Last updated: June 2025
Who We Are
CancerCaregiversMonth.com (the “Site”) is a national awareness initiative highlighting cancer caregivers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit or interact with our Site and related services.
Our website address is:
https://CancerCaregiversMonth.com
1. Information We Collect
1.1. Comments & Story Submissions
- What We Collect: When you leave a comment, submit a caregiver story, or add a tribute, we collect the data you provide (e.g., name, email address, story text, uploaded photos or videos). We also automatically record your IP address, browser type, and user-agent string to help detect and prevent spam.
1.2. Certificate Generation
- What We Collect: To create a tribute certificate (“Honor a Caregiver”), we require the caregiver’s name, your name, and any optional message. We do not store certificate details beyond the session—once you download or share, we discard the information from our servers.
1.3. Email Newsletter & Subscription Forms
- What We Collect: When you subscribe to our newsletter or “Join the Movement,” we collect your name and email address. You may also optionally share your zip code to receive local event updates.
- Purpose: We use this information to send you periodic newsletters, program announcements, and relevant updates. You can unsubscribe at any time via a link at the bottom of each email.
1.4. Volunteer & Partner Inquiry Forms
- What We Collect: When you inquire about volunteering, hosting a local tribute, or becoming a partner, we collect your name, email address, organization (if applicable), and any additional details you provide in that form.
- Purpose: We use this information to follow up on your inquiry and coordinate opportunities.
1.5. Logs & Analytics
- What We Collect: We automatically collect browser information (e.g., browser type, operating system), IP address, pages visited, referring/exit pages, and timestamps. We use Google Analytics and similar tools to understand Site usage and improve our content.
- Cookies: We place cookies to distinguish you from other users, enable basic site functionality, and collect analytics data (see Section 3).
2. How We Use Your Data
- Publish Comments & Stories: With your permission, we display your submitted content on the Site (e.g., “Wall of Courage”).
- Send Newsletters & Updates: We send only the content you opt into (e.g., monthly newsletter, campaign announcements).
- Respond to Inquiries: We use form data to reply to your volunteer, partnership, or tribute requests.
- Prevent Spam & Abuse: We use IP addresses and user-agent strings to help filter spam comments or malicious submissions.
- Improve Our Services: Analytics data helps us understand which pages perform best, so we can enhance your experience.
We do not sell, rent, or otherwise share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.
3. Cookies & Tracking
3.1. Necessary Cookies
- Session Cookies: When you visit our login or submission pages, we set a temporary cookie to verify your browser accepts cookies. This cookie does not contain personal data and expires when you close your browser.
3.2. Form Convenience Cookies
- Comment/Submission Cookies: If you leave a comment or submit a story, you may opt to save your name and email in a cookie. This cookie lasts for one year so that you do not have to re-enter your information on your next visit to contribute content.
3.3. Analytics & Performance Cookies
- We use Google Analytics and other third-party analytics tools to collect aggregated Site usage data. These cookies track pageviews, bounce rates, and user flows. The data is anonymized and does not personally identify you.
3.4. Managing Cookies
- You can set your browser to block or delete cookies. However, blocking cookies may prevent certain features (e.g., form auto-fill, analytics) from working correctly.
4. Media Uploads
When you upload images or videos (e.g., for a tribute or story):
- Embedded Location Data: Avoid submitting images containing embedded geolocation (EXIF GPS) information. Visitors to the Site can download and extract any location data from these files.
- Storage & Access: Uploaded files are stored securely on our servers. We retain these files only as long as necessary to display your contribution. If you wish to remove an upload, please contact us at privacy@cancercaregiversmonth.com.
5. Embedded Content from Other Websites
Articles and pages on this Site may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos, social-media posts). Embedded content functions exactly as if you visited the source website:
- The external site may collect data about you, use cookies, and track your interactions with embedded content.
- We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those external sites before interacting with their embedded content.
6. Who We Share Your Data With
- Automated Spam Detection: When you submit a comment or story, we may pass your data (e.g., IP address, email) through an automated service (e.g., Akismet) to reduce spam.
- Third-Party Service Providers: We use third-party services (e.g., Mailchimp, Google Analytics, hosting providers) to assist with newsletter delivery, analytics, and Site hosting. These providers have their own privacy policies, and we ensure they adhere to strict data-security standards.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law or to protect our rights, the rights of users, or others’ safety.
7. Data Retention
- Comments & Stories: We retain comments and story submissions indefinitely so that we can recognize returning contributors and maintain the public archive of tributes.
- Form Submissions: Volunteer and partner inquiry data is retained as long as necessary to fulfill your request and maintain a record of our interactions.
- Newsletter Data: Subscriber lists are kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
- Analytics Data: Aggregated analytics data is stored for up to 26 months, in line with Google Analytics’ data-retention settings.
- Certificate Data: Once you generate and download a tribute certificate, no personal data is stored on our servers.
8. Your Rights
- Access & Portability: If you have submitted a story or comment, you can request an exported file of all personal data we hold about you (e.g., name, email, submission content).
- Correction & Deletion: You can request corrections or deletion of your personal data by emailing us at privacy@cancercaregiversmonth.com. We will comply unless we are legally required to retain certain information.
- Opt-Out: You may unsubscribe from newsletters at any time via the link at the bottom of our emails.
- Cookie Control: You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings; see Section 3 for details.
9. Where Your Data Is Sent
- Spam Detection: Submitted comments and stories may be checked by automated spam-detection services (e.g., Akismet).
- Third-Party Platforms: Data from form submissions may be transmitted to third-party providers (e.g., Mailchimp for newsletters, Google Analytics for website analytics, hosting servers for storage).
10. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:
- Encryption: Using HTTPS (SSL/TLS) to secure data in transit.
- Access Controls: Restricting access to personal data to authorized staff members only.
- Regular Audits: Periodic security reviews of our systems and third-party providers.
11. Children’s Privacy
Our Site is not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from visitors under 16. If you believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@cancercaregiversmonth.com so we can promptly delete it.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Email: privacy @ cancercaregiversmonth.com
Your privacy matters to us. Thank you for trusting CancerCaregiversMonth.com to honor and protect your information.