Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 29, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service, sign up for Our newsletter, make a Donation, register for or inquire about Our Programs or events, or otherwise communicate with Us, and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to the Guitars Over Guns Shop at guitarsoverguns.shop, which has its own Privacy Policy, or to Third-Party Services such as Our donation and event platforms, which have their own privacy policies.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

• Company (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to Guitars Over Guns Organization, Inc., a Florida not-for-profit corporation, 169 E Flagler St., Suite 1134, Miami, FL, 33131.
• Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.
• Country refers to: Florida, United States
• Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone or a digital tablet.
• Do Not Track (DNT) is a concept that has been promoted by US regulatory authorities, in particular the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for the Internet industry to develop and implement a mechanism for allowing internet users to control the tracking of their online activities across websites.
• Donation means a charitable contribution made to the Company through the Service or through a Third-Party Service linked from the Service.
• Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
• Minor means an individual under 18 years of age, and Child means a Minor under 13 years of age.
• Parent means a parent or legal guardian of a Minor.
• Program means any educational, mentorship, performance, studio or other program or activity operated by the Company, and Program Participant means a student enrolled in or applying to a Program.
• Third-Party Service means any website, platform, service or content provided by a third party that is linked to or made available through the Service.
• Service refers to the Website.
• Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.
• Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).
• Website refers to Guitars Over Guns, accessible from https://www.guitarsoverguns.org/
• You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

• Email address
• First name and last name
• Phone number
• Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City
• Donation information, such as Your Donation amount and designation, tribute or acknowledgment preferences, and employer information for matching gifts. Payment card and bank information is collected and processed by Our donation platforms and their payment processors; We do not receive or store Your full payment card number.
• Program registration information provided by a Parent (or by a Program Participant who is 18 or older), such as the Program Participant’s name, date of birth, grade and school, emergency contact information, health, allergy and accommodation information relevant to safe participation, demographic information requested for grant and program reporting, the Parent’s name and contact information, and the Parent’s elections regarding media releases and other consents.
• Employment, internship, mentor and volunteer application information, such as Your resume, work history, education, references and, where You consent, information needed for background screening conducted by a third-party provider.
• Event registration and sponsorship information, and stories, testimonials, photographs and other content You choose to share with Us.
• Usage Data

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. The technologies We use may include:

Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service. Unless you have adjusted Your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our Service may use Cookies.

Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails 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 email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server).

Cookies can be “Persistent” or “Session” Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

Necessary / Essential Cookies

Type: Session Cookies

Administered by: Us

Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that You have asked for cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those services.

Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies

Type: Persistent Cookies

Administered by: Us

Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.

Functionality Cookies

Type: Persistent Cookies

Administered by: Us

Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter your preferences every time You use the Website.

Tracking and Performance Cookies

Type: Persistent Cookies

Administered by: Third-Parties

Purpose: These Cookies are used to track information about traffic to the Website and how users use the Website. The information gathered via these Cookies may directly or indirectly identify you as an individual visitor. This is because the information collected is typically linked to a pseudonymous identifier associated with the device you use to access the Website. We may also use these Cookies to test new pages, features or new functionality of the Website to see how our users react to them.

For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please see this section or use the cookie settings tool on the Website.

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service.
• To process Donations and Program registrations: to process and acknowledge Your Donations, issue tax receipts, maintain accurate donor and financial records, register Program Participants, and communicate with Parents about schedules, performances, accommodations and safety.
• To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application’s push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted services, including the security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.
• To provide You with news, special offers and general information about Our Programs, events and fundraising campaigns unless You have opted not to receive such information.
• To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests to Us.
• To evaluate applications: to evaluate applications for employment, internship, mentor and volunteer positions and, with Your consent, to conduct background screening.
• To report to funders and partners: in aggregated or de-identified form that does not identify individual Program Participants, except where a Parent has consented to the sharing of identifiable information or sharing is required by a funding agreement.
• To feature stories, photographs and recordings: with consent, of supporters and Program Participants on the Website, on social media and in Our publications and fundraising materials.
• To protect the Service and Our community: to detect and prevent fraud, security incidents and misuse, and to protect the safety of Program Participants.
• For business transfers: We may use Your information to evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Data held by Us about our Service users is among the assets transferred.
• For other purposes: We may use Your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and to evaluate and improve our Service, products, services, marketing and your experience.

We may share Your personal information in the following situations:

• With Service Providers: We may share Your personal information with Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service, for payment processing, to contact You, and to host the Website, process Donations and event registrations, host Our online forms, send Our emails and maintain Our donor and program records.
• For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of Company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of Our business to another company.
• With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.
• With schools and community partners: that host or co-operate Programs, for purposes of Program coordination and student safety, consistent with the consents provided at registration.
• With funders and evaluators: in aggregated or de-identified form, or in identifiable form only as described above.
• For donor recognition: with Your consent, We may list Your name and giving level in Our annual report, on the Website (for example, as a member of The Label) and in event materials. You may request anonymity at any time.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.

The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with a legal obligation
• Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company
• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
• Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public
• Protect against legal liability
• Report concerns about a Minor’s safety to child-protective or law-enforcement authorities where We are required to do so

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Detailed Information on the Processing of Your Personal Data

The Service Providers We use may have access to Your Personal Data. These third-party vendors collect, store, use, process and transfer information about Your activity on Our Service in accordance with their Privacy Policies.

Analytics

We may use third-party Service providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service.

• Google Analytics
• Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.
• You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity.
• For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Email Marketing

We may use Your Personal Data to contact You with newsletters, marketing or promotional materials and other information that may be of interest to You. You may opt-out of receiving any, or all, of these communications from Us by following the unsubscribe link or instructions provided in any email We send or by contacting Us.

We may use Email Marketing Service Providers to manage and send emails to You.

• Mailchimp
• Mailchimp is an email marketing sending service provided by The Rocket Science Group LLC.
• For more information on the privacy practices of Mailchimp, please visit their Privacy policy: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/

Donation Processing

Donations made through the Service, and event tickets and sponsorships, are processed by third-party donation and event platforms and their payment processors.

We will not store or collect Your payment card details. That information is provided directly to Our third-party payment processors whose use of Your personal information is governed by their Privacy Policy. These payment processors adhere to the standards set by PCI-DSS as managed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which is a joint effort of brands like Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. PCI-DSS requirements help ensure the secure handling of payment information.

Your Privacy Rights and Choices

Email communications. You may opt out of newsletters and fundraising emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in any email We send or by contacting Us. We may still send You non-promotional messages, such as Donation receipts, Program communications and responses to Your requests.

Access, correction and deletion. Depending on where You live, You may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of Your Personal Data, to receive a copy of it in a portable format, to opt out of certain uses, and to appeal a decision We make on Your request. Guitars Over Guns is a nonprofit organization, and many state privacy laws do not apply to nonprofits. We nevertheless honor the requests described above to the extent reasonably practicable and consistent with Our legal obligations and the needs of Our Programs.

To exercise any of these rights, contact Us using the information below. We will need to verify Your identity (and, for requests concerning a Program Participant, Your relationship to them) before responding, and We will not discriminate against You for exercising Your rights. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on Your behalf; We may require proof of the agent’s authority.

Donor Privacy

We respect the privacy of Our donors. We will honor requests to remain anonymous, will not publish a donor’s name or giving level without consent, and will not sell, rent or exchange donor information.

“Do Not Track” Policy as Required by California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)

Our Service does not respond to Do Not Track signals, except as required by law.

However, some third party websites do keep track of Your browsing activities. If You are visiting such websites, You can set Your preferences in Your web browser to inform websites that You do not want to be tracked. You can enable or disable DNT by visiting the preferences or settings page of Your web browser.

Children’s Privacy

The Service is a general-audience website and is not directed to Children. We do not knowingly collect Personal Data from a Child through the Service without first obtaining verifiable consent from the Child’s Parent. Information about Program Participants, including Children, is provided to Us by their Parents through the Program registration process, and We use it only to operate Our Programs and communicate with Parents as described in this Privacy Policy and in Our Program documents.

Minors between 13 and 17. We limit Our use of Personal Data about Program Participants between 13 and 17 to the operation of Our Programs and communications with the Program Participant and their Parent. Minors should not make Donations or submit applications through the Service.

If You believe that a Child has provided Us with Personal Data without a Parent’s consent, please contact Us and We will delete it.

The Company may collect and store persistent identifiers such as cookies or IP addresses from Children without parental consent for the purpose of supporting the internal operation of the Service.

Parental Access

A Parent who has provided Personal Data about a Program Participant can, at any time:

• Review, correct or delete the Program Participant’s personal information
• Discontinue further collection or use of the Program Participant’s personal information (which may prevent the Program Participant from continuing in a Program)

To make such a request, You can write to Us using the contact information provided in this Privacy Policy.

Photographs, Recordings and Student Work

Program participation involves photographs, audio and video recordings, and the creation of music, artwork and other works. We use a Program Participant’s name, image, voice and work on the Website, on social media and in Our publications, fundraising materials and merchandise only as permitted by the media release signed by the Program Participant’s Parent (or by the Program Participant, if 18 or older). A Parent may withdraw a media release prospectively at any time by contacting Us, although We may be unable to recall materials that have already been published or distributed.

Your California Privacy Rights (California’s Shine the Light law)

Under California Civil Code Section 1798 (California’s Shine the Light law), California residents with an established business relationship with us can request information once a year about sharing their Personal Data with third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes.

If you'd like to request more information under the California Shine the Light law, and if You are a California resident, You can contact Us using the contact information provided below.

California Privacy Rights for Minor Users (California Business and Professions Code Section 22581)

California Business and Professions Code Section 22581 allows California residents under the age of 18 who are registered users of online sites, services or applications to request and obtain removal of content or information they have publicly posted.

To request removal of such data, and if You are a California resident, You can contact Us using the contact information provided below, and include the email address associated with Your account.

Be aware that Your request does not guarantee complete or comprehensive removal of content or information posted online and that the law may not permit or require removal in certain circumstances.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will provide notice of material changes by posting a prominent notice on Our Service and, where appropriate, by email, and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:

• By email: info@guitarsoverguns.org