Privacy Policy

Effective date: 2026-06-16. This is policy version 1, generated on 2026-06-16.

This notice explains how Capitol Hill Community Foundation (we refer to ourselves as "Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill History Project", "we", "us", or "our") handles information about you when you visit https://www.capitolhillhistory.org or otherwise interact with us. Please read it so you understand what we gather and the choices you have. By using our site, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect

We collect a few different kinds of information, depending on how you use the site.

Information you give us directly. When you fill out a form, send us a message, request a quote, sign up for an update, or contact us in any other way, you may share details such as your name, your email address, a phone number, your company, and whatever else you choose to write to us. You decide what to send, and some features will not work if you leave out information we genuinely need to respond.

Information we collect automatically. Like most websites, ours records some technical details on its own as you browse. This can include your device type, your browser, your operating system, the pages you open, the links you click, the date and time of your visit, and an approximate location drawn from your IP address. We gather this through cookies and similar technologies, which our Cookie Policy describes in full.

Analytics data. We use analytics tools to understand how visitors move through the site and where we can make it better. These tools tell us things like which pages are popular and how long people stay, reported in aggregate so we can spot trends rather than track any single person. We only run analytics after you allow that category in our cookie banner.

We may also receive limited information from third parties whose services appear on our site, such as embedded content or a connected platform. When that happens, the third party handles your data under its own terms, and we encourage you to read those terms too.

2. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • respond to your questions, requests, and messages;
  • provide the site and keep its features working as intended;
  • send you updates or materials you asked to receive;
  • understand how the site is used so we can improve it;
  • keep the site secure and guard against fraud or abuse;
  • meet our legal and regulatory obligations; and
  • support the day-to-day running of our business.

We do not use your information for purposes you would find surprising, and we will not repurpose it in a materially new way without telling you first.

3. Legal Bases for Using Your Information

Where the law requires us to have a legal basis before we process your information, we rely on one of the following, depending on the situation:

  • Your consent. Some activities, such as setting non-essential cookies or sending you optional updates, happen only because you agreed to them. You can take that agreement back at any time.
  • Our legitimate interests. We process some data to run, protect, and improve our business, as long as your rights do not outweigh those interests.
  • A contract with you. When you ask us for something, we use your information to deliver it.
  • A legal obligation. Sometimes we must keep or share information to comply with the law.

4. When We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information for money. We share it only in the limited circumstances below.

  • Service providers. We work with vendors who help us operate, such as hosting providers, email tools, and analytics platforms. They may handle your information on our behalf, and only to do the job we hired them for.
  • Legal and safety reasons. We may disclose information when the law requires it, when we receive a valid legal request, or when we need to protect our rights, our property, or the safety of others.
  • Business changes. If our business is involved in a merger, an acquisition, financing, or a sale of assets, your information may transfer as part of that deal. We will note any change of ownership that affects how your data is handled.
  • With your direction. We share information with anyone else when you ask us to or otherwise agree.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our site uses cookies and similar technologies to remember your choices, keep the site working, and, with your permission, measure how it is used. When you arrive, a banner asks how you want non-essential cookies handled, and nothing optional loads until you decide. You can revisit those choices whenever you like through the "Cookie Preferences" link in our site footer.

We also honor Global Privacy Control. Where you are covered by a state framework that recognizes universal opt-out signals, a GPC signal from your browser or an extension is treated as an opt-out of the sale or sharing of your information, applied automatically according to that state's rules. Our Cookie Policy lists each cookie and tracker we use and explains it in detail.

6. How Long We Keep Information

We hold on to your information only for as long as we have a reason to. That reason might be answering your request, running our business, meeting a legal or tax obligation, or resolving a dispute. When none of those reasons applies anymore, we delete the information or strip out anything that identifies you. How long we keep a given record depends on what it is and why we collected it.

We also keep a record of your consent choices, including the date you made them, the choices themselves, and the policy version in effect at the time, so we have evidence of our compliance.

7. How We Protect Information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access. That said, no website or method of transmitting data over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot promise absolute protection. You also play a part: please be careful about what you send us and keep any credentials you use private.

8. Children and Minors

Our site is meant for adults and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are under 18, please do not send us your information. If you believe a minor has given us information, contact us at info@CapitolHillHistory.org and we will delete it promptly.

9. Your Choices and Rights

You have real control over your information:

  • Cookie choices. Change how we use non-essential cookies at any time through the "Cookie Preferences" footer link.
  • Withdraw consent. Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it without affecting anything we did before you did so.
  • Opt out of marketing. If we send you updates, every message includes a way to unsubscribe, and you can also email us to stop.
  • Reach us directly. To ask a question or make a request about your information, email info@CapitolHillHistory.org.

10. Do-Not-Track and Global Privacy Control

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" setting. Because the technology industry has never agreed on a single way to read that signal, we do not respond to Do-Not-Track headers at this time. We do, however, recognize Global Privacy Control. Where you are covered by a state privacy framework that recognizes universal opt-out signals, we treat a GPC signal from your browser as an opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, applied automatically according to that state's rules.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example when our practices change or the law does. When we do, we will post the new version here and update the effective date at the top. If a change is significant, we will give you clearer notice and, where the change affects how we use cookies, ask you to make your choices again through the banner. Checking this page now and then is the best way to stay informed.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy or about how we handle your information, please reach out:

14. Access, Update, or Delete Your Data

You can ask us to show you the personal information we hold about you, fix anything that is wrong, or delete it. Send your request to info@CapitolHillHistory.org and tell us what you would like us to do. We may first confirm your identity so that we share or change data only for the right person, and we will respond within the time the law allows.