Privacy
Privacy Notice
The Gentle Barn Foundation
Last Updated: [May 2026]
The Gentle Barn Foundation ("The Gentle Barn," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, volunteers, visitors, and website users. This Privacy Notice describes the personal information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to our supporters, donors, visitors, and other community members. The Gentle Barn Foundation is a nonprofit organization, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), generally does not apply to nonprofit organizations. However, we provide this notice as part of our commitment to transparency and responsible handling of personal information.
If you are a California resident, this notice applies to you. For questions, please contact us using the information at the end of this document.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal information:
Identifiers: Name, email address, postal address, phone number, IP address, account username.
Financial Information: Donation amounts, payment card details (processed securely by third-party processors), billing address.
Commercial Information: Records of donations, event ticket purchases, merchandise orders, or program registrations.
Internet / Network Activity: Browser type, pages visited on our website, referring URLs, cookies and similar tracking technologies.
Geolocation Data: General location derived from IP address or provided directly (e.g., for event check-in).
Sensitive Personal Information: We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information (such as Social Security numbers or health data). If you voluntarily provide information about a minor for animal-assisted therapy programs, we handle it with heightened care.
Communications: Messages or inquiries you send us via email, contact forms, or social media.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use personal information for the following purposes:
Processing donations and issuing tax receipts
Registering volunteers, visitors, and program participants
Communicating about events, campaigns, newsletters, and organizational updates
Administering animal-assisted therapy and youth programs
Improving and operating our website and digital services
Complying with legal obligations and protecting our legal rights
Preventing fraud and ensuring security
3. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:
Service Providers: Payment processors, email platforms, website hosting providers, and event management tools that support our operations under confidentiality agreements.
Legal Authorities: Government agencies or law enforcement when required by law or to protect the rights and safety of individuals.
Affiliated Entities: Other Gentle Barn locations (Tennessee) operating under the same mission, where necessary for program coordination.
4. Your California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the CCPA/CPRA:
Right to Know: You may request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, the purposes, and any third parties with whom we have shared it.
Right to Delete: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., information needed to complete a transaction or comply with a legal obligation).
Right to Correct: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. If this changes, we will update this notice and provide an opt-out mechanism.
Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: To the extent we process sensitive personal information, you may request we limit its use to what is necessary for providing services.
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights. Exercising your rights will not affect your ability to donate, volunteer, or participate in our programs.
5. How to Submit a Privacy Request
To exercise any of the rights described above, you may contact us by:
Email: privacy@gentlebarn.org
Mail: The Gentle Barn Foundation, 15825 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
We will verify your identity before processing your request and will respond within 45 days. We may extend this period by an additional 45 days when reasonably necessary and will notify you of any extension. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf; the agent must provide written authorization signed by you.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this notice, comply with legal obligations (including IRS record-keeping requirements for nonprofits), resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Donation records may be retained for up to seven (7) years.
7. Communications Opt-In and Opt-Out
When you become a supporter or donor of The Gentle Barn, whether by donating, registering for an event, or signing up for our newsletter, you are opting into our communication channels. We may contact you by email, phone, mail, or text message with updates, event information, and news about our animals and mission.
You may opt out of any or all communication channels at any time:
Email: Use the unsubscribe link included in every email
Text / SMS: Reply STOP to any text message to be removed from that list.
Phone or Mail
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyze traffic, and understand how visitors use our site. Cookies may collect browser type, operating system, and aggregate usage data. If you have previously provided personal information to us, cookies may be associated with that information. Aggregate cookie and tracking data may be shared with third-party analytics providers. You may control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some features of our site may not function as intended without them.
9. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. While we carefully select the sites we link to, we are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. Because we cannot control third-party sites and web content may change after being reviewed by us, we encourage you to read the individual privacy policies posted on any third-party sites before providing personal information.
10. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.
11. Changes to This Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice periodically. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this document and post the updated notice on our website at www.gentlebarn.org. We encourage you to review this notice annually or whenever you provide personal information to us.
12. Contact Us
For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights, please contact:
The Gentle Barn Foundation
Attn: Privacy Officer
15825 Sierra Highway
Santa Clarita, CA 91390
Email: privacy@gentlebarn.org
Phone: +1 661-252-2440
The Gentle Barn Foundation • 501(c)(3) Tax ID: 95-4776451 • www.gentlebarn.org