The New York Harbor Foundation d/b/a Billion Oyster Project ("BOP," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit billionoysterproject.org and related BOP webpages, create or use an account, register for an event or program, make a donation, subscribe to communications, submit a form, or otherwise interact with our online services (collectively, the "Site").
Information We Collect
Depending on how you use the Site, we may collect:
- Contact information, such as your name, email address, mailing address, and telephone number.
- Account and profile information, such as login details, profile information, school, employer, organization, role, grade levels, subject areas, and program interests.
- Registration and participation information, such as event selections, dates, group details, accessibility requests, dietary information, waiver responses, emergency contact information, and other information needed to administer a program or event.
- Donation and transaction information, such as donation amount, transaction status, billing contact information, and records supplied by our payment processor. Payment-card information is entered into and processed by the payment provider; BOP does not intend to receive or store full payment-card numbers through the Site.
- Communications and submissions, including information you provide through contact, newsletter, volunteer, education, partnership, media, and other forms.
- Technical and usage information, such as IP address, browser and device information, operating system, preferred language, referring page, pages viewed, links selected, approximate location derived from an IP address, timestamps, consent choices, and information collected through cookies and similar technologies.
- Content you choose to submit, including research, educational, community, or other materials when a Site feature permits submissions.
You may choose not to provide information, but some Site features, registrations, donations, or services may then be unavailable.
How We Collect Information
We collect information:
- Directly from you when you complete a form, register, donate, subscribe, create an account, contact us, or participate in a program.
- Automatically from your browser or device when you use the Site.
- From service providers and partners that support our events, ticketing, donations, email, website, databases, authentication, and program administration.
If you provide personal information about another person, you represent that you are authorized to provide it for the relevant purpose.
Some service providers receive ordinary technical information, such as an IP address, user agent, request time, and requested page or feature, when your browser connects to their systems. A provider may also receive information you deliberately submit when it is needed to complete a requested login, registration, donation, booking, newsletter signup, or other service.
How We Use Information
We may use information to:
- Respond to inquiries and provide requested services.
- Process donations, registrations, ticket purchases, applications, and other transactions.
- Create and manage accounts and personalized education, classroom, volunteer, membership, or reef-related experiences.
- Communicate confirmations, updates, administrative notices, and information about BOP programs and opportunities.
- Send marketing communications when permitted; every marketing email will include an unsubscribe method.
- Operate, maintain, secure, troubleshoot, analyze, and improve the Site and our programs.
- Understand Site usage, measure communications, prevent fraud or misuse, and protect BOP, Site visitors, and others.
- Comply with law, enforce applicable terms, and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
- Carry out another purpose described when information is collected or with your consent.
How We Disclose Information
We may disclose information:
- To vendors that provide services on our behalf, including website hosting and security, database and integration services, authentication, analytics, mapping, video hosting, email delivery, ticketing, payment processing, customer support, and event administration.
- To program, event, school, government, funder, or community partners when needed to fulfill a request, administer a program, meet reporting obligations, or when you authorize the disclosure.
- To comply with applicable law, legal process, or government requests; investigate suspected fraud or misuse; enforce our agreements; or protect rights, safety, and property.
- In connection with a merger, reorganization, transfer, financing, or other organizational transaction, subject to appropriate protections.
- At your direction or with your consent.
We do not sell personal information for money. We do not disclose personal information to unaffiliated third parties for their own direct marketing.
Information that you intentionally post in a public area of the Site may be visible to others. Do not submit sensitive or confidential information to a public feature.
When a provider handles personal information on BOP's instructions to perform services for us, it acts as a service provider or data processor for that work. Some providers may instead act as independent businesses or controllers for particular services, such as a payment, ticketing, or linked third-party experience. Their own privacy notices and terms may then apply. We seek to give providers only the information reasonably needed for the applicable service.
Cookies and Similar Technologies
The Site uses cookies, local storage, session storage, pixels, and similar technologies for security, core functionality, preferences, analytics, maps, media, and other features. Some technologies are operated by third-party providers. For details about the technologies currently identified, their purposes, and your choices, see our Cookie Policy and use the Privacy Choices control.
Where required, optional analytics, media, and similar technologies are controlled through the Site's consent choices.
Service Providers and Third-Party Features
The Site may use services supplied by Webflow and Cloudflare for hosting, delivery, and security; Trellis and Google Firebase for website integrations, consent management, authentication, and account or database features; Salesforce and Airtable for program and relationship administration; Ticket Tailor for event booking; Click & Pledge for donation processing; Mailchimp for email signup and delivery; Google Analytics for consented audience measurement; Mapbox for maps; YouTube or Vimeo for consented media; and Open-Meteo and NOAA Tides & Currents for weather and tide information.
Providers may use subprocessors and may process information in the United States or other places where they operate. The laws in those places may differ from those where you live. A plain link to another website does not mean BOP controls that website's privacy practices. Please review a third party's privacy notice when you choose to use its service.
Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including providing services, maintaining program and transaction records, meeting legal, accounting, grant, audit, and reporting obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing agreements. Retention periods vary by the type of information and the systems involved. Our Site is configured to treat a saved cookie choice as current for up to 180 days unless the policy version changes sooner. Shorter-lived preference storage and provider-controlled retention periods are described in the Cookie Policy where known.
Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No transmission or storage system is completely secure. If you believe your interaction with BOP is no longer secure, contact us promptly using the information below.
Children and Student Information
BOP provides educational programming, but the general public Site is not intended to solicit personal information directly from children under 13 without appropriate authorization and involvement from a parent, guardian, school, or other authorized adult. Student and participant information collected through a school or program may also be governed by program agreements, consent forms, school requirements, or other notices. Do not submit information about a child unless you are authorized to do so.
Your Choices and Requests
You may:
- Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in the message.
- Use the Privacy Choices control to accept, reject, or change optional cookie and similar-technology choices. Withdrawing a choice stops future optional activity managed by the Site and removes category-controlled first-party storage that the Site can access; a page reload may be used to complete the change.
- Ask to access, correct, or delete personal information you have provided, subject to applicable law and legitimate retention needs.
- Contact us with a privacy question or complaint.
Privacy rights vary by location and may be subject to exceptions. We may need to verify your identity and authority before completing a request. Authorized agents may submit requests where applicable law permits.
Data and Materials from the Site
When using BOP research or data made available through the Site, please credit Billion Oyster Project and follow any license, attribution, or use terms displayed with the material.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy. The "Last updated" date identifies the most recent revision. Material changes may also be communicated through the Site or another appropriate channel.
Contact Us
Questions or requests about this Privacy Policy may be sent to info@billionoysterproject.org or mailed to:
The New York Harbor Foundation
d/b/a Billion Oyster Project
Governors Island
10 South Street, Slip 7
New York, NY 10004
