Privacy Policy

The Kirkland Pulse is a designated 501(c)(3) and Washington nonprofit corporation. It publishes a digital newspaper serving Kirkland, Washington. This policy explains what personal information The Kirkland Pulse collects through kirklandpulse.org, how it is used, with whom it is shared, and the choices available to you.

By visiting our Site(s), you are accepting the practices described in our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Site(s). We reserve the right to modify or amend the terms of our Privacy Policy from time to time without notice. Your continued use of our Site(s) following the posting of changes to these terms will mean you accept those changes. If we intend to apply the modifications or amendments to this Privacy Policy retroactively or to personal information already in our possession, we will provide you with notice of the modifications or amendments.

The Kirkland Pulse collects only what it needs to run the newsroom, never sells personal information, and never trades it for coverage or support.

Information you provide

• Emails and messages. When you email The Kirkland Pulse, your name, email address and message are kept and used to possibly converse with you.
• Donations. When you give, The Kirkland Pulse receives your name, email address, mailing address, and the amount and date of your gift. During the period before publishing begins, we ask and retain your choice about how you would like to be listed on the Founders Wall. Bank details are entered by you directly with the payment processor (see below) and are never stored by The Kirkland Pulse.

Information collected automatically

• Server logs. Like most websites, the site’s hosting provider records basic technical information when a page is requested: IP address, browser and device type, the page requested, the referring page, and the time. This is used to keep the site running and secure.
• Cookies. The site does not use advertising or tracking cookies. Payment pages may use cookies set by the payment processor for security and fraud prevention, as described below.
• Third-party content. The donation page includes a form provided by DAF Direct, which loads from DAF Direct’s own website when the page is opened. DAF Direct’s privacy practices apply to that form.
• Analytics. The site does not currently use web analytics.

How information is used

• To process donations, send receipts and tax acknowledgments, engage in conversations with you, process requests for information, and keep the records required by law
• To list founding donors on the Founders Wall, only with permission. You can choose to be listed anonymously or not at all
• To provide you with content, products, and services you request
• To send you newsletters or promote our products, services, and special events
• To communicate with you about your account or transactions with us and send you information about features and enhancements to our Site(s)
• To communicate with you about changes to our policies
• To communicate with you about your questions, comments, and tips, and to run the newsroom.
• To keep the website secure and working properly.

Donors have no influence over news coverage. Donor information is kept separate from editorial decisions, as described in the Standards page.

With whom information is shared

The Kirkland Pulse does not sell, rent, or trade personal information. It is shared only with the service providers that help run the organization, and only as needed for them to provide that service. Service providers currently used include:

• Website hosting: Vercel, which hosts kirklandpulse.org.
• Payments: We use Stripe for payments, analytics related to payments, and other business services such as retaining donation records. Stripe may collect personal data including via cookies and similar technologies. The personal data Stripe collects may include transactional data and identifying information about devices that connect to its services. Stripe uses this information to operate and improve the services it provides to us, including for fraud detection, loss prevention, authentication, and analytics related to the performance of its services. You can learn more about Stripe and read its privacy policy at https://stripe.com/privacy.
• Donor-advised fund gifts: DAF Direct. If you give through a donor-advised fund, your gift is handled by your fund’s sponsoring organization under its own privacy policy.
• Emails sent and received in the course of business: IONOS, Inc and IONOS CLOUD, Inc.
• Accountants and auditors, as needed to keep the books and file required reports.

Information may also be disclosed if required by law, for example in response to a valid legal order.

How long information is kept

Donation records are kept as long as required for tax and accounting purposes. Newsletter addresses are kept until you unsubscribe. Messages and server logs are kept only as long as they are useful for the purposes above.

Your choices

• Unsubscribe from any email or newsletter in a direct response or using any link at the bottom of the message.
• Ask to see, correct, or delete the personal information The Kirkland Pulse holds about you, or to change or remove your Founders Wall listing, by emailing info@kirklandpulse.org. Some donation records must be kept to meet legal requirements.
• Most browsers let you block or delete cookies. The site works without them, though payment pages may not.

Security

We are concerned about ensuring the security of your Personal Information. The site uses encrypted connections (HTTPS). Personal Information collected by The Kirkland Pulse is stored in secure operating environments that are not available to the public. Payment details are handled by Stripe and never pass through or stay on systems operated by The Kirkland Pulse. Access to donor records is limited to the people who need it. Our security procedures mean that we may occasionally request proof of identity before we disclose your Personal Information to you. Please understand, however, that while we try our best to safeguard your Personal Information once we receive it, no transmission of data over the Internet or any other public network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

Children

The site is not directed at children under 13, and The Kirkland Pulse does not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you are under 13 years of age you should not provide personally identifiable information to The Kirkland Pulse without providing us with consent from your parents. If The Kirkland Pulse discovers that a child under the age of 13 has provided The Kirkland Pulse with personally identifiable information and we do not have parental consent, The Kirkland Pulse will immediately delete that child’s information.

Links to other websites

Stories and pages may link to other websites. Their privacy practices are their own; check their policies. We are not responsible for the actions and privacy policies of third parties and other websites.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Significant changes will also be announced in the newsletter.

Governing Law

This Site is published in the United States. We attempt to protect the Personal Information of all users of our Site and we attempt to comply with local data protection and consumer rights laws to the extent they may apply to The Kirkland Pulse services, but our Site is located and targeted to United States citizens and our policies are directed at compliance with those laws. If you are uncertain whether this privacy policy conflicts with the applicable privacy laws where you are located, you should not submit your Personal Information to The Kirkland Pulse.

Contact

Questions about this policy: info@kirklandpulse.org, or by mail to The Kirkland Pulse, 236 7th Ave W, Kirkland, WA 98033.