Home / Privacy Policy

Revised and Effective: 3/15/2017

In this Privacy Policy, we refer to a user of the Website (as defined below) as “you,” and we refer to the owner of the Website, Shared Nation LLC, as “us.”

Privacy is important to us. We respect yours and want to earn your trust that we are careful with your information.  This Privacy Policy describes, among other things: (i) the types of information we collect from you when you use our website www.sharednation.org and the features and services available via the website (collectively, the “Website”); (ii) how we use the information we collect; and (iii) with whom and why we share it.  We also describe the measures we take to protect the security of the information we collect and how to contact us about our privacy practices.

By using the Website, you accept this Privacy Policy and consent to our collection, use and sharing of the information as described herein.  

What Information Do We Collect?

Information You Provide Us

The Website enables you to voluntarily provide us with certain information.  We collect, retain and use the information you voluntarily provide to us in accordance with this Privacy Policy.  When a user registers as a Participant on the Website, the Participant is required to provide your full name, email address, and payment information.  You also create user account credentials, which we collect and maintain for your continued use of the Website. When a user registers an organization or project as a Candidate on the Website, the Candidate is required to provide its legal entity name and jurisdiction, a summary of its project, its website address, and, if it is the winning Candidate in a voting round, its payment information.

We enable you to contact us via the Website, and we may provide links to contact us via email. You may contact us to ask questions or provide feedback.  Participants also have the ability to post comments on the Website.  Please do not, however, submit to us or post on the Website any personal information or other information you consider to be confidential or sensitive.  Information which you voluntarily elect to share in publicly visible areas of the site is considered to be public, even if it would otherwise be considered to be personally identifying or sensitive. As such, you control divulging this information, and not us.

Information Collected Through Technology

We collect and maintain certain information using automated means, such as cookies, web beacons and similar technologies.  A cookie is a text file websites send to a user’s computer or other internet-connected device to uniquely identify the device and browser or to store information or settings in a browser.  A web beacon, also known as an internet tag or pixel tag, links web pages to web servers and their cookies and may be used to transmit information collected through cookies back to a web server.  The information we collect in this manner relates to your use of the Website and the sharednation.org web pages you access; this includes your IP address, geographic insights, browser and device type, operating system, referring URLs, and dates and times of site visits.  

Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but browser settings can be changed to prevent these cookies from collecting information.  Disabling cookies doesn’t necessarily disable the use of pixel tags, web beacons, or other technologies that collect information.

We respect Do Not Track (“DNT”) settings in browsers. If you are logged out of the Website and have DNT enabled, we will not set cookies.  By logging in to the Website, you allow Shared Nation to ignore your DNT setting, and you consent to our use of cookies and other automated means as described herein to provide you a personalized experience.

This Privacy Policy covers only Shared Nation’s use of cookies, web beacons, and other similar technology, and not the use of such technology by third parties, including our payment processors.  Similarly, this Privacy Policy does not apply to third party websites accessed via hyperlinks within the Website.

How Do We Use the Information We Collect?

We use the information Participants and Candidates provide to us for the following purposes:

  • Operating, evaluating, and improving the Website to optimize user experience
  • Establishing and maintaining user accounts
  • Processing Participant contributions (through our third-party payment processor(s))
  • Processing donations to winning Candidates (through our third-party payment processor(s))
  • Responding to and communicating with Website users about their questions and comments
  • Sending news and updates about the Website, as well as other information that may be relevant to users
  • Complying with applicable legal requirements, relevant industry standards, and our policies

Shared Nation owns all the information we collect from you via technology, including information collected via cookies, web beacons and similar automated means.  We may use such information for any purpose whatsoever in connection with our business.  With respect to information you voluntarily provide, we may use such information for any purpose in connection with our business provided that we remove any personally identifiable information.  We won’t publicly disclose your personally identifiable information.

With Whom Do We Share the Information?

We don’t sell or otherwise disclose the information we collect, except: as described in this Privacy Policy; with your consent; or as otherwise disclosed when you provide the information.  We may share the information we collect in connection with the Website with third party service providers in connection with operating our business, including (without limitation) our third-party payment processors (Celery and Stripe), and our third party vendors and hosting partners, such as Shopify, for hardware, software, networking, storage, and related technology we use to provide you the Website.

Compliance with Law and Safety

We will disclose the information we collect if we reasonably believe we are required to do so by law or government authority, or to protect the rights and property of Shared Nation, its affiliates, or the public.  We may also cooperate with law enforcement agencies in any official investigation and we may disclose information to the relevant agency in doing so.

Corporate Transactions

We reserve the right to share information in connection with any corporate transaction, including any merger, consolidation, restructuring, the sale of stock, assets or both, or other corporate change or financing transaction, including whether made during the course of any due diligence process or otherwise.

Data Storage and Security

Information security is important to us. We use encryption (HTTPS) to protect data transmitted to and from our platform.  The security of your information depends on your protection of your account information.  Please do not disclose your user IDs or passwords to unauthorized people.  Although we take reasonable precautions to protect your information, no website or internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access, hacking, data loss, or other breaches will never occur. You use the Website at your own risk, and you are responsible for taking reasonable measures to secure your account, email accounts, and mobile devices that may allow user access to your sharednation.org account.

Changes in Privacy Policy

From time to time we may update this Privacy Policy and will post a revised Privacy Policy or notice of any significant changes on the Website.  You should visit this page periodically to review any such changes to the Privacy Policy.  Your continued use of the Website is subject to the terms of the then-current Privacy Policy.

Governing Law

This Privacy Policy and your use of the Website is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to its conflicts of law provisions. By accessing or using the Website, you consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in New York.  A printed version of this Privacy Policy will be admissible in judicial and administrative proceedings based upon or relating to this Privacy Policy to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form.

Enforceability; Non-Waiver

If any provision of this Privacy Policy conflicts with applicable law or if any provision is held invalid by a court with competent jurisdiction, then such provision will be deemed to be restated to reflect as nearly as possible our original intentions, and the remainder of this Privacy Policy will remain in full force and effect.  Any failure by us to insist upon or enforce strict performance of any provision of the Privacy Policy, or to exercise any right under the Privacy Policy, will not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of our right to assert or rely upon any such provision or right in that or any other instance; rather, the same will remain in full force and effect.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: team@sharednation.org.