Privacy Policy — San Francisco Early Music Society (SFEMS)

Effective Date: 10/22/2025

Protecting your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how San Francisco Early Music Society collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our website, purchase tickets, make donations, subscribe to communications, or interact with us online or in person. By using our website or services, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Voluntarily

We collect personal information you provide directly to us, including:

  • Name

  • Email address

  • Phone number

  • Billing and payment information (processed securely through third-party providers)

  • Mailing address (if provided for ticketing, donations, or communications)

  • Optional demographic information (such as ZIP code or age group)

This information may be collected when you:

  • Purchase tickets, products, or memberships

  • Make a donation

  • Subscribe to our email list

  • Fill out a contact or registration form

  • Participate in surveys, programs, or promotions

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, our systems and third-party tools may automatically collect:

  • IP address

  • Browser type, version, and device information

  • Referring website URLs and pages visited

  • Time and date of access

  • General geolocation data (not precise)

This data is primarily collected through cookies, pixels, and analytics tools.

How We Collect Information

We use several tools and service providers that collect information on our behalf:

  • Squarespace – Our website platform, which collects basic web analytics and manages form submissions.

  • Google Analytics – Provides aggregated website traffic and engagement data.

  • Meta Pixel (Facebook and Instagram) – Supports advertising effectiveness and retargeting campaigns.

  • Ticketing and newsletter subscription platforms – Used to process event registrations, purchases, and communications.

  • Contact and donation forms – Collect information directly submitted by users.

These tools may use cookies, pixels, or similar technologies to process information about your activity on sfems.org.

How We Use Information

We use personal and usage information to:

  • Process ticket purchases, donations, and memberships

  • Communicate with you about programs, events, and offers

  • Improve website performance and user experience

  • Analyze traffic and engagement to better serve our community

  • Support marketing and outreach efforts

  • Respond to questions and support requests

  • Comply with legal obligations and maintain security

Sharing of Information

We do not sell, rent, or lease personal information.

We may share your information with:

  • Trusted service providers such as Squarespace, Google, Meta, email marketing platforms, and payment processors

  • Third-party vendors assisting with registration, ticketing, or communications

  • Legal authorities when required by law or to protect our rights or the safety of others

All third parties are contractually required to safeguard your information.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience and support analytics and marketing. These include:

  • Essential cookies to enable site functionality.

  • Analytical cookies via Squarespace and Google Analytics to understand how the site is used.

  • Marketing cookies via Meta Pixel and Google Ads to measure and improve advertising.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some site features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

For more information on how Google uses data, visit https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
To manage Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ad preferences, visit https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences.

Third-Party Plugins and Embedded Content

Our website may include ticketing widgets, newsletter forms, donation platforms, or embedded content from third parties. These providers may collect information about your interactions with their content. By using these features, you agree to their data practices. We encourage you to review their privacy policies directly.

Marketing and Retargeting

We may use Google Analytics and Meta Pixel data to conduct advertising and retargeting campaigns. You can opt out of such tracking by:

  • Adjusting your browser privacy settings

  • Using Google’s Ads Settings (https://adssettings.google.com)

  • Adjusting Meta ad preferences

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, including California, you may have rights under CCPA/CPRA and other laws:

  • Right to know what data we collect and how it is used

  • Right to request deletion of your data (subject to legal exceptions)

  • Right to correct inaccurate information

  • Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (SFEMS does not sell personal data)

  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

To exercise your rights, contact us at info@sfems.org or (510) 683-1674. We may verify your identity before fulfilling requests.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to:

  • Fulfill the purposes for which it was collected

  • Comply with legal and tax obligations

  • Maintain donation and membership records

Aggregated or anonymized data may be retained longer for reporting and analysis.

Security

We use appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, including:

  • SSL encryption for online transactions

  • Secure payment processing through trusted third parties

  • Restricted internal access to personal data

No online system is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to minimize risk.

Children’s Privacy

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If such information is discovered, we will delete it promptly.

Email Communications

If you subscribe to our email list, we may send updates, event announcements, or fundraising messages. You may opt out at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in our emails or by contacting us directly.

External Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes will be posted on sfems.org, and the “Effective Date” will be updated. If we make significant changes, we may also provide notice by email or through a prominent website announcement.

Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at:

San Francisco Early Music Society
P.O. Box 27495
San Francisco, CA 94127-0495
Email Address:
communications@sfems.org.

(510) 831-3077