Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 01 January 2025

Last Updated: 13 November 2025

1. Introduction

Ariventures Abroad (“we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Company”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, and disclose your personal information when you visit our website at ariventuresabroad.co (the “Website”), apply for our programs, participate in our services, or interact with us in any way.

This Privacy Policy applies to all services offered by Ariventures Abroad, including but not limited to:

The Ambrose Conrad McAuley (ACM) Graduate Fellowship program
Mentorship programs for undergraduate students
Study abroad workshops for universities and organizations
Donor engagement and fundraising activities

By using our Website or services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

Application Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, date of birth, educational background, academic transcripts, essays, letters of recommendation, financial information, passport information, and emergency contact details
Donor Information: Name, contact information, donation amount, payment information, employer information (for matching gifts), and communication preferences
Workshop Participant Data: Name, email address, institutional affiliation, educational background, program preferences, and feedback responses
Communications: Information you provide when contacting us, including email correspondence, form submissions, and phone call records
Account Information: Username, password, and profile information if you create an account on our Website

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Website, we automatically collect certain information, including:

Device Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and unique device identifiers
Usage Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click-through rates, download activity, search terms, and referring website
Location Information: General geographic location based on IP address
Technical Information: Screen resolution, browser plugins, and other technical specifications

2.3 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our Website. For detailed information about our use of cookies, please see Section 7 below.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 Program Administration

Processing fellowship applications and managing the selection process
Coordinating mentorship program matches and activities
Organizing and delivering workshop services
Communicating with program participants and providing support
Evaluating program effectiveness and outcomes

3.2 Donor Relations and Fundraising

Processing donations and managing donor relationships
Sending donation receipts and tax documentation
Providing updates on organizational impact and activities
Identifying potential donors and partnership opportunities

3.3 Website Operations and Communication

Operating and maintaining our Website
Responding to inquiries and providing customer support
Sending newsletters, updates, and promotional communications
Conducting research and analysis to improve our services

3.4 Legal and Administrative Purposes

Complying with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
Protecting our rights and interests
Preventing fraud and ensuring security
Enforcing our Terms of Service

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For individuals in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: When you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for specific purposes (e.g., marketing communications)
Contract: When processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract
Legal Obligation: When processing is necessary for compliance with legal obligations
Vital Interests: When processing is necessary to protect vital interests of you or another person
Public Task: When processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest
Legitimate Interests: When processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, except where such interests are overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Website, conducting business, or providing services to you. These providers include:

Payment processors and financial institutions
Email marketing and communication platforms
Web hosting and cloud storage providers
Analytics and website optimization services
IT support and security services

5.2 Program Partners

We may share limited information with educational institutions, study abroad programs, and other program partners as necessary to facilitate our services and programs.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or government regulation, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to:

Comply with legal obligations
Protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
Protect the rights, privacy, safety, or property of others
Prevent fraud or other illegal activities

5.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring organization.

6. Your Privacy Rights

6.1 GDPR Rights (EU Residents)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

Right of Access: Request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of your data
Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances
Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation of processing of your personal data
Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another organization
Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal data for certain purposes
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing where consent was the legal basis
Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with a supervisory authority

6.2 California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

Right to Know: Request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect, use, disclose, or sell
Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected from you
Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal information)
Right to Non-Discrimination: Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights

6.3 General Privacy Rights

All users have the right to:

Access and update your personal information
Opt-out of marketing communications
Request information about our data practices
File complaints regarding our handling of your personal data

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 14.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

7.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Our Website uses the following types of cookies:

Cookie Type	Purpose	Duration
Essential Cookies	Enable basic website functionality and security	Session/Persistent
Analytics Cookies	Help us understand how visitors interact with our website	Up to 2 years
Functional Cookies	Remember your preferences and enhance your experience	Up to 1 year
Marketing Cookies	Track visitors across websites to display relevant advertisements	Up to 1 year

7.2 Third-Party Cookies

We may use third-party services that place cookies on your device, including:

Google Analytics for website analytics
Social media platforms for sharing functionality
Email marketing platforms for campaign tracking
Payment processors for secure transactions

7.3 Cookie Management

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality. Most browsers allow you to:

View and delete cookies
Block cookies from specific websites
Block third-party cookies
Clear all cookies when you close the browser

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls and authentication measures
Employee training on data protection practices
Secure payment processing systems
Regular backup and disaster recovery procedures

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you of any significant data breaches as required by law.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including:

Application Data: Retained for 7 years after the completion of the application process
Fellow Information: Retained for 10 years after program completion for alumni relations and impact tracking
Donor Information: Retained for 7 years after the last donation for tax and financial record purposes
Website Analytics: Retained for 26 months or as determined by our analytics providers
Communication Records: Retained for 3 years after the last communication

We may retain information for longer periods where required by law or where we have a legitimate interest in doing so.

10. International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country.

When we transfer personal data from the EEA to other countries, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
Adequacy decisions by the European Commission
Certification schemes such as Privacy Shield (where applicable)
Other appropriate safeguards as recognized under applicable law

11. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us using the information provided in Section 14.

12. Third-Party Links

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by third parties, including through any application or content that may link to or be accessible from our Website.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will:

Post the updated Privacy Policy on our Website
Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy
Notify you of material changes via email or prominent notice on our Website
For EU residents, obtain consent where required by law

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

14. Contact Us

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

Ariventures Abroad Email: ariventuresabroad@ariventures.co

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days of receipt. For urgent privacy matters, please mark your communication as “Privacy – Urgent.”

15. California-Specific Disclosures

This section provides additional information for California residents as required by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

15.1 Categories of Personal Information

In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information:

Identifiers (name, email, address, phone number)
Personal characteristics (age, education level, demographic information)
Commercial information (donation history, transaction records)
Internet or electronic network activity (website usage, browsing history)
Geolocation data (general location based on IP address)
Education information (academic records, transcripts)
Professional information (employment, institutional affiliation)

15.2 Sources of Personal Information

We collect personal information from:

Directly from you (applications, forms, communications)
Automatically through website usage
Third-party sources (references, partner organizations)
Public records and databases

15.3 Business Purposes for Collection

We use personal information for the business purposes described in Section 3 of this Privacy Policy.

15.4 Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose personal information to service providers, program partners, and as required by law, as described in Section 5.

15.5 Sale of Personal Information

We do not sell personal information and have not sold personal information in the past 12 months.

15.6 Exercising Your CCPA Rights

To exercise your CCPA rights, you may:

Contact us using the information in Section 14
Submit a request through our website privacy form
Call our privacy hotline: 9298557967

We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days.

16. EU Representative Information

If you are located in the European Economic Area and we are required to appoint an EU representative, the contact information will be provided here:

EU Representative: Ariventures Abroad

Email: ariventuresabroad@ariventures.co

This Privacy Policy was last updated on 13 November 2025 and is effective as of 01 January 2025.