Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is designed to explain our online information practices in connection with the American Jewish World Service’s (“AJWS”, “we”, “our” or “us”) website (the “Site”). AJWS is committed to protecting the privacy of its online visitors and does not collect information about you, other than as described below. By using this Site, you are agreeing to this Privacy Policy. For AJWS’s Donor Privacy Policy, please click here. For AJWS’s Mobile Terms and Conditions, please click here. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Site.

We may need to change the Policy from time to time to address new issues and to reflect changes on the Site, at AJWS or in the law. We reserve the right to revise or make any changes to the Policy. Your continual use of the Site subsequent to any changes to this Policy will mean that you accept such changes. Therefore, please bookmark this page and review it periodically to assure familiarity with the most current version of the Policy. We will post all changes to the Policy here so that you will always know what information we gather, how we might use that information, and when and how we will disclose that information. You can tell that the Policy has been updated by checking the last revised date posted on the bottom of this page. If due to such changes, you decide that you want to delete any portion of your personal information from our database, please notify AJWS at ajws@ajws.org.

1. Types of Information We Collect and How It Is Used

This Policy applies to personal information processed by us in our business, including when you visit the Site, and other online or offline offerings related to outreach (collectively, the “Services.”) Please note this Policy does not apply to any other websites that may be linked to the Site. We do not control the privacy policies or practices of other websites. We encourage you to ask questions and read the privacy policies of other websites that may be linked to the Site before you disclose any personal information to them.

For the purposes of EU and UK data protection laws, we are the controller of your personal information (i.e. the company that is responsible for, and, which controls the processing of your personal information when visiting the Site).

Below we outline the ways we collect, use, share, and secure the personal information we may obtain.

1.1 Information You Provide Us.

AJWS does not require you to register or provide information to us in order to view our Site. AJWS only gathers personally identifying information (“PII”), such as names, addresses, zip/postal codes, email addresses, etc., when voluntarily submitted by a visitor. For example, PII may be collected as part of your expression of interest in (i) applying for a position at AJWS, (ii) participating in AJWS group travel programs, (iii) donating online or (iv) signing up for an AJWS mailing list.

Most areas of our Site are accessible without registration of any kind. However, some of our services require some identification as a part of participation. These include, but are not limited to, our online activism center. In each case, the PII required and the uses to which it is put are made clear.

The PII you provide is available to AJWS and third-party application service providers involved in the operation of this Site. Although we contractually require our third-party application service providers to protect your PII, please note that we do not own or control such providers and cannot guarantee their compliance.

1.2. Other Information Collected.

In addition to the information described as personally identifiable information (PII), our Site also collects additional information through various means, including advertising networks, third-party analytics services, and the use of cookies. This information helps us enhance your browsing experience and improve our website’s functionality. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered PII. Below, we provide several examples of the additional information that may be collected:

  1. Advertising Networks: Our site may utilize advertising networks that collect information on our pages. These third-party advertising partners may collect information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, and browsing behavior on our website. This information is used to display relevant ads tailored to your interests and to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
  2. Third-Party Analytics Services: We use third-party analytics services to gather information about our Site visitors. These services may collect data such as your IP address, browser type, referring website, pages visited, and the duration of your visit. This information helps us understand user behavior, track website performance, and make data-driven decisions to improve our services.
  3. Cookies: Our Site uses cookies to collect and store information. These cookies may include session cookies (which are deleted once you close your browser) or persistent cookies (which remain on your device even after closing your browser). The data collected by cookies may include your unique device identifier, IP address, browser information, and browsing patterns on our website. Cookies enable us to personalize your experience, remember your preferences, and provide relevant content and advertisements.
  4. Email and Mobile Marketing: As part of our ongoing effort to understand how our supporters and potential supporters respond to our email and mobile (text, SMS and MMS) messages, we may also utilize – directly or through a third-party service provider – technical methods in messages that we send to determine whether you have opened or clicked on links in the messages.

2. Interest-Based Advertising and Do-Not-Track Settings

We may participate in behavioral-based or interest-based advertising. This means that a third party may use technology (e.g., a cookie) to collect information about your use of our website so that they can provide advertising about products and services tailored to your interest. That advertising may appear either on our website, or on other websites. Although some web browsers offer “do not track” options, the Site does not currently honor “do-not-track” browser settings.

3. Use of Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer’s hard drive. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our Site. Cookies themselves do not identify the individual user, just the computer used. Users may have the opportunity to set their computers to accept all cookies, to notify them when a cookie is issued or not to receive cookies at any time. If you set your browser not to accept cookies, you may not be able to take advantage of the full features of the Site.

4. Mobile Communications and SMS/Text Messaging

If you provide us with your mobile phone number and explicitly consent (opt-in) to our text/SMS/MMS messaging program, American Jewish World Service (AJWS), or our third-party service provider (on AJWS’s behalf), may call or text/SMS/MMS you at the phone number associated with your opt-in. Calls or text/SMS/MMS messages may be conducted or sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. These recurring and automated communications may include news or updates about our organization or work, event information, action alerts, donation requests, and other engagement opportunities that we think may be of interest to you.

You can opt-out of receiving text/SMS/MMS messages at any time by replying “STOP” to any SMS/text message you receive from us. For help, reply “HELP” to any text/SMS/MMS message you receive from us. Text/SMS/MMS message frequency may vary, and standard message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier plan. You can also opt-out at any time or contact us with any questions at ajws@ajws.org.

Your participation in our text/SMS/MMS messaging program and any text/SMS/MMS messages between you and AJWS are subject to our Mobile Text/SMS/MMS Messaging Terms and Conditions. Providing your mobile number and opt-in consent to receive our communications signify your agreement to those terms. The information obtained from you in connection with our Mobile SMS/text messaging program, which may include your mobile phone number, your phone carrier’s name, the date, time and content of your messages and any other information you provide AJWS as part of the program, will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy. We may use this information to provide you the communications described above or to contact you and provide the services or information you request from us. Such information will not be shared with or sold to unaffiliated third parties for their marketing purposes, except where there is a legal requirement to do so or with your consent.

5. Sharing of Your Information

AJWS is the sole owner of any information collected on this Site. We may share your information with third-party organizations who perform a service for us as outlined below and will not share your information with any third-party organization for commercial purposes not noted in this policy.

AJWS may disclose PII if compelled by law or a regulatory authority. In addition, we may need to disclose PII in special cases where we have reason to believe that doing so is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury or interfering (either intentionally or unintentionally) with AJWS’s rights or property, other AJWS Site users, or anyone else that could be harmed by such activities. We also may share your email address with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky in order to provide you with information about AJWS’s activities. We work with third parties, including but not limited to, Salesforce, Google, Meta, Jackson River (Springboard), Mobile Commons, Fundraise Up and WordPress, who provide services such as creating and populating online advocacy forms, website hosting, emailing, order processing and fulfilment, payment processing, credit card clearance, data analysis and analytics, and other, often administrative services.

6. Security of Your Information

AJWS takes steps intended to secure the PII provided to us. For example, PII you provide is accessible only by designated staff well-versed in adherence to rules governing privacy protection. All PII gathered on the AJWS website is done in a secure and encrypted manner using Secure Socket Layer (“SSL”) technology.

No data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be totally secure. While we try to protect your PII, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us or that we retain. You use the Site, and provide us with PII, at your own risk.

7. Opt-Out

If you supply us with your postal address or email address online you may receive periodic mailings from us with information on our programs and services. If you do not want to receive postal mail and/or email from us in the future, please let us know by sending your request via the unsubscribe link contained in all such emails or by contacting us as set out below.

AJWS will never rent, trade or sell your email address. However, we may on occasion share your name and postal address with our service providers and with other organizations we believe you may have an interest in supporting, unless you opt-out. If you would prefer that your name and postal address not be shared with others, simply send us a request via email to ajws@ajws.org.

Similarly, we may contact individuals we believe may be interested in donating to AJWS. If such individuals indicate they do not wish to be contacted again, we honor that request.

8. Credit Card Information

Protecting your credit card information is of the utmost importance to AJWS. AJWS’s online donation site has security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of information under our control. These donation pages are redirected to a third-party platform which AJWS requires to be compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards and to use all security measures required for credit card industry online payments.

The donation pages make efforts to ensure the secure collection and transmission of sensitive user information, including credit card information, by using SSL encryption technology. This method reflects industry standard security protocol and is intended to minimize the risk of interception of your credit card information.

9. Access to and Deletion of Information

The accuracy of your PII is important to AJWS. If you would like to review or make a change to your PII related to a donation, please send an email to donations@ajws.org. If you would like to review or delete any other PII you have provided to us, please contact us at donations@ajws.org, and we will consider your request. We reserve the right not to agree to any such request if we deem it burdensome or otherwise injurious or inappropriate, except to the extent required by applicable law.

10. External Links

In order to provide certain services and materials, our Site may allow you to “click” over to other Web sites. This Privacy Policy only applies to www.ajws.org and does not apply to any third- party sites. AJWS is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other Web sites, even if our name and logo appear on the screen. We recommend that you review the privacy policies on third-party sites before you use any services or programs they offer.

11. Information from Children under Age 13

AJWS does not knowingly solicit or collect PII from anyone under the age of 13. Visitors under the age of 13 should ask their parent or legal guardian for assistance when using www.ajws.org and should not submit any PII to AJWS. In the event we learn that we have inadvertently collected PII from a child under age 13, we will delete that information.

12. Business Transition

In the event another nonprofit organization merges with or acquires AJWS or substantially all of its assets, your PII may be transferred to that successor or acquiring entity. A court also may order the sale of PII as an asset in a bankruptcy or similar insolvency proceeding.

13. For Individuals Within the European Economic Area Only

AJWS is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in and operated from New York, New York. While AJWS has no presence in the European Economic Area (“EAA”), AJWS may, from time to time, collect personal information from European individuals (“Data Subjects”). That personal information will be maintained by AJWS in the United States. AJWS complies with all applicable data-protection laws, including the European General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). Personal information that may be collected by us from a Data Subject in the EEA may include:

  • IP address
  • Name and email address
  • Addresses, zip/postal codes, etc.
  • Phone number

13.1. Lawful Grounds to Process and Obtain Consent. Data Subjects whose personal information is collected in the EEA may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis for processing their information. Should a Data Subject withdraw consent for processing or otherwise object to processing that impedes AJWS’s ability to comply with applicable regulations, a Data Subject may be unable to avail themselves of the full use of the site and engage in other interactions with AJWS.

13.2. Data Subject’s Rights. All individuals whose personal information is held by AJWS have the right to:

  • Ask what information AJWS holds about them and why;
  • Ask for a copy of such information or access to such information;
  • Be informed how to correct or keep that information up to date;
  • Be informed on how AJWS is meeting its data protection obligations.

Furthermore, for data collected in the EEA, Data Subjects have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of such information to be sent to a third party;
  • Ask for data to be erased if possible and when required under the GDPR;
  • Ask for processing of personal information to be restricted if possible and when required under GDPR;
  • Object to processing of personal information if possible and when required under GDPR; and
  • Contact a supervisory authority in the EEA to lodge a complaint regarding AJWS’s processing of their personal data.

13.3. Automated Decision-Making. AJWS does not engage in automated decision-making concerning Data Subjects.

13.4. Non-Disclosure of Information. AJWS does not share any non-public personal information of Data Subjects with any third-party organizations for commercial purposes except as noted in this policy.

13.5. Security and Disposal of Information. AJWS restricts access to non-public personal information to those employees who need to know such information. All electronic or computer files containing such information shall be secured and protected from access by unauthorized persons. Electronic and paper records used for business purposes are not left in places where they are visible to unauthorized persons. Data printouts and files are disposed of securely when no longer needed.

14. Revision of this Policy

AJWS may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time without advance notice. Accordingly, we recommend that you check for updates to this Privacy Policy on an ongoing basis. If we make any significant changes in the way we use your personal information, we will alert you by posting a prominent notice on our site. This policy was last revised on June 6, 2025.

15. AJWS Donor Privacy Policy

For AJWS’s Donor Privacy Policy, please click here.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact:

American Jewish World Service
45 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-792-2900
email: ajws@ajws.org