Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 2nd, 2025

Birch Community Services, Inc. (hereafter "BCS," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you interact with our website, services, and communication channels, including mobile messaging.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect personal information in the following ways:

  • Directly from you: When you complete forms on our site (e.g., sign-ups, applications, donations), we may collect your name, phone number, email address, mailing address, and other relevant contact information.

  • Automatically: We may collect technical data such as IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the time spent on our website through cookies or similar technologies.

  • Mobile Messaging (SMS): If you opt-in to receive SMS messages from BCS, we may collect your mobile number and message preferences.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide the services or information you request;

  • Communicate with you about your participation, services, or events;

  • Improve our website, services, and operations;

  • Send periodic updates (if you’ve opted in); and

  • Comply with legal obligations.

3. SMS and Mobile Data

No phone/mobile number information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

Your mobile number will only be used for the purposes you’ve explicitly opted into (e.g., appointment reminders, participation updates, or donation receipts).

4. Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or share your personal information with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We may share information with trusted vendors who assist in operating our website or conducting our operations, but only to the extent necessary and under confidentiality agreements. Our vendors sign a non-disclosure agreement with BCS expressing that they will only use your information for purposes related to BCS.

We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights, safety, or property.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. All forms on our website are encrypted with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect against the loss, misuse, and unauthorized alteration of personal information transmitted between the user and our website. All information is stored in a secure database. However, the transmission of information via the internet is never completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, the security of your personal or sensitive information transmitted to us cannot be guaranteed, and any transmission of personal or sensitive information is at your own risk.

All donations and payments made online to BCS are handled by PayPal or SafeSave. Information about how PayPal and SafeSave protect and secure user-submitted data is available on their respective websites.

6. Your Choices

You may choose to opt out of communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions provided or by contacting us directly at info@bcsi.org. You may also request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data.

7. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent.

8. Modifications

We may amend this privacy policy from time to time, so please review it periodically. We maintain the option to modify this policy at any time by electronic notice posted on our website. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes your consent to those changes.

The existence of this privacy policy does not prohibit BCS from contacting donors and prospective donors for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes.

9. Contact Us

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

Birch Community Services, Inc.
17780 NE San Rafael
Portland OR, 97230

Email: bcs@bcsi.org
Phone: 503-251-5431