Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for Carolina Women in Tech®

Last Updated: July 6, 2025

Carolina Women in Tech® (“CWIT,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering, engaging, and educating women+ in technology, fostering a supportive community where individuals passionate about technology can collaborate and thrive. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem where everyone has the opportunity to succeed¹.

Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you interact with us through our website (carolinawomenintech.org), attend our events, join our community, or otherwise engage with our programs and services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to help us fulfill our mission and provide you with valuable experiences. This may include:

• Personal Identifiable Information (PII):

  • Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address.

  • Demographic Information: Gender identity, professional title, company/organization, industry, educational background (voluntarily provided to help us understand and serve our diverse community).

  • Event Registration Information: Information necessary for event attendance, such as dietary restrictions, accessibility needs, and emergency contact details.

  • Membership Information: If you become a member, we may collect information related to your membership status and preferences.

  • Donation Information: If you make a donation, we collect payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors – we do not store full credit card details on our servers) and donor contact details.

  • Communication Preferences: Your preferences for receiving communications from us (e.g., newsletters, event announcements).

• Non-Personal Information:

  • Website Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website, such as IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the time and date of visits. We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies for this purpose (see “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” below).

  • Aggregated Data: Data that has been combined and anonymized so that it cannot be used to identify any individual.

2. How We Collect Information

We collect information through various channels, including:

• Directly from You: When you register for an event, sign up for our newsletter, become a member, make a donation, fill out a contact form, participate in surveys, or communicate with us directly.

• Through Our Website: Using cookies and other tracking technologies to gather website usage data.

• From Third-Party Service Providers: We may receive information from third-party platforms we use for event registration, payment processing, or communication management, but only to the extent necessary to provide our services and with your consent where required.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Improve Our Services:

  • Process event registrations and manage your participation.

  • Send you event updates, reminders, and relevant information.

  • Administer your membership and provide member benefits.

  • Process donations and issue receipts.

  • Respond to your inquiries and provide support.

  • Personalize your experience with CWIT.

  • Analyze website usage to improve our website content and functionality.

• For Communication and Engagement:

  • Send newsletters, announcements, and promotional materials related to CWIT’s mission and activities, in accordance with your communication preferences.

  • Inform you about upcoming events, workshops, and networking opportunities.

  • Facilitate connections within our community.

• For Internal Operations and Analytics:

  • Understand our community demographics and interests to better tailor our programs.

  • Conduct internal research and analysis to improve our outreach and impact.

  • Maintain accurate records and manage our databases.

  • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms and policies.

4. How We Share Your Information

We are committed to protecting your privacy and will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• With Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, managing events, processing payments, sending communications, or performing other functions necessary to our operations (e.g., event platforms, email marketing services). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which we provide it.

• With Event Sponsors/Partners (with consent): For certain events, we may offer to share a limited amount of attendee information (e.g., name, organization) with event sponsors or partners. This will only be done with your explicit consent obtained during the registration process.

• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal process (e.g., a subpoena or court order).

• Protection of Rights: We may disclose your information to protect the rights, property, or safety of CWIT, our members, or the public.

• Aggregated or Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated or anonymized data that cannot be used to identify you personally with third parties for research, analysis, or promotional purposes.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use “cookies” and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and collect non-personal information about your usage.

• Cookies: Small text files stored on your device by your web browser. They help us remember your preferences, analyze website traffic, and understand how users interact with our site.

• Analytics: We may use analytics services (e.g., Google Analytics) to collect and analyze website usage data. These services may use cookies and other technologies to track your activity on our website.

• You can typically adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. However, please note that some features of our website may not function properly without cookies.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Using secure servers and encryption (SSL/TLS) for data transmission.

• Restricting access to personal information to authorized personnel only.

• Regularly reviewing our security practices.

• Working with reputable third-party service providers who also prioritize data security.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Your Choices and Rights

You have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Access and Correction: You can request access to the personal information we hold about you and request corrections to any inaccuracies.

• Opt-Out of Communications: You can opt-out of receiving promotional emails from us by following the unsubscribe instructions included in the emails or by contacting us directly. Please note that even if you opt-out of promotional emails, we may still send you non-promotional communications related to your membership, event registrations, or important organizational updates.

• Data Deletion: You may request the deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal and operational obligations (e.g., record-keeping for tax purposes).

• Photography and Videography at Events: As stated in our Terms of Service, by attending an event, you acknowledge that you may be photographed or videotaped. If you do not wish to be included in our promotional materials, please notify us in writing before the event or inform a staff member at the event. While we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your request, we cannot guarantee that you will not be incidentally included.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below.

8. External Links

Our website may contain links to external websites that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information as soon as possible.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website with a new “Last Updated” date. Your continued engagement with CWIT after any such modifications constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: