Privacy Policy

How we collect, use, and protect your information

Last Updated: March 15, 2026

At Awaken Guardians, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website awakenguardians.org and use our services. By accessing or using our website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

  • Create an account on our platform
  • Register for our training programs or certification courses
  • Subscribe to our newsletter or educational content
  • Make a donation to support our mission
  • Order our TRA Matters book or other materials
  • Contact us with questions or feedback
  • Participate in surveys or interactive features

The personal information we collect may include:

  • Full name and preferred name
  • Email address and phone number
  • Mailing address and shipping information
  • Payment information (credit card details, billing address)
  • Program enrollment details and educational preferences
  • Professional background and certifications
  • Account credentials (username and password)
  • Communications, feedback, and testimonials you provide
  • Any other information you choose to provide

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with our site:

  • IP address and approximate geographic location
  • Browser type, version, and language settings
  • Device type, operating system, and screen resolution
  • Pages visited, links clicked, and content viewed
  • Time and date of your visits
  • Time spent on each page
  • Referring website or source that directed you to our site
  • Search terms used to find our website

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. These technologies help us:

  • Remember your preferences and settings
  • Understand how you use our website
  • Improve website performance and functionality
  • Provide personalized content and recommendations
  • Analyze traffic patterns and user behavior

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our website.

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, such as social media platforms (if you choose to connect your social media accounts), payment processors, and other service providers who help us deliver our services.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Service Delivery and Management

  • Provide, operate, and maintain our training programs and services
  • Process your enrollment in courses and certification programs
  • Manage your account and provide customer support
  • Process payments, donations, and book orders
  • Deliver educational content, resources, and course materials
  • Track your progress through programs and issue certifications

Communication

  • Send you transactional emails about your account or purchases
  • Respond to your inquiries, questions, and feedback
  • Send newsletters, updates, and educational resources (with your consent)
  • Notify you about program updates, new courses, or events
  • Provide customer support and technical assistance

Improvement and Analytics

  • Analyze website usage patterns and user behavior
  • Improve our website, programs, and user experience
  • Develop new features, services, and educational content
  • Conduct research and analysis to better serve our community
  • Measure the effectiveness of our programs and communications

Legal and Security

  • Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
  • Protect our rights, privacy, safety, and property
  • Prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
  • Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements
  • Resolve disputes and troubleshoot problems

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We respect your privacy and do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers and Partners

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and delivering our services. These providers have access to your information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated to protect your information. These may include:

  • Payment processors (e.g., Stripe) for secure payment handling
  • Book printing and fulfillment services (e.g., Lulu) for book orders
  • Email service providers for sending newsletters and communications
  • Cloud hosting services for data storage and website hosting
  • Analytics providers to help us understand website usage
  • Customer support tools and platforms

Legal Requirements and Protection

We may disclose your information when required by law or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

  • Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
  • Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements
  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of Awaken Guardians, our users, or the public
  • Prevent or investigate potential fraud, security breaches, or illegal activities
  • Respond to claims that content violates the rights of third parties

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will provide notice before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

With Your Consent

We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent or at your direction.

Aggregated and Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. This may be used for research, analysis, marketing, or other purposes.

Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect it against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Our security measures include:

  • Encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest
  • Secure authentication and password protection
  • Regular security assessments and updates
  • Access controls and employee training on data protection
  • Secure payment processing through PCI-compliant providers
  • Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

The criteria we use to determine retention periods include:

  • The length of time you maintain an active account with us
  • Our legal obligations to retain certain data
  • The necessity of the data for our legitimate business purposes
  • Applicable statutes of limitations
  • Whether we need the data to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims

When we no longer need your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention policies.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and applicable laws, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Portability

You have the right to access and receive a copy of your personal information that we hold. You can also request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

Correction and Updates

You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal information. You can update your account information at any time through your account settings.

Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions. We may need to retain certain information for legal compliance, to resolve disputes, or to enforce our agreements.

Opt-Out of Marketing Communications

You can opt out of receiving promotional emails from us at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or by contacting us directly. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we will still send you transactional emails related to your account or services.

Cookie Management

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. However, some features of our website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

Do Not Track

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" feature. Currently, our website does not respond to Do Not Track signals, as there is no industry standard for how to interpret these signals.

California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, use, and share, and the right to request deletion of your information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided at the end of this policy. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your own, where data protection laws may differ. By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we operate.

We take appropriate measures to ensure that your personal information remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy, regardless of where it is processed.

Third-Party Links and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services before providing them with your personal information.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites or services.

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 material changes, we will notify you by:

  • Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
  • Sending an email notification to the address associated with your account
  • Displaying a prominent notice on our website

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

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

Awaken Guardians

Email: privacy@awakenguardians.org

Website: www.awakenguardians.org

We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days of receipt.

Note: This Privacy Policy was last updated on March 15, 2026. By continuing to use our website and services after this date, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy and any future updates.