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Privacy policy

Introduction

Effective date: 10/7/2026

This Privacy Policy is provided by Rockside Inc, doing business as Rockside Ranch ("Rockside," "we," "us," or "our"), a nonprofit organization with locations in Etna, California; New Underwood, South Dakota (Black Hills); and Allegan, Michigan (Great Lakes).

It explains what information we collect through our website at https://rocksideranch.org (the "Site"), how we use and share it, and the choices you have. It applies to the Site and to the forms, donation pages, email sign-ups and online store pages linked from it. It does not cover information collected offline or by other websites we link to.

Summary of key points

  • What we collect: contact details you give us (name, email, phone, mailing address), gift and order details, and basic technical data about how you use the Site.

  • Sensitive information: we do not ask for or collect sensitive personal information through the Site.

  • Payments: card details go straight to Square and Bloomerang; we never see or store your full card number.

  • Selling data: we do not sell, rent or trade your personal information.

  • Your choices: you can unsubscribe at any time and ask us to access, correct or delete your information.

  • Questions: see "How can you contact us?" at the end of this policy.

What information do we collect?

Information you give us. We collect information you choose to provide, such as when you:

  • Make a donation (name, email, phone, mailing address, gift amount, and any dedication or tribute details)

  • Sign up for our email newsletter (name, email address, and the Rockside location you're most interested in)

  • Buy from our farm store or online shop (name, contact details, shipping or pickup information, and order details)

  • Submit a contact, admissions inquiry, volunteer or event form

  • Email, call or message us

We do not ask for or collect sensitive personal information (such as health, religious or financial account information) through the Site. Please keep the information you give us accurate and let us know if it changes.

Information collected automatically. When you visit the Site, our website platform and analytics tools may automatically collect log and device data: your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, language, pages viewed and time spent on them, the referring website, and approximate location (city or region, based on IP address). We use this to keep the Site secure and working and for internal reporting. It is collected through cookies and similar technologies described under "Do we use cookies?" below.

Information from others. We may receive limited information from our payment and email providers (for example, confirmation that a payment went through or that you unsubscribed), from people who make a gift in your honor, or from publicly available sources such as postal address updates.

How do we use your information?

We use the information we collect to:

  • Process donations and send receipts and tax acknowledgments

  • Fulfill farm store and online orders

  • Send newsletters, updates and stories from the location you chose

  • Respond to questions and admissions or program inquiries

  • Coordinate volunteers, visits and events

  • Understand how people use the Site so we can improve it

  • Keep the Site secure and prevent fraud

  • Meet our legal, accounting and reporting obligations

How are donations and payments handled?

Online donations are processed through Bloomerang, our donor management provider, and its payment partners. Farm store and online shop purchases are processed through Square.

Card and bank details, including card numbers and security codes, go directly to these secure, PCI DSS-compliant processors and are handled and stored by them. Rockside does not receive or store your full card number. We keep a record of your gift or purchase (amount, date and contact details) so we can send receipts and thank you.

These services have their own privacy policies: Square Privacy Notice and Bloomerang Privacy Policy.

Will we send you emails?

We use Mailchimp to send our newsletter. When you sign up, we send a confirmation email, and you're added only after you confirm. If you select a Rockside location, we use it to send you news most relevant to that location.

Mailchimp may record whether you open our emails and click links, which helps us understand what our readers find useful. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email or by contacting us. We'll still send transactional messages, such as donation receipts, when needed.

How do we handle admissions inquiries?

If you contact us about joining a Rockside program, for yourself or for someone else, we use what you share only to respond, evaluate fit, and guide you through admissions. Access is limited to staff who need it for that purpose. We do not use admissions information for fundraising or marketing, and we never share it publicly.

Please don't include detailed medical, health or legal history in a general website form. Our admissions team will explain how to share that information securely when it's needed.

Information about current and former students collected during enrollment is handled under our separate program confidentiality policies, not this Privacy Policy.

Do we use cookies?

Yes. Cookies are small files stored on your device. Our Site is hosted on Wix, which uses cookies and similar technologies that the Site needs to work (security, preventing errors, remembering your preferences) and to measure traffic. We also use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the Site. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on; see Google's Privacy & Terms for more. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising.

Some pages include content from other services, such as YouTube videos, our Bloomerang donation form and Square checkout. These services may set their own cookies or collect data when you interact with them, under their own privacy policies.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, though parts of the Site may not work properly without them.

Do Not Track. Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting. Because no common standard for recognizing DNT signals has been adopted, the Site does not currently respond to them. If a standard is adopted that we must follow, we will describe it in an updated version of this policy.

Do we share your information with outside parties?

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information, and we do not exchange donor or mailing lists with other organizations. We have not sold or shared personal information for advertising in the past 12 months, and we will not do so in the future.

We share information only with trusted service providers that help us run the Site and our work, under agreements that require them to protect it: Wix (website hosting), Bloomerang (donations), Square (payments and orders), Mailchimp (email) and YouTube (video). They may use your information only to provide services to us.

We may also disclose information when required by law, to respond to legal process, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Rockside, our students, staff or others.

Third-party links

The Site may link to websites we don't operate, such as social media pages or partner organizations. Those sites have their own privacy policies, and we aren't responsible for their content or practices. We encourage you to review their policies before sharing information with them.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy, or longer when required for tax, accounting or legal records (for example, donation records). When we no longer need it, we delete or anonymize it. If that isn't immediately possible, such as with backup archives, we store it securely and keep it from any further use until it can be deleted.

How do we keep your information safe?

The Site uses encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) connections. Payment details are entered into our processors' secure systems and are never stored on Rockside's servers. Access to donor, customer and inquiry records is limited to staff and volunteers who need it for their work.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we can't guarantee your information will never be accessed without permission. We will notify you if required by law after a breach.

What are your privacy rights?

Wherever you live, you can ask us to:

  • Tell you whether we hold personal information about you, and give you a copy of it

  • Correct or update your information

  • Delete your information, unless we must keep it for legal or tax records

  • Stop sending you mail, email or fundraising requests

Depending on your state, you may also have the right to a list of the categories of third parties we disclose information to, and the right not to be treated differently for using your rights.

Opting out of emails. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email, or by contacting us. We may still send non-marketing messages, such as donation receipts or replies to your requests.

Withdrawing consent. Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time by contacting us. This won't affect anything we did before you withdrew it.

How to make a request. Submit a data subject access request, email us at mackenzie@rocksideranch.org, or use the contact details at the end of this policy. We'll need to verify your identity before acting on a request, and we use the information you provide only for that purpose. You may have someone else (an authorized agent) make a request for you; we'll ask for your signed permission and may need to verify your identity.

Do California residents have specific privacy rights?

We follow the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA). This policy describes the information we collect, who we share it with, how we respond to Do Not Track signals, and how we notify you of changes.

Categories of personal information we have collected in the past 12 months:

Collected: identifiers (name, postal address, phone, email, IP address), customer records (name and contact information), commercial information (donation and purchase history), and internet activity (pages viewed and interactions with the Site).

Not collected: protected classification characteristics, biometric information, precise geolocation, audio or video recordings, professional or employment information, education information, inferences, and sensitive personal information.

"Shine the Light" law. California Civil Code Section 1798.83 lets California residents request, once a year and free of charge, information about any personal information we disclosed to third parties for their direct marketing in the prior calendar year. We do not make such disclosures, but you may still send a written request using the contact details below.

Do we collect information from minors?

The Site is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect information from, or market to, anyone under 18, and we do not sell such information. Parents or guardians may contact us on behalf of a minor. If we learn we have collected information from someone under 18 without a parent's or guardian's involvement, we will delete it promptly. If you believe this has happened, please contact us at mackenzie@rocksideranch.org.

Your consent

By using the Site, you consent to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not use the Site.

Do we make updates to this policy?

Yes. We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. When we do, we'll post the new version on this page and update the date below. If we make significant changes, we'll highlight them on the Site or notify you directly. We encourage you to check this page periodically.

This policy was last updated on 10/7/2026.

How can you contact us?

If you have questions about this policy or want to make a privacy request, email us at mackenzie@rocksideranch.org, call (530) 467-4044, or write to us at:

Rockside Inc (dba Rockside Ranch)

2421 N. Hwy 3

Etna, CA 96027

United States

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