Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 15, 2026

SmartChatham ("SmartChatham," "we," "us," or "our"), a Not For Profit formed in North Carolina, United States, respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at SmartChatham.org and any associated subdomains (the "Website"), make a donation, sign up for our email alerts or newsletters, or interact with our official social media pages, channels, or profiles (collectively, the "Website and Social Channels").

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully alongside our Terms of Service. By accessing or using our Website and Social Channels, or by submitting your information to us, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways: (A) information you voluntarily provide to us, and (B) information automatically collected when you navigate our Website.

A. Information You Voluntarily Provide to Us

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you sign up for our email list, make a financial contribution, submit a contact form, sign a community letter or petition, or otherwise communicate with us. Depending on how you interact with us, this information may include:

  • Contact & Subscription Information: Your name, email address, zip code or township/neighborhood in Chatham County, and communication preferences.

  • Donation & Billing Information: When you make a donation through our Website, your payment is processed via Squarespace and its integrated third-party payment processors (such as Squarespace Payments, Stripe, or PayPal). While we receive a record of your donation amount, date, name, email address, and billing address (for tax-receipt and compliance purposes), SmartChatham does not collect, view, or store your full credit card number, debit card number, or bank account credentials.

  • Advocacy, Survey, and Contact Submissions: Any messages, feedback, public record tips, survey responses, or petition signatures you submit through our Website forms or via email to team@smartchatham.org.

B. Information Collected Automatically (Website Analytics & Cookies)

Our Website is hosted on Squarespace. When you visit our Website, Squarespace and our analytics tools automatically collect certain technical data about your device and browsing actions to help us run our Website securely and understand how visitors engage with our briefings. This information may include:

  • Your Internet Protocol (IP) address and approximate geographic location (e.g., city/state);

  • Your browser type, operating system, and device type;

  • The pages you view on our Website, the date and time of your visit, the time spent on those pages, and the referring website or social media link that brought you to our Website.

2. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We and our website host, Squarespace, use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as pixels and web beacons) to operate our Website and analyze traffic:

  • Functional and Required Cookies: Squarespace uses certain necessary cookies to allow visitors to navigate and use key features on our Website (such as security, page loading, and donation checkout functionality).

  • Analytics and Performance Cookies: We use Squarespace Analytics (and may use standard tools like Google Analytics) to collect aggregated, de-identified data about Website traffic and page views so we can improve our community briefings and resources.

Your Cookie Choices: Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You can usually choose to set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies, or adjust your preferences via our Website’s cookie banner (if enabled). Please note that removing or rejecting certain functional cookies could affect the availability and functionality of parts of our Website.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for mission-related nonprofit, educational, and civic advocacy purposes, including to:

  1. Operate and Maintain Our Website: Present our content, public briefings, and resources effectively to you and ensure the security of our Website.

  2. Send Civic Alerts and Newsletters: Send you email updates, hearing alerts, public briefings, newsletters, and calls to action regarding land use, environmental protection, and governance in Chatham County (you may unsubscribe at any time).

  3. Process Donations and Issue Receipts: Process your financial contributions through Squarespace and our payment processors, send donation acknowledgments/receipts, and maintain accurate internal financial records.

  4. Facilitate Community Advocacy: Compile community feedback, surveys, or open letters/petitions when you explicitly choose to sign on to a public petition or community letter directed to public officials.

  5. Respond to Inquiries: Reply to your questions, comments, or requests sent to team@smartchatham.org.

  6. Comply with Legal Obligations: Enforce our Terms of Service, protect the legal rights and safety of SmartChatham and our supporters, and comply with applicable state and federal nonprofit, tax, or election/advocacy laws.

4. Donor & Supporter Privacy Commitment (How We Share Information)

SmartChatham does not sell, rent, lease, or trade our donors', subscribers', or supporters' personal information (including email lists) to any third party for commercial or marketing purposes.

We only share your personal information in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service Providers (Website Hosting, Email, & Payment Processing): We share information with trusted third-party service providers who perform operational services on our behalf, such as Squarespace (website hosting, email campaigns, and analytics) and Squarespace Payments / Stripe / PayPal (payment processing). These providers are authorized to use your personal information only as necessary to provide these services to us and are governed by their own strict security and privacy policies.

  • Public Petitions or Letters (Only With Your Explicit Action): If you voluntarily sign a public petition, open letter, or sign-on statement on our Website that explicitly states it will be delivered to the Chatham County Planning Board, Board of Commissioners, or other public bodies, your name and any locality/comment you include on that petition may be shared with those public officials and become part of the public record under North Carolina law. Signing up for our general email list or making a donation is never treated as a public petition.

  • Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with a legal obligation, subpoena, court order, or mandatory regulatory reporting requirement; (b) protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of SmartChatham, our volunteers, or the public; or (c) protect against legal liability or fraudulent/malicious activity.

5. Social Media Channels and Third-Party Links

A. Interaction on Social Channels

SmartChatham maintains official pages and profiles on third-party social media platforms (such as Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, and Nextdoor). Please remember that any information, comments, likes, or media you post or share on our public Social Channels is public information and is governed by the privacy policy and settings of that respective social media platform. SmartChatham does not control how third-party social media platforms collect, track, or use your data.

B. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our Website and Social Channels frequently contain links to external websites (such as Chatham County government portals, state environmental agencies, news outlets, and partner organizations). This Privacy Policy applies only to SmartChatham. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of any third-party websites, and we encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

6. Data Security and Retention

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational security measures (including SSL/HTTPS encryption provided through Squarespace and PCI-compliant third-party payment processors) designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy (such as keeping you on our email alert list until you unsubscribe) or as required by applicable federal and state tax, accounting, and nonprofit recordkeeping laws.

7. Your Choices and Opt-Out Rights

You have control over your personal information and how we communicate with you:

  • Opting Out of Emails: You may opt out of receiving newsletters, action alerts, or promotional emails from us at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email we send, or by emailing us at team@smartchatham.org with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

  • Accessing, Updating, or Deleting Your Information: You may request to review, update, correct, or delete the personal contact information we hold about you by emailing us at team@smartchatham.org. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe, subject to any legal or financial recordkeeping obligations we are required to maintain.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Website and Social Channels are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will promptly delete that information from our records. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us at team@smartchatham.org.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our Website and Social Channels after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us via email at:

SmartChatham

Email: team@smartchatham.org