Last updated: August 2026
Alawi Foundation ("we," "us," or "our") is a U.S. nonprofit organization identified by EIN 42-2318635. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you browse the Platform, donate, submit an application for support, contact support, or use related services.
1. Information we collect
We collect information that you provide directly, information collected automatically when you use our services, and information from third parties that help us operate.
- Donor and contact information: name, email address, contribution amount, transaction details, and support communications.
- Applicant and support-request information: contact details, country of residence, location, story, requested amount, category, social links, pet ownership or care details when applicable, proposed providers and support destinations, and any identity, invoice, reimbursement, or supporting information we request during review.
- Payment information: payment providers collect and process card or bank details. We receive transaction identifiers, status, amount, risk signals, and limited billing information, but not full card numbers.
- Automatically collected: IP address, IP-derived country or approximate location, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, referral source, advertising click identifiers, and campaign tags. We may associate these details with a confirmed contribution and share hashed contact details plus transaction and attribution data with audience-measurement providers to measure advertising conversions. This is collected through cookies and similar technologies described in our Cookie Policy.
- From third parties: our payment processor confirms transactions and may share transaction-security signals; analytics providers share aggregate usage data.
2. How we use information
- Process donations and issue donation receipts.
- Communicate with you about your contributions, support-page updates, and changes to our services.
- Review, publish, moderate, and administer support requests and Alawi's independent support decisions.
- Verify applicants, pet ownership or care when applicable, proposed providers or recipients, and support-request information; detect fraud, misuse, sanctions concerns, and other prohibited activity.
- Apply Alawi's Restricted Jurisdiction policy; screen people, entities, locations, accounts, and transactions against OFAC and other restricted-party information; prevent sanctions evasion; and determine whether access, a support page, contribution, refund, or support activity is permitted.
- Publish support updates, permitted acknowledgements, and other information needed to administer Alawi's relationship with donors and applicants.
- Detect and prevent abuse of the Services.
- Comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.
- Improve the site and develop new features.
- Measure whether advertising or communications result in visits and confirmed contributions.
3. How we share information
We do not sell personal information. We disclose information only as reasonably needed to operate, secure, and comply with the Platform, including to:
- Service providers that process payments, verify identity, prevent fraud, send communications, host infrastructure, and provide analytics, subject to appropriate obligations.
- Support applicants: an applicant may receive permitted messages, acknowledgements, or aggregate support-page information. We do not provide full payment details, a payment-provider account, or control over donor funds. Applicant information shown on a support page is public.
- Proposed providers, vendors, recipients, and authorized representatives when needed to verify a request, evaluate or deliver Alawi support, document an expense, or investigate a concern.
- OFAC, law-enforcement, regulatory, payment, banking, and other competent authorities or partners when required or reasonably necessary to comply with sanctions, report blocked or rejected transactions, respond to lawful process, or protect rights and safety.
- Business or organizational successors in connection with a merger, restructuring, or transfer, subject to applicable law.
4. Data retention
We keep information only as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described above, including support-request review, payment and tax records, fraud prevention, sanctions screening, blocked- or rejected-transaction reporting, dispute resolution, legal compliance, and enforcement. Requests that are declined, restricted, or withdrawn may be retained for a limited period to prevent abuse, identify evasion attempts, and maintain review records.
5. Your rights
Depending on your jurisdiction (including the EEA, UK, and California), you may have rights to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct inaccuracies.
- Request deletion, subject to legal record-keeping requirements.
- Opt out of marketing emails (each email contains an unsubscribe link).
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
To exercise a privacy right, use our Contact page. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.
6. Security
We use encrypted connections, payment tokenization through payment providers, access controls, and administrative safeguards appropriate to the information we process. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. International transfers
We are based in the United States. If you access the platform from outside the U.S., your information will be processed in the U.S. under appropriate safeguards.
8. Public support-page content
Support-page titles, stories, images, applicant display information, requested amounts, progress, and updates are intended to be public. Applicants should not include unnecessary sensitive information, private documents, full identification numbers, account information, or details about another person without permission.
9. Children
The Platform is not directed to children under 13, and public support applicants must be at least 18. The public application program accepts requests only for the applicant or a pet in the applicant's care. Alawi may independently publish a support page concerning a minor only after obtaining information or authorization from an appropriate adult and completing the review it considers necessary.
10. Changes
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced on this page and, where appropriate, by email. The "Last updated" date above will reflect the most recent revision.
11. Contact us
Questions about this policy or our handling of personal information can be submitted through our Contact page.