Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Catholic Charities of Staten Island

Effective Date: July 7, 2026 Last Updated: July 7, 2026

1. Introduction

Catholic Charities of Staten Island (“Catholic Charities,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of the individuals who interact with us — including donors, volunteers, program participants and their families, employees, and visitors to our website located at https://www.cc-si.org (the “Site”).

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and share it, how we protect it, and the choices available to you. By using our Site or providing information to us, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Site or provide us with personal information.

This policy applies to information collected through our Site, donation and volunteer forms, email communications, events, and in-person program services, except where a separate, program-specific consent or authorization form applies (for example, client intake forms for social services, which may be governed by additional confidentiality protections described in Section 9).

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

  • Donors: Name, mailing address, email address, phone number, payment/billing information (processed by a third-party payment processor — see Section 5), donation amount and history, employer (for matching gifts), and any comments you submit.
  • Volunteers: Name, contact information, date of birth (where required for background checks or program eligibility), emergency contact information, availability, skills/interests, and background check results where legally required for the role.
  • Newsletter and Email Sign-Ups: Name and email address, and any preferences you select.
  • Program Participants / Clients: Information necessary to determine eligibility for and provide social services, which may include name, address, household composition, income information, government identification numbers (e.g., last four digits of a Social Security number), immigration status where relevant to a program, health or medical information relevant to services, and information about minor children in a household. This information is collected only as needed to provide services and is subject to the additional protections in Section 9.
  • Event Registrants: Name, contact information, and payment information for ticketed events.
  • Job Applicants: Resume, application, and related employment information.
  • Correspondence: Any information you provide when you contact us by phone, email, mail, or through the Site.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, we (and our service providers) may automatically collect:

  • IP address, browser type, device type, and operating system
  • Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring/exit pages, and click patterns
  • Approximate geographic location (derived from IP address)
  • Cookie and similar tracking technology data (see Section 6)

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

  • Payment processors and donation platforms (e.g., confirmation that a transaction was completed)
  • Background check providers (for volunteers and staff, with your consent)
  • Publicly available sources (e.g., for prospect research related to major gift fundraising)
  • Other charitable, referral, or government agencies when necessary to coordinate services for a client, with appropriate consent or authorization

2.4 Children’s Information

Some of our programs serve minors (for example, youth programs and family services). Where we collect information about a child, it is generally provided to us by a parent, legal guardian, or authorized caseworker in the course of enrolling the child in services, not collected directly from the child online. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through our Site in a manner inconsistent with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If we learn that a child under 13 has submitted personal information to us directly through the Site without appropriate parental/guardian involvement, we will take steps to delete that information. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided information to us directly through the Site may contact us using the information in Section 12.

3. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Process and acknowledge donations, including issuing tax-deductible gift receipts
  • Register, screen, and coordinate volunteers
  • Determine eligibility for, provide, and coordinate social service programs
  • Communicate with you, including sending newsletters, appeals, event invitations, and program updates
  • Maintain donor and constituent records and conduct fundraising, stewardship, and prospect research
  • Improve our Site, programs, and services
  • Comply with legal, regulatory, grant, and audit requirements
  • Protect the safety, rights, and property of Catholic Charities, our clients, staff, volunteers, and the public
  • Process job applications
  • Respond to your inquiries and requests

We do not use information collected through client intake or social service programs for fundraising or marketing purposes without separate consent.

4. Our Commitment to Donor Privacy

Catholic Charities of Staten Island values the trust our donors place in us and follows these donor privacy principles:

  • We do not sell, rent, or trade donor information (including names, addresses, email addresses, or giving history) to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
  • We may share donor information with service providers who help us process gifts, manage our donor database, or fulfill mailings, solely to perform those services on our behalf (see Section 5).
  • Donors may request to remain anonymous in publications, and we will honor such requests to the extent reasonably possible.
  • Donors may opt out of mail, email, or phone solicitations at any time (see Section 8).
  • Consistent with the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Donor Bill of Rights, donors have the right to know how their gifts are used and to be informed of the identity of individuals responsible for managing the organization.

5. How We Share Information

We may share information with:

  • Service providers/vendors who perform functions on our behalf, such as payment processing, email/newsletter delivery, donor database management, website hosting, background check screening, and printing/mailing services. These vendors are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only to provide services to us.
  • Affiliated Catholic Charities agencies and Catholic Charities USA, and the Archdiocese of New York or Diocese of Rockville Centre (as applicable to our service area), where necessary for program coordination, reporting, or oversight.
  • Government agencies and funders (federal, state, and local) as required to administer grant-funded programs, comply with reporting obligations, or as required by law.
  • Other social service or referral agencies, with client consent or authorization, to coordinate care and services.
  • Professional advisors such as auditors, accountants, and attorneys, as needed.
  • Law enforcement or other parties when required by law, subpoena, or court order, or when necessary to protect the safety of an individual or the public, or to investigate fraud or misuse of our Site or services.
  • A successor organization, in the event of a merger, reorganization, or transfer of assets, subject to applicable law.

We do not share information for third parties’ independent marketing purposes, and we do not sell personal information as that term is generally understood under U.S. privacy law.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our Site may use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar technologies to:

  • Recognize your browser and remember preferences
  • Understand how visitors use our Site (analytics)
  • Measure the effectiveness of email campaigns and online fundraising appeals
  • Support online donation processing

We may use third-party analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) and payment/donation platforms that place their own cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings, including blocking or deleting cookies; however, doing so may affect the functionality of the Site, including your ability to complete an online donation. Our Site does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals.

7. Data Security

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include restricting access to personal information to staff and volunteers who need it to perform their duties, using secure payment processors for online donations, and maintaining physical security for paper records related to client services.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Choices

  • Email communications: You may unsubscribe from our email newsletters and appeals at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email or by contacting us directly.
  • Mail/phone solicitations: You may ask to be removed from mail or phone solicitation lists by contacting us using the information in Section 12.
  • Cookies: You may adjust your browser settings to limit cookies, as described in Section 6.
  • Access and correction: You may contact us to request access to, correction of, or deletion of the personal information we hold about you, subject to our recordkeeping obligations (for example, financial and tax records related to donations, or records required to be retained by grant or program requirements).

We will make reasonable efforts to honor these requests, though certain information may need to be retained for legal, accounting, audit, or program compliance purposes.

9. Confidentiality of Client and Program Records

Information collected in connection with social service programs (such as case management, counseling, housing assistance, or family services) is treated with heightened confidentiality. Such records may be subject to additional protections under federal and New York State law, including but not limited to laws governing the confidentiality of substance use, mental health, HIV/AIDS-related, and child welfare records, where applicable to a specific program.

We disclose client-level program information only:

  • With the client’s (or, for a minor, the parent/guardian’s) written consent, where required;
  • To coordinate services with other providers or government agencies involved in the client’s care;
  • As required by mandatory reporting laws (for example, suspected child abuse or neglect) or other legal obligations;
  • As required by court order or subpoena; or
  • To protect the health or safety of the client or others in an emergency.

Program participants may ask a Catholic Charities staff member for more information about how their specific program handles confidentiality.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including satisfying legal, tax, accounting, audit, and grant-reporting requirements. Retention periods vary by the type of information and applicable program or legal requirements. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to securely delete or de-identify it.

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, including payment processors, social media platforms, and partner organizations. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:

Catholic Charities of Staten Island 6581 Hylan Blvd Staten Island, NY 10309 Phone: (718) 984-1500 Email: info@cc-si.org

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Material changes will be posted on this page, and where appropriate, we may provide additional notice (such as an email notification to subscribers).

This Privacy Policy is intended for the website and general operations of Catholic Charities of Staten Island. It is not a substitute for program-specific consent forms, HIPAA authorizations, or client confidentiality agreements that may apply to particular services.

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