Bear Boating Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 9, 2026

www.bearboating.org

Bear Boating of White Bear Lake (“Bear Boating,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our volunteers, trip guests, donors, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and how we protect it.

By using our website or sharing your information with us, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to carry out our mission and operate our programs. The types of information we may collect include:

Volunteers

Name, email address, phone number(s), and home address
Emergency contact name and phone number
Record of training completion, service dates, times, and hours

Trip Guests

Organization or group name
Contact name, email address, and phone number(s)

Donors

Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
Payment details are processed securely by our third-party payment providers — we do not store credit card or payment account information

Inquiries

Name and contact information provided when you reach out to us

Website Usage Data

IP address, browser type, pages visited, and interactions with our site, collected automatically through standard web technologies

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely to support Bear Boating’s programs and operations, including to:

Schedule and coordinate volunteer services and trips
Track volunteer training, service hours, and program activity
Process donations and issue receipts
Communicate with volunteers, guests, and donors about programs and updates
Respond to inquiries
Improve our website, services, and outreach efforts

We do not use your information for commercial purposes or for any purpose unrelated to Bear Boating’s mission.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. Information may be shared in the following limited circumstances:

We share volunteer names and contact information (not home addresses) among our volunteer team to support scheduling and trip coordination.
We work with trusted third-party providers for payment processing and email communications. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and may only use it to perform services on our behalf.
We may disclose information to legal authorities if required to do so by law or valid legal process.
Home addresses collected from volunteers are not shared with other volunteers or the general public.

4. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, or misuse. Our practices include:

Storing and organizing information using Google Workspace services, which provide industry-standard security protections
Processing all donations and payments through certified, PCI-compliant financial providers

While we take data security seriously, no system can guarantee absolute security. We encourage you to contact us promptly if you have any concerns about your information.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, comply with legal obligations, and support our operational records. Volunteer service records may be retained for historical and reporting purposes. You may request deletion of your personal data at any time (see Section 6).

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Request access to the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of your personal data, subject to any legal obligations we may have
Opt out of marketing or non-essential communications at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the address below.

7. Communications

We may send you email or other communications related to:

Volunteer scheduling and coordination (volunteers)
Trip confirmations and updates (guests)
Donation receipts and program news (donors)

You may opt out of non-essential communications at any time by replying to any email with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line, or by contacting us directly.

8. Photography and Use of Images

Bear Boating documents our trips and volunteer activities through photographs and video. Images may be used to share our mission and activities with the public, including on our website, in newsletters, and on social media platforms such as Facebook.

Volunteers and trip guests are asked to separately acknowledge and consent to the potential use of their photographic or video likeness as part of their registration or participation process.

Opting Out of Photography

We respect the wishes of individuals who prefer not to be photographed. If you do not wish to be photographed, or do not want images of you used by Bear Boating, please inform us at the time of your trip or activity. We will make every reasonable effort to honor that request for photography conducted by Bear Boating or by volunteers acting on our behalf. A request to opt out applies to our own photography only and does not affect the actions of other individuals.

Photography by Others

Bear Boating cannot control photographs or recordings taken by other participants, guests, volunteers, or members of the public attending our events, nor can we control content posted on personal social media accounts by others. Opting out of Bear Boating’s photography does not restrict the independent actions of other individuals who may be present.

If another person posts an image that concerns you, we encourage you to contact that individual directly or use the reporting tools available on the relevant platform. Images shared on platforms such as Facebook are subject to those platforms’ own privacy policies and terms of service, which are beyond our control.

If you have a concern about an image posted by Bear Boating on our own website or social media channels, please contact us and we will address it promptly.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites (such as Facebook or sponsor pages). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies before submitting personal information.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can delete it promptly.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, the revised policy will be posted on our website with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Bear Boating
PO Box 10531
White Bear Lake, MN 55110-0531
www.bearboating.org/contact/