Privacy Policy

Forest Refuge Alliance ("FRA," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. Please read it carefully.

1. Who We Are

Forest Refuge Alliance (FRA) is a nonprofit fiscally-sponsored project of Resources Legacy Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization. FRA is working to gain public support for a proposed Climate Refuge in northwestern Montana's Yaak Valley — the first designated Climate Refuge in U.S. history. Our principal contact information is:

Forest Refuge Alliance
PO Box 337
Troy, MT 59935
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.forestrefugealliance.org

2. Information We Collect

"Personal Information" means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified, or that relates to, describes, references or is reasonably capable of being associated with the individual. It does not include data where the person's identity has been removed.

We may collect several types of Personal Information from and about users of our Website, including the following to fulfill or meet the reason you provided the information:

A. Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you voluntarily give us when you:

• Subscribe to our email newsletter or mailing list
• Make a donation or financial contribution
• Submit a contact, inquiry, or volunteer interest form
• Register for an event or advocacy action
• Correspond with us by email, phone, or mail

This may include your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, and payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors — see Section 6).

B. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical data, including:

• IP address and general geographic location (city/region level)
• Browser type and operating system
• Pages viewed, links clicked, and time spent on pages
• Referring website or search terms that brought you to our site
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

This information is collected through cookies, web beacons, and analytics tools (see Section 5).

C. Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party platforms when you interact with our social media accounts, sign a public petition hosted on a partner platform, or donate through a third-party giving platform. We handle all such information in accordance with this Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Communications: Sending newsletters, campaign updates, event invitations, and conservation news you have subscribed to receive.
• Donations and transactions: Processing contributions and sending acknowledgment letters for tax purposes.
• Advocacy: Informing you of opportunities to take action in support of a Climate Refuge in Montana's Yaak Valley, and related conservation goals.
• Website improvement: Analyzing how visitors use our site so we can improve content and user experience.
• Legal compliance: Fulfilling our legal obligations, including applicable nonprofit reporting and tax requirements.
• Organizational communications: Responding to your questions, requests, or comments.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

4. Legal Bases for Processing (For EEA/UK Visitors)

If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, our legal bases for processing your personal data are:

• Consent: Where you have opted in to receive communications or have consented to the use of non-essential cookies.
• Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in operating as a nonprofit, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation: Where processing is required to comply with applicable law.
• Contract: Where processing is necessary to fulfill a transaction you initiated (e.g., processing a donation).

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our site effectively and understand how it is used.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: Required for the site to function (e.g., session management). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand visitor behavior and improve our site (e.g., Google Analytics or similar). These are only set with your consent where required by law.
• Functionality cookies: Remember your preferences (e.g., newsletter signup confirmation).

Your Cookie Choices

You can manage or disable non-essential cookies through our cookie consent banner (displayed on your first visit) or through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect some site functionality. You may also opt out of Google Analytics tracking at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

6. Third-Party Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party vendors to operate our website and programs. These providers only receive the data necessary to perform their services on our behalf and are contractually required to protect your information. Current categories of providers include:

• Email marketing platform (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact) — for delivering newsletters and campaign updates
• Payment processor (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, or a dedicated nonprofit giving platform) — for secure donation processing; we do not store your full payment card information
• Website analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) — for understanding site traffic
• Fiscal sponsor: Our fiscal sponsor, Resources Legacy Fund, may have access to donor records as required for their fiduciary and IRS reporting obligations.
• Web hosting provider: For operating and maintaining our website infrastructure.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party platforms you use in connection with FRA.

7. How We Share Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction. We may also disclose Personal Information that we collect or that you provide as described in this Policy with the parties described below:

• With service providers as described in Section 6, under written data processing agreements.
• With our fiscal sponsor, Resources Legacy Fund, as needed to maintain our sponsored status and comply with IRS requirements.
• To comply with law, including responding to valid legal process (subpoena, court order, or regulatory requirement).
• To protect rights and safety, if we believe disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent harm or illegal activity.
• To a successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation or similar proceeding, in which Personal Information held by us about our Website's users is among the assets transferred.
• With your explicit consent, such as if you agree to be featured in a donor spotlight or communications campaign.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, to maintain our donor records, and to comply with legal and tax obligations. Donor records are typically retained for a minimum of seven (7) years in accordance with IRS nonprofit record-keeping guidelines. You may request deletion of your information at any time (see Section 10), subject to our legal obligations.

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), access controls on donor and subscriber databases, and use of reputable, security-certified third-party platforms.

No data transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we take your privacy seriously and employ industry-standard protections, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations.
• Opt-out of communications: Unsubscribe from email communications at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us directly.
• Portability: Request a machine-readable copy of data you have provided to us (where technically possible).
• Objection / Restriction: Object to or ask us to restrict certain processing activities.
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

California residents may also have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected and the right to opt out of any sale (we do not sell personal information). To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address in Section 15.

Colorado law permits users of our Website that are Colorado residents to opt out, access, correct, delete, or transfer the Personal Information collected and maintained about the resident. To make such a request, please email us at the address listed in Section 15. In the event that we deny a Colorado resident's data request, the resident may appeal said decision by emailing the address listed below in Section 15. If a Colorado resident has concerns about the result of the appeal, they have the right to contact the Colorado state Attorney General.

11. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently received information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately and we will delete it promptly.

12. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites — including partner organizations, government agencies, and conservation resources. This Privacy Policy applies only to the Forest Refuge Alliance website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites and encourage you to review their policies independently.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or website features. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify subscribers by email. Continued use of our website after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

14. Security

We use industry-standard methods of securing electronic databases of Personal Information designed to secure your Personal Information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration and disclosure. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee the security of the data transmitted to or through our Website. Any transmission of Personal Information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Website. To help protect yourself, please use a strong password, do not use the same password to access your account that you use with other accounts or services, and protect your usernames and passwords to help prevent others from accessing your accounts and services.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

Privacy Inquiries — Forest Refuge Alliance
Email: [email protected]
Mail: PO Box 337, Troy, MT 59935

We will respond to all privacy requests within 30 days.