similar button on our Web Site or in an e-mail that we have sent you. In some of these cases (unless you simply forward our e-mail on your own), you may provide the name and e-mail address of your friend or family member to us. Such information will be treated in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

You may also be able to send an online card to a friend or family member. If so, you may be required to provide us with your friend’s or family member’s Personal Information. OSI will automatically send the friend a one-time email inviting them to visit our Web Site. OSI stores this information for the sole purpose of sending this one-time email.

Charitable Contributions
For information about making a charitable contribution to OSI or one of its affiliated “Citizen Action Groups” through the use of a mail-in form sent to OSI at its offices, click here. You also may be able to make a charitable contribution to OSI or one of its affiliated “Citizen Action Groups” via the Internet through the services of a third-party online donation Web Site. Should a user decide to make a charitable contribution via the Internet, the user may click on the appropriate link on the Web Site and be taken to the third-party Web Site that handles the information and financial processing of the charitable contributions to OSI. OSI does not operate or control these third party sites and is not responsible for the information practices of these sites. Except as otherwise provided for in this Privacy Policy, all Personal Information and financial data collected by the third-party donation Web Site will not be shared with OSI and will be governed by the applicable Privacy Policy of the third-party Web Site. At the time of the contribution with such third-party donation Web Site, the user may be given several options regarding the release of Personal Information, if any, by the third-party donation Web Site to OSI. If donors consent to having such third party donation Web Site release their name to OSI in conjunction with a charitable contribution to OSI, such information may be published in our Annual Report, which lists the names of donors according to the dollar amount range of their respective contributions. The Annual Report in electronic form may be available for viewing on our Web Site.

WEB SITE USAGE INFORMATION

Cookies
We may use “cookies” to keep, and sometimes track, information about you. Cookies are small data files that are sent to your browser or related software from a Web server and stored on your computer's hard drive. Cookies track where you travel on our Web Site and what you look at. A cookie may enable us to relate your use of our Web Site to other information about you, including your Personal Information. All of these purposes serve to improve and personalize your experience on our Web Site.

Most Web browsers can be set to inform you when a cookie has been sent to you and provide you with the opportunity to refuse that cookie. Additionally, if you have a Flash player installed on your computer, your Flash player can be set to reject or delete Flash cookies. However, refusing a cookie may, in some cases, preclude you from using, or negatively impact the display or function of, the Web Site or certain areas or features of the Web Site.

IP Address and Clickstream Data
Our server automatically collects data about your server’s Internet address when you visit us. This information, known as an Internet Protocol address, or IP Address, is a number that’s automatically assigned to your computer by your Internet service provider whenever you’re on the Internet. When you request pages from our Web Site, our servers may log your IP Address and sometimes your domain name. Our server may also record the referring page that linked you to us (e.g., another Web site or a search engine); the pages you visit on this Web Site; the Web site you visit after this Web Site; the ads you see and/or click on; other information about the type of Web browser, computer, platform, related software and settings you are using; any search terms you have entered on this Web Site or a referral site; and other Web usage activity and data logged by our Web servers. We use this information for internal system administration, to help diagnose problems with our server, and to administer our Web Site. Such information may also be used to gather broad demographic information, such as country of origin and Internet Service Provider.

Any or all of these activities with regard to Web Site Usage Information may be performed on our behalf by our services providers.

HOW IS THE PERSONAL INFORMATION USED?

We will use the Personal Information you provide to our Web Site, for example, to respond to your requests and to provide you with our service offerings. For example, we will respond to your requests and inquiries and provide you with the services and features offered on or through our Web Site. We may also use your Personal Information to maintain our internal record keeping. We may match information collected from you through different means or at different times, including both Personal Information and Web Site Usage Information, and use such information along with information obtained from other sources, including third parties. In addition, we may send you notices (for example, in the form of e-mails, mailings, and the like), and otherwise correspond with you, about services and events, sponsored by us and others, that we think might interest you. You may opt out of receiving such notices from us by following the instructions in the Right to Opt In and Opt Out section above. We may analyze user behavior as a measure of interest in, and use of, our Web Site and e-mails, both on an individual basis and in the aggregate.

DO WE SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION AND WEB SITE USAGE INFORMATION WITH OTHERS?

We respect your right to privacy. Except as provided herein, we will never share, sell or rent your Personal Information - including name, address, phone number or email - to any third parties without your advance permission.

Public Forums
We may make available on our Web Site certain means to which you may be able to contribute information or materials. When you contribute to a public area or feature of our Web Site, such as a bulletin board or other open forum, or submit personal comments or photographic content to our Web Site, the information and materials that you submit may be posted on our Web Site or otherwise made available to the general public. For this reason, we recommend that you do not submit any sensitive information, including your full name, home address, phone number, financial information, or other information that would enable other users to locate you, on these areas of our Web Site. Instead, you have the option to make up a username that does not disclose your personal identity.

Service Providers
We may use third party partners to help operate our Web Site and deliver our services, and may share your information with our affiliates, service providers and other third parties that provide products or services for or through this Web Site or for our business (such as Web Site or database hosting companies, address list hosting companies, e-mail service providers, analytics companies, distribution companies, fulfillment companies, and other similar service providers that use such information on our behalf).

Aggregate Statistics
We may disclose aggregate statistics regarding user behavior as a measure of interest in, and use of, our Web Site and e-mails to third parties in the form of aggregate data, such as overall patterns or demographic reports that do not describe or identify any individual user.

Legally Compelled Disclosures
We may disclose user information to government authorities, and to other third parties when compelled to do so by government authorities, at our discretion, or otherwise as required or permitted by law, including but not limited to in response to court orders and subpoenas. We also may disclose user information when we have reason to believe that someone is causing injury to or interference with our rights or property, other users of the Web Site, or anyone else that could be harmed by such activities.

Business Transfer
In the event that OSI, or substantially all of its assets, are acquired by one or more third parties as a result of an acquisition, merger, sale, reorganization, consolidation or liquidation, Personal Information may be one of the transferred assets.

WIRELESS ADDRESSES

If the email address you provide to us is a wireless email address, you agree to receive messages at such address from OSI, unless and until you have elected not to receive such messages by following the instructions in the Right to Opt In and Opt Out section above. You understand that your wireless carrier's standard rates apply to these messages, and that you may change your mind at any time by following the instructions in the Right to Opt Out section above. You represent that you are the owner or authorized user of the wireless device on which messages will be received, and that you are authorized to approve the applicable charges.

YOUR ACCESS RIGHTS

You may review the Personal Information that is stored by this Web Site by e-mailing OSI at [email protected] with the alternative contact information you wish to be used.

SECURITY

OSI will take reasonable steps to protect the security and integrity of all Personal Information provided to this Web Site. However, due to the inherent nature of the Internet as an open global communications vehicle, we cannot guarantee that information, during transmission through the Internet or while stored on our system or otherwise in our care, will be absolutely safe from intrusion by others, such as hackers.

If you contact us by e-mail or via a “Contact Us” or similar feature on our Web Site, you should be aware that your transmission might not be secure. A third party could view information you send by these methods in transit.

In the unlikely event that we believe that the security of your Personal Information in our possession or control may have been compromised, we may seek to notify you of that development. If a notification is appropriate, we would endeavor to do so as promptly as possible under the circumstances, and, to the extent we have your e-mail address, we may notify you by e-mail. You consent to our use of e-mail as a means of such notification. If you prefer for us to use another method to notify you in this situation, please e-mail us at [email protected] with the alternative contact information you wish to be used.

CONSENT TO PROCESSING

By providing Personal Information to this Web Site, you understand and consent to the collection, maintenance, processing and transfer of such information in and to the United States and other countries and territories.

THIRD PARTY “LINKED-TO” WEB SITES

When you are on our Web Site you may have the opportunity to visit, or link to, other sites not operated by OSI (for example, when you click on a link to make a charitable donation, or to find out more information about making a charitable donation, and are taken to a third party Web Site). These sites may collect Personal Information about you. OSI does not control sites that are operated by these entities and is not responsible for the information practices of these sites. This Privacy Policy does not address the information practices of those other Web Sites.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

OSI reserves the right to change or update this Privacy Policy, or any other of our policies or practices, at any time, and will notify users of this Web Site by posting such changed or updated Privacy Policy on this page. Any changes or updates will be effective immediately upon posting to this Web Site. Under certain circumstances, we may also elect to notify you of changes or updates to our Privacy Policy by additional means, such as posting a notice on the front page of our Web Site to sending you an e-mail.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions or comments regarding our privacy practices, you may contact us at [email protected].

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