Privacy Policy

Privacy PolicyOur Earthly Collective

Last updated: 8 May 2026

A quick note from us

At Our Earthly Collective (OEC), we believe in doing things with heart, and that includes how we handle your data. This policy explains, in plain language, what information we collect, why we collect it, what we do with it, and the rights you have under data protection law.

If anything here is unclear, get in touch at ourearthlycollective@mailboc.org and we’ll do our best to help.

1. Who we are

Our Earthly Collective (“OEC“, “we”, “us”, “our”) is a not-for-profit, community-led platform based in Ireland. We are the data controller for the personal information you share with us through our website and services.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at the email above.

2. The law we follow

We comply with:

  • The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • The Irish Data Protection Act 2018
  • The ePrivacy Regulations 2011 (for cookies and electronic communications)

You can learn more about your rights at the Irish Data Protection Commission’s website:www.dataprotection.ie

3. What information we collect

Depending on how you use OEC, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

When you create an account

  • Name (or chosen username)
  • Email address
  • Password (stored securely in encrypted form)
  • Profile photo (optional)
  • Location or general area (optional, you can choose to share your location or stay anonymous)
  • Brief bio or interests (optional)

When you sign up via social login

  • If you choose to sign up with a third-party service (e.g. Google, Facebook, Apple), we receive basic profile information from that service. The data shared is governed by your settings with that provider.

When you list a business, project, event, or item

  • Business or project name
  • Description and images
  • Contact details (email, phone, website, social media, as you choose to provide)
  • Location or area
  • Category or eco-mission tags

When you RSVP for events or take part in activities

  • The events you’ve signed up for
  • Photos or recaps you choose to share
  • Comments or messages posted within the platform

When you donate

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Donation amount and frequency
  • Donations are processed by Donorbox, which uses Stripe and/or PayPal as the underlying payment processor. We do not see, store, or have access to your card or bank details on our servers.

our servers. Donorbox shares limited information with us (such as your name, email, and donation amount) so we can thank you and keep records.

When you contact us

  • Your name, email, and the content of your message

Automatically collected data

  • IP address
  • Browser type and device information
  • Pages visited and time spent on the site
  • Referring website
  • Cookie data (see Section 9)

4. Why we collect your data and our legal basis

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your data. Here’s why we process each category:

Purpose

Legal basis

Creating and managing your account

Contract (so we can provide the service you signed up for)

Displaying your listings, posts, RSVPs, and profile

Contract / Consent

Sending essential service emails (e.g. password resets, event confirmations)

Contract

Sending newsletters or community updates

Consent (you can unsubscribe at any time)

Processing donations

Contract / Legal obligation (e.g. tax records)

Improving the platform and understanding usage

Legitimate interest

Keeping the platform safe and preventing misuse

Legitimate interest

Complying with legal and regulatory obligations

Legal obligation

You can withdraw your consent at any time where consent is the basis for processing.

5. How we use your information

We use your data to:

  • Run the OEC platform and deliver the features you sign up for
  • Help you connect with local businesses, events, and community members
  • Enable item-sharing, listings, RSVPs, and donations
  • Send you essential account and service messages
  • Send you community updates and newsletters (only if you’ve opted in)
  • Provide customer support
  • Improve the platform, fix bugs, and develop new features
  • Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or misuse
  • Meet legal and regulatory obligations

We do not sell your personal data. Ever.

6. Sharing your information

We share your data only where necessary, and only with parties that have appropriate safeguards in place. Specifically:

Public information on the platform

Information you choose to make public, such as your profile name, listings, posts, event RSVPs, and shared items, will be visible to other users and visitors to the platform. You can choose to share your location or stay anonymous when listing items.

Service providers (data processors)

We work with carefully selected third parties to deliver our services. These may include:

  • Website hosting: Bluehost
  • Email delivery: Mailbox
  • Donation processing: Donorbox (which uses Stripe and/or PayPal as underlying payment processors)
  • Social media integration: Instagram (for IG Stories integration, where applicable)
  • Reforest Nation: for tree-planting partnership (we share aggregate impact data, not personal data, unless you specifically choose to share)

All processors are bound by data processing agreements and may only use your data on our instructions.

Legal obligations

We may disclose data if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of OEC, our users, or the public.

Business transfers

In the unlikely event of a merger, acquisition, or transfer of assets, your data may be transferred, but you’ll be notified and given choices about your information.

7. International data transfers

Some of our service providers may be based outside the European Economic Area (EEA). When we transfer your data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, typically the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or an adequacy decision.

8. How long we keep your data

We keep your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

  • Account data: for as long as your account is active. If you close your account, we delete or anonymise your data within (e.g. 30–90 days), except where we’re legally required to keep certain records (e.g. financial records for donations, typically retained for 6 years under Irish tax law).
  • Listings, posts, and shared items: kept while your account is active or until you delete them.
  • Donation records: retained for at least 6 years to comply with tax and accounting obligations.
  • Newsletter subscribers: until you unsubscribe.
  • Support emails: kept for up to 2 years.
  • Backups: may persist for a short period after deletion (typically 30–90 days) before being permanently overwritten.

9. Cookies and tracking

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help OEC work properly, remember your preferences, and let us understand how the site is being used so we can improve it. We use cookies and similar technologies (like local storage) and we try to keep our use of them minimal and privacy-friendly.

The first time you visit OEC, you’ll see a cookie banner where you can choose what to accept. You can change your mind any time by clicking the Cookie Settings link in the footer of every page.

Types of cookies we use:

  • Strictly necessary: required for the site to function, like keeping you logged in, processing donations through Donorbox, and remembering your cookie choices. These are set automatically because the site won’t work without them.
  • Functional: remember choices you’ve made, like your location filter or display settings, so you don’t have to set them every time.
  • Marketing: only used if you’ve given consent. May be used to measure community campaigns or share OEC events with people who’d be interested.

Third-party cookies may be set by services we use to power parts of the site, including Donorbox (donations), Google Maps (locations), and Instagram/Meta (IG Stories integration on event pages). These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies, which we encourage you to read.

You can also control cookies directly in your browser settings, most browsers let you block, delete, or be notified about cookies. Just be aware that if you block strictly necessary cookies, parts of OEC may not work properly (you might not be able to log in, list items, or RSVP for events).

10. Your rights under GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of access: request a copy of the data we hold about you
  • Right to rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”): ask us to delete your data
  • Right to restrict processing: ask us to pause processing in certain circumstances
  • Right to data portability: receive your data in a machine-readable format
  • Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
  • Right to withdraw consent: at any time, where consent is the legal basis
  • Right to lodge a complaint: with the Irish Data Protection Commission (www.dataprotection.ie)

To exercise any of these rights, email us at ourearthlycollective@mailboc.org. We’ll respond within one month.

11. How we keep your data safe

We take security seriously. Measures include:

  • Encrypted connections (HTTPS) across the site
  • Passwords stored using industry-standard hashing
  • Access to user data is limited to team members who need it
  • Regular review of our security practices
  • Vetted third-party providers with their own security standards

No system is 100% secure, but we work hard to protect your information. If we ever became aware of a data breach affecting your rights, we’d notify you and the Data Protection Commission as required by law.

12. Children’s privacy

OEC is intended for users aged 16 and over (the age of digital consent in Ireland). If you’re under 16, you’ll need a parent or guardian’s consent to use the platform.

We don’t knowingly collect data from children under 16 without parental consent. If you believe we’ve collected data from a child without proper consent, please contact us and we’ll delete it.

13. User-generated content and visibility

When you post listings, share items, RSVP for events, or comment on the platform, that content is visible to other users. Please think carefully before sharing personal details like your address or phone number publicly.

You can choose to share your location or stay anonymous when listing items. We also recommend reviewing your profile privacy settings regularly.

14. Third-party links and integrations

OEC may contain links to other websites (e.g. partner businesses, Reforest Nation, Instagram). Once you click through, you’re on their turf, their privacy policies apply, not ours. We encourage you to read them.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time as the platform grows and changes. When we make significant changes, we’ll let you know via email or a notice on the site. The “Last updated” date at the top will always tell you when the most recent changes were made.

16. Contact us

Questions, concerns, or requests about your data? We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re not happy with how we’ve handled your data, you can lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission.

Data Protection Commission21 Fitzwilliam Square SouthDublin 2, D02 RD28Website: www.dataprotection.iePhone: +353 (0)761 104 800

Thanks for being part of the Collective 🌱

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