South-Central Synod of Wisconsin – ELCA Privacy Policy
Last modified: March 1, 2024
Introduction
The South-Central Synod of Wisconsin-ELCA (“SCSW-ELCA”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.
This policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit www.scsw-elca.org and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting and disclosing that information.
This policy applies to information we collect:
- On this Website;
- In e-mail, text, and other electronic communications between you and this Website; or
- Otherwise through this Website.
Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Website. By accessing or using this Website, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time.
Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It.
We collect several types of information from and about users of our Website, including information:
- by which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, or ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE WEBSITE COLLECTS THAT IS DEFINED AS PERSONAL OR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION UNDER AN APPLICABLE LAW (“personal information”);
- about your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website, and usage details.
We collect this information:
- Directly from you when you provide it to us; and/or
- Automatically as you navigate through the site. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses and information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies.
Information You Provide To Us
The information we collect on or through our Website may include:
- Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website. This includes information provided at the time of making donations, posting materials, or signing up for events, notifications, or to receive further information. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with our Website.
- Records and copies of your correspondence (including e-mail addresses), if you contact us.
- Your responses to surveys that we might ask you to complete for research purposes.
- Details of transactions you carry out through our Website and of the fulfillment of event registrations or completion of donations. You may be required to provide financial information before placing an order or making a donation through our Website.
- Your search queries on the Website.
Information We Collect Through Automated Data Collection Technologies
As you navigate through and interact with our Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns, including:
- Details of your visits to our Website, including traffic data, location data, logs and other communication data, and the resources that you access and use on the Website.
- Information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, and browser type.
We use Google Analytics’ 3rd-party audience data such as age, gender and interests to better understand the behavior of our customers and work with companies that collect information about your online activities to provide advertising targeted to suit your interests and preferences. We also may use these technologies to collect information about your online activities over time and across third-party websites or other online services (behavioral tracking). Click here (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/181881?hl=en&ref_topic=2919631) for information on how you can opt out of behavioral tracking on this website. Click here (https://support.google.com/analytics/topic/2919631?hl=en&ref_topic=1008008) for additional information on behavioral tracking.
The information we collect automatically is statistical data and we may maintain or associate the data with personal information we collect in other ways or receive from third parties. It helps us to improve our Website and to deliver a better and more personalized service, including by enabling us to:
- Estimate our audience size and usage patterns;
- Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Website according to your individual interests;
- Speed up your searches; and/or
- Recognize you when you return to our Website.
The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:
- Cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer. You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Website.
- Web Beacons. Pages of our the Website and our e-mails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs. pixel tags and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an e-mail and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain website content and verifying system and server integrity).
We do not collect personal information automatically, but we may tie this information to personal information about you that we collect from other sources or you provide to us.
Third Party Use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies
Some content or applications, on the Website are served by third parties, including advertisers, ad networks and servers, content providers and application providers. These third parties may use cookies, either alone or in conjunction with web beacons or other tracking technologies, to collect information about you when you use our website. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content.
We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly. For information about how you can opt out of receiving targeted advertising from many providers.
How We Use Your Information
We may use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information:
- To present our Website and its contents to you;
- To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us;
- To allow you to register for events and programs;
- To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it (see below for photography/video/audio media usage);
- To enable you to make donations and for us to acknowledge them;
- To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection;
- To notify you about changes to our Website or any products or services we offer or provide though it;
- To allow you to participate in interactive features on our Website;
- In any other way we may describe when you provide the information; and
- For any other purpose with your consent.
We may also use your information to contact you about goods, services, events, and ministries that may be of interest to you. If you do not want us to use your information in this way, if the form on which you are submitting the information has a box allowing you to opt out of this use of the information, please check that box. If the form does not have such a box, e-mail us at scswoffice@scsw-elca.org.
Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information
We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:
- Tracking Technologies and Advertising. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. To learn how you can manage your Flash cookie settings, visit the Flash player settings page on Adobe’s website. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this site may then be inaccessible or not function properly.
We do not control third parties’ collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However these third parties may provide you with ways to choose not to have your information collected or used in this way. You can opt out of receiving targeted ads from members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) on the NAI’s website (http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/).
Accessing and Correcting Your Information
You may send us an e-mail at scswoffice@scsw-elca.org to request access to, correct or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. If you have a user account, we cannot delete your personal information associated with that account except by also deleting that user account. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.
Data Security
We have implemented measures 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 your personal information transmitted to 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.
Notice of Audio/Video Recording and/or Photography of Services/Events
Persons participating in events sponsored by the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are subject to being recorded by photographic, video, and/or audio devices. The South-Central Synod of Wisconsin may use your photo without the written permission of those included in the photograph/video. This also is true of media (photos, videos, or audio recordings) provided directly to the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin by a person, congregation, or other related entity.
The South-Central Synod of Wisconsin may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used, or contracted by the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin including but not limited to publicity materials to let others know of our ministries, on our website or social media, and/or live and on-demand streaming and website hosting of worship services and other events. In addition, local news organizations may hear of our activities or events and may record our events for news reporting.
To ensure the privacy of those under the age of 18, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject, parent or legal guardian.
By attending a South-Central Synod of Wisconsin service or event, or submitting media to the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, you release our employees and officers and all persons involved from any liability connected with taking, recording, digitizing, and/or publication of photographs, computer images, video and/or sound recordings.
A person attending a South-Central Synod of Wisconsin event who does not wish to have their image recorded for distribution or who wishes for their image to be removed or no longer used by the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin should notify the synod office in writing at scswoffice@scsw-elca.org of your photograph or video preferences.
Changes to Our Privacy Policy
It is our policy to periodically review and update our privacy policy as deemed necessary. The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for periodically visiting our Website and this privacy policy to check for any changes. Any substantive material changes will be announced via regular synod communication channels as appropriate.
Contact Information
To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at:
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin-ELCA
PO Box 14496, Madison, WI 53708
scswoffice@scsw-elca.org or via phone: 608-270-0201.
