Stories Beyond Service — Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 10/26/2025
Last Updated: 10/26/2025

Stories Beyond Service (“SBS,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard information on our website www.storiesbeyondservice.org (the “Site”).

By using our Site, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

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1. About Stories Beyond Service

Stories Beyond Service is a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the lived experiences of U.S. military veterans through visual storytelling. Our website showcases veteran stories in video, photo, and written form to foster understanding and honor their service.

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2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to operate our website, communicate with our visitors, and maintain the integrity of our storytelling mission.

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Information You Provide Directly

We may collect:

• Contact Information — such as your name, email address, or phone number if you contact us through a form or email.

• Story Submission Details — if you submit a story, interview request, or participate in a project, we may collect information related to your military service, photos, or recorded content.

• Donor Information — if you make a financial contribution, we collect only the information necessary to process your donation securely (see Section 6).

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Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain data is collected automatically through analytics tools, such as:

• IP address and approximate geographic location

• Browser type and operating system

• Pages visited and time spent on the site

• Referring website or search terms

This data is aggregated and used only for internal performance and usage analysis.

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3. How We Use Your Information

Stories Beyond Service uses the information collected to:

• Respond to your messages, inquiries, or submissions

• Publish and archive veteran stories (with consent)

• Improve our website functionality and user experience

• Manage donations and donor acknowledgments

• Maintain organizational records and ensure accountability

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information to any third parties.

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4. Consent and Use of Story Materials

When veterans, family members, or contributors share personal stories, photographs, or video interviews, they provide written consent via a Release Form authorizing Stories Beyond Service to record, edit, and publicly display their story.

Participants maintain ownership of their personal narrative but grant SBS a non-exclusive, perpetual license to share the materials online, in print, or in educational settings for nonprofit purposes.

Contributors may contact us at any time to request modification or removal of their content.

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5. Data Storage and Security

We take reasonable precautions to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

Security measures include:

• Secure servers and encrypted storage for sensitive files

• Password-protected access for administrative users

• SSL encryption on our website and online forms

• Limited access to personal data by authorized staff or volunteers only

However, no online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. By using our Site, you acknowledge that no method of transmission over the internet is 100% safe.

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6. Donations and Payment Processing

When making a donation through our Site, transactions are securely processed by third-party payment providers (such as PayPal or Stripe).

Stories Beyond Service does not store full credit card information.
We receive only donor contact details, donation amount, and transaction confirmation necessary for recordkeeping and acknowledgment.

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7. Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses cookies and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to:

• Track basic usage statistics

• Measure engagement and improve user experience

• Identify popular pages and optimize performance

Cookies do not contain personal information and can be disabled in your browser settings if desired.

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8. Third-Party Links

Our Site may include links to other nonprofit partners, sponsors, or media platforms (such as YouTube, Vimeo, or social media sites).
We are not responsible for the content, policies, or security of these external sites. Users should review the privacy policies of third-party websites they visit.

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9. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is not directed at children under 13 years of age.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If a parent or guardian believes that a child’s data has been collected, please contact us immediately, and we will promptly remove it.

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10. Your Rights and Choices

You may:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you

• Request corrections or removal of your personal data

• Opt out of receiving communications or updates from us

• Request removal of published materials or media you’ve shared (subject to project context)

To exercise these rights, please email us at info@storiesbeyondservice.org.

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11. Data Retention

We retain collected data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with legal requirements, and preserve the archival integrity of veteran stories.

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12. Changes to This Policy

Stories Beyond Service may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The updated version will always include the revision date. We encourage users to review this page regularly for changes.

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13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

📧 info@storiesbeyondservice.org
🌐 www.storiesbeyondservice.org