Data Collection and Privacy Policy

One Heart Sangha / Silver Spring Zendo Inc. values your privacy. We will never sell your data. Data will only be provided to third parties with your consent, and only for administrative purposes.

As an example of administrative data sharing, if you require a special diet or accessibility arrangements for a retreat, we may provide your contact information to the retreat center so they can work with you directly.

Email Lists

We use Google Groups for all our email lists. If you join any of our lists, your email and display name are collected and stored by Google and used to send emails. You can unsubscribe at any time by using the link at the bottom of the email, and your display name and email address are automatically removed from the membership list. Data stored within the Google Groups platform is governed by Google’s privacy policy.

Your email is never disclosed to other members on the main OHS-News list where we send newsletters and announcements. You may be offered an opportunity to join smaller interactive email lists that we create for activities such as Jukai preparation or our Wednesday sitters list. If you choose to email an interactive list, your email will be visible as the from: address so that other list members can reply to you.

Online Event Registrations

When you register for zazenkai, ango, or other non-residential actives, we ask for your name and a contact email. We use the information to contact you with event updates or information, and to track payments. We may also use your email to send you an invitation to our OHS-News list and/or to an event-specific email list as mentioned above.

When you register for residential events, we may ask you to voluntarily provide your phone number and an emergency contact as well as your name and email. Your phone number will be used as a backup contact in case we are unable to reach you with important information by email. We will only use your emergency contact information if you ask us to, or if you are incapacitated. We do not retain phone numbers or emergency contact information after the event has concluded.

Online Payments

When you pay for an event or donate online, we have access to your name and email through PayPal. We use your data to verify event payments, track donations, and to provide year-end tax receipts on request. We retain financial data for the length of time required by IRS. Data stored at PayPal is governed by the PayPal Privacy Policy.

Data Security

The data we collect are stored and maintained on a secure cloud server. Access is limited to volunteers who are actively working with the information. If there is a data breach, you will be notified by email.

Data Collection for Website Analytics

Squarespace collects anonymous, aggregated data on the overall number of site visits, common operating systems and browsers, referring websites, search words, and the general geographic location of visitors. We use the data to make sure our website works on popular platforms and to monitor website traffic. Data Squarespace collects when you visit is governed by the Squarespace Privacy Policy.

Cookies

Squarespace sets some essential cookies for security and site functionality. If you are kind enough to allow analytics, we set encrypted cookies to that help count visits more accurately and see the sources of our traffic. The information helps us tailor our content to our audience and improve site performance. No advertising cookies are ever set.