Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 30, 2025
Welcome to the official website of SEDA, a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to fostering appreciation and understanding of the equestrian sports of Dressage and Eventing. Because we respect your privacy and value the trust you place in us, this Privacy Policy explains—in plain language—how we collect, use, protect, and share personal information gathered through our website, as well as the choices and rights you have in connection with that information.
Information We Collect
When you interact with our site, we may collect three broad categories of information:
- Information you voluntarily provide. If you choose to sign up for newsletters, register for events, purchase merchandise, donate, complete surveys, or contact us, we will ask for personal identifiers such as your name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, and (when applicable) payment information. You may also elect to share demographic details, riding interests, or photographs.
- Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we gather certain data automatically through cookies, pixel tags, and similar technologies. This data can include your IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the dates and times of each visit.
- Information from third-party sources. On occasion we receive limited information from social media platforms or payment processors—such as confirmation of a completed donation—when you engage with our content on those services or when you choose to connect your social media account to our site.
Providing personal information is always voluntary; however, declining to share certain details may limit your ability to access specific features or services.
How We Use Your Information
We use personal information only for lawful nonprofit purposes, including:
- Processing event registrations, membership applications, donations, merchandise orders, and other transactions you authorize.
- Sending newsletters, competition updates, training resources, or fundraising appeals you request or that we believe may interest you.
- Responding to questions, comments, or requests for information.
- Personalizing your online experience by remembering preferences and tailoring content.
- Improving our website, programs, and outreach through analytics, research, and user feedback.
- Detecting, preventing, and addressing technical issues, security incidents, or fraudulent activity.
- Complying with legal obligations, enforcing our terms of use, and protecting the rights, safety, or property of our organization, our members, and the public.
Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small data files placed on your device to help websites function properly and recognize your browser. We use first-party and third-party cookies for analytics (e.g., measuring page traffic), functionality (e.g., keeping items in your cart), and preference management (e.g., remembering language settings). Most browsers allow you to delete or block cookies; doing so will not prevent you from using our site, but certain features may not operate as intended.
How and Why We Share Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only in the limited circumstances described below:
- With service providers that perform services on our behalf—such as email distribution, payment processing, event management, database hosting, or website analytics—under written agreements that restrict their use of the data to the services we request.
- With event cosponsors, accredited instructors, or competition organizers when you register for a specific activity that requires us to share participant information.
- With regulators, courts, or law-enforcement authorities when we believe disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect our rights or the safety of individuals, investigate fraud, or respond to government requests.
- With your express consent or at your direction, for example when you post information to our public forums or authorize the sharing of content on social media.
Whenever your information is shared, we require recipients to safeguard it in accordance with reasonable confidentiality and security standards.
Data Security
We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against accidental, unlawful, or unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encryption of payment transactions, password protection, restricted-access databases, periodic security reviews, and staff training. No website or e-mail transmission is entirely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security; however, we continually assess and enhance our protections.
Data Retention
We keep personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes stated in this Policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law, donor-record retention standards, or accounting rules. When information is no longer needed, we dispose of it securely.
Your Choices and Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have certain statutory rights regarding personal information, including the rights to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you, receive it in a portable format, or request that we provide it to another organization.
- Correct inaccuracies or update incomplete information.
- Request deletion of your personal information, subject to lawful exemptions.
- Opt out of marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or contacting us directly.
- Restrict or object to certain processing activities.
- Not be discriminated against for exercising any privacy rights.
If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 10. We will respond within a reasonable period, consistent with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.
Children’s Privacy
Our website and programs are directed to an audience interested in equestrian sports and are not primarily directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can promptly delete it.
Compliance with U.S. Privacy Laws
We operate in accordance with federal laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act, COPPA, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, as well as state laws including (to the extent applicable) the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, the Colorado Privacy Act, and similar statutes. Because we are a nonprofit, many state consumer-privacy laws exempt data collected in the context of our charitable mission; nevertheless, we strive to honor their spirit by providing transparency, choice, and reasonable access.
Our servers are located in the United States, and we process data in the United States. By using our website, you understand and consent to the transfer, storage, and processing of your information in the United States, which may have different privacy protections than those in your home jurisdiction.
Contact Us
For questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact: vicepres@sedariders.org
Changes to This Policy
We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, best practices, or our operational needs. If we make material changes, we will post the updated Policy on this page and revise the “Last updated” date above. We encourage you to review the Policy periodically; continued use of the website after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.
Thank you for visiting our site and for supporting the equestrian community. Your privacy matters to us, and we are committed to safeguarding the personal information you entrust to SEDA.