Privacy Policy
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce respects the privacy of its members, prospective members, website visitors, event participants, sponsors, community partners, and others who interact with our organization.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we believe responsible stewardship extends to the information entrusted to us. This Privacy Policy explains how The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce may collect, use, maintain, protect, and disclose information obtained through our website, membership activities, Business Directory, events, programs, communications, community initiatives, and other interactions with the Chamber.
Our approach to privacy reflects the principles described throughout About the Chamber, our Mission & Vision, our President's Message, and our Code of Professional Conduct. These principles include community responsibility, meaningful relationships, professionalism, respect, transparency, and integrity.
By accessing or using our website, registering for Chamber activities, applying for membership, or voluntarily providing information to The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy and any additional terms presented in connection with a particular service, registration, or activity.
- Purpose and Scope of This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected by or on behalf of The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce through our website and Chamber activities where this policy applies.
Information may be collected when you:
Apply for or maintain Chamber membership;
Create or update membership information;
Submit information for our Business Directory;
Register for or participate in Chamber Events;
Contact the Chamber;
Subscribe to Chamber communications;
Complete a website form;
Participate in Chamber programs or community activities;
Become a sponsor;
Provide information relating to your business or organization;
Respond to surveys or requests for information;
Make a payment, donation, sponsorship payment, or other transaction;
Or otherwise communicate or interact with The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
This policy is intended to help individuals understand what information we may collect, why we collect it, how we may use it, and the choices available concerning certain uses of that information.
- Information You Provide to Us
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce may collect information that you voluntarily provide.
Depending upon the nature of your interaction with us, this information may include your name, business or organization name, professional title, business address, mailing address, city, state, ZIP code, telephone number, email address, website address, business category, business description, social media information, membership information, event registration information, sponsorship information, directory information, photographs, logos, information submitted through forms, communications sent to the Chamber, and other information you voluntarily provide.
You are responsible for ensuring that information you submit is reasonably accurate and that you have appropriate authority to provide information submitted on behalf of another individual, business, or organization.
- Membership Information
When an individual, business, nonprofit organization, or other eligible organization applies for membership, we may collect information necessary to evaluate, process, establish, and administer that membership.
Information may include contact details, organization information, membership level, representatives associated with the membership, transaction information, directory information, and other information reasonably necessary to provide Chamber services.
Membership information may be used to process applications, administer memberships, maintain records, communicate with members, manage renewals, provide member benefits, administer Chamber programs, provide access to applicable resources, publish approved directory information, communicate information concerning Events, and otherwise support the legitimate activities of The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
Information provided during membership registration does not automatically become public merely because it has been provided to the Chamber.
Information specifically designated, submitted, or approved for public display may be published through Chamber resources such as our Business Directory.
- Business Directory Information
Our Business Directory is intended to help residents, businesses, organizations, visitors, and others discover Chamber members and learn about their businesses, organizations, products, services, and professional expertise.
Members may provide information specifically intended for public display.
Public directory information may include a business or organization name, description, category, address, telephone number, email address, website, photographs, logo, social media information, and other information submitted or approved for publication.
Members should understand that information published through the Business Directory is publicly accessible and may be indexed, cached, copied, archived, or otherwise processed by search engines and other independent online services.
Information maintained for internal Chamber administration will not automatically be treated as public directory information.
- Directory Submissions, Changes, and Approval
Members may periodically submit additions or changes to their Business Directory information.
Where Chamber procedures require review or approval, new information or requested changes may not become publicly visible immediately.
The Chamber may review submissions before publication to help maintain the accuracy, professionalism, relevance, quality, and integrity of information appearing through Chamber resources.
Submission does not guarantee publication.
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce reserves the right to decline, edit where authorized, suspend, or remove directory content that violates Chamber policies, applicable law, reasonable directory standards, or our Code of Professional Conduct.
- Information Collected Through Our Website
When someone visits our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website, hosting provider, security systems, analytics tools, or other technologies used to operate and protect the site.
Depending upon the technologies being used, this information may include an Internet Protocol address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring website, pages visited, date and time of access, general website activity, and approximate geographic information derived from an IP address.
This information may be used to operate the website, maintain security, identify potentially malicious activity, diagnose technical problems, understand general website usage, improve performance, and improve our digital resources.
- Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies for functionality, security, authentication, preferences, analytics, and other legitimate website purposes.
Cookies are small pieces of information stored through a browser or device.
Some cookies may be necessary for website functionality. Others may assist us in understanding how visitors interact with our website or maintaining user preferences.
Most browsers provide controls that allow users to limit, block, or delete cookies.
Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of portions of the website.
- How We Use Information
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce may use information collected through our website and organizational activities to:
Operate and maintain the Chamber;
Administer memberships;
Process applications and renewals;
Maintain membership records;
Operate the Business Directory;
Administer Events;
Communicate with members and participants;
Respond to inquiries;
Provide requested information;
Manage sponsorships;
Support Supporting Our Community activities;
Maintain and improve Chamber programs;
Develop member resources;
Operate and improve our website;
Protect website and organizational security;
Prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorized activity;
Maintain appropriate organizational and financial records;
Comply with applicable legal obligations;
And further the legitimate nonprofit purposes of The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
We seek to use information in ways reasonably related to the purpose for which it was collected or subsequently authorized.
- Communications From The Chamber
If you provide contact information to The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce, we may use that information to communicate with you regarding matters reasonably related to your relationship with the Chamber.
Communications may concern membership, renewals, Chamber Events, registrations, community initiatives, Chamber news, member information, sponsorship opportunities, organizational announcements, website updates, programs, benefits, and other Chamber related matters.
Recipients may request to discontinue certain optional promotional communications where applicable.
Administrative communications may still be necessary when they concern an active membership, transaction, registration, request, account, legal matter, or other existing relationship with the Chamber.
- How We May Share Information
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce does not regard personal information as a commodity.
We do not intend to sell personal information to third parties for their independent commercial marketing purposes.
Information may nevertheless be shared when reasonably necessary to operate the Chamber, provide requested services, administer transactions, comply with legal obligations, or protect legitimate interests.
This may include appropriate service providers assisting with website hosting, email delivery, membership administration, payment processing, event registration, data storage, security, technology, analytics, accounting, professional services, and other operational functions.
Information may also be disclosed when required by applicable law, legal process, governmental request, or when reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property, safety, security, or legitimate interests of the Chamber, its members, website users, event participants, or others.
- Payment and Transaction Information
Membership fees, event registrations, sponsorships, donations, and other transactions may involve payment processing.
When third party payment processors are used, payment card, bank, or other financial information may be transmitted directly to those providers rather than stored directly by The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
Those providers maintain their own privacy, security, and data handling practices.
The Chamber may retain appropriate transaction records such as payment status, amount, date, membership or event associated with the payment, invoice information, and other information reasonably necessary for accounting, administration, reporting, or legal purposes.
- Event Registration Information
When you register for Chamber Events, we may collect information reasonably necessary to administer your registration and participation.
This may include your name, organization, email address, telephone number, registration status, transaction information where applicable, attendance information, and other information relevant to a particular event.
We may use this information to process registrations, communicate event information, manage attendance, provide updates, respond to questions, administer payments, maintain records, improve future programs, and perform other activities reasonably related to the event.
A particular event registration may contain additional terms and notices applicable to that event.
- Photography, Video, and Recording at Chamber Events
Photography and video are an important part of documenting the activities, programs, community involvement, and history of The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
Photographs, video recordings, audio recordings, and other media may be captured during Chamber Events, meetings, networking activities, community programs, educational programs, presentations, ceremonies, and other activities conducted, sponsored, or supported by the Chamber.
These materials may be used for legitimate Chamber purposes, including our website, social media channels, Chamber news, publications, event promotion, educational materials, historical documentation, public relations, marketing, and other communications relating to the Chamber and its activities.
Event Registration and Consent
Our event signup and registration process may include notice that photography, video, or other recording may occur.
By registering for an event where these terms are presented, the registrant agrees to the applicable photography and video provisions as part of the event registration.
Unless an attendee advises The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce otherwise, the Chamber may reasonably rely upon the consent provided through the applicable event registration process regarding Chamber photography and recording.
If You Do Not Want to Be Photographed or Recorded
We understand that some individuals may not wish to appear in photographs, video, or other recordings.
If you do not want to be photographed or recorded, please let us know.
Whenever possible, we encourage you to notify The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce before the event. You may also inform an appropriate Chamber representative when you arrive.
We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate such requests with respect to photography and recording under the Chamber's control.
Providing advance notice is particularly helpful because it allows Chamber representatives to communicate the request to individuals responsible for event photography or video.
Use of Chamber Event Media
Subject to applicable law and any specific agreement governing an event, media captured at Chamber activities may be selected, edited, reproduced, displayed, published, distributed, archived, or otherwise used for legitimate nonprofit, informational, promotional, educational, historical, and organizational purposes.
Registration or attendance does not guarantee that an individual will appear in any photograph or recording.
Photography by Other Attendees or Third Parties
Some Chamber activities take place in public or shared environments where other attendees, venues, sponsors, news organizations, speakers, community organizations, or independent third parties may take photographs or recordings.
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce cannot necessarily control photography, recordings, publication, or subsequent use undertaken independently by unaffiliated third parties.
Individuals with particular privacy concerns are encouraged to notify the Chamber so we can make reasonable efforts concerning photography and video within the Chamber's control.
- Sponsors and Community Partners
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce may work with Sponsors, nonprofit organizations, community groups, businesses, venues, vendors, and other organizations in connection with Chamber activities.
Participation in a Chamber program does not automatically authorize an outside organization to use your personal information for unrelated marketing purposes.
When information needs to be shared to administer a particular registration, program, benefit, event, or activity, we seek to limit such sharing to information reasonably necessary for that purpose.
- Supporting Our Community
Community service is central to the identity and mission of The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
Our Supporting Our Community activities may involve nonprofit organizations, community groups, charitable initiatives, volunteers, businesses, sponsors, and other participants.
When information is collected in connection with a community activity, we seek to use that information for purposes reasonably associated with administering, documenting, communicating, or supporting the activity.
Participation in a community initiative does not automatically constitute permission for unrelated commercial solicitation.
- Member Privacy and Professional Conduct
Privacy and professional respect are closely connected.
Our Code of Professional Conduct establishes expectations concerning responsible communication, professional boundaries, respectful networking, confidentiality where appropriate, nondiscrimination, integrity, and responsible use of Chamber relationships and information.
Access to another person's or member's information should not be interpreted as permission for harassment, persistent unwanted solicitation, deceptive communications, or inappropriate conduct.
The fact that business information is publicly available through the Chamber does not eliminate the responsibility to use that information professionally and responsibly.
- Member Information and Networking
Membership in The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce creates opportunities for people to meet and establish relationships.
It does not create unrestricted permission to use another member's information for mass solicitation, persistent unwanted communication, or purposes inconsistent with Chamber policies.
Our philosophy is reflected throughout About the Chamber, our Mission & Vision, our President's Message, and our Code of Professional Conduct.
We encourage members to build rapport, establish relationships, educate others about what they do, and respect the other person's choice about whether they wish to continue the conversation.
- Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to websites operated by Chamber members, sponsors, nonprofit organizations, community organizations, government entities, event providers, social media platforms, and other third parties.
The presence of a link does not mean that The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce controls the privacy, security, accuracy, or data handling practices of the destination website.
Once you leave our website, the practices and policies of the third party may apply.
We encourage users to review the privacy practices of websites to which they provide personal information.
- Third Party Services
The Chamber may use third party services to support website operation, membership administration, communications, event registration, payment processing, analytics, security, data storage, and other organizational functions.
These providers may process information according to their own privacy policies, contractual obligations, security practices, and applicable law.
We seek to use service providers appropriate for the functions they perform, but no organization can guarantee the privacy or security practices of every independent third party.
- Data Security
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce takes reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures intended to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.
However, no website, server, network, database, email system, electronic transmission, or method of digital storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Users should therefore exercise reasonable care when transmitting information electronically.
If we become aware of a security incident requiring notification under applicable law, we will address the matter consistent with applicable legal requirements.
- Data Retention
The Chamber may retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, administer memberships and programs, maintain organizational and financial records, provide services, resolve disputes, enforce applicable agreements, satisfy legal requirements, protect legitimate interests, or maintain appropriate historical records.
Different categories of information may be retained for different periods.
Information no longer reasonably required may be deleted, anonymized, archived, or otherwise handled according to appropriate organizational practices and applicable requirements.
- Accuracy and Updating of Information
We encourage members and others who provide information to keep that information reasonably accurate and current.
Members should notify the Chamber when information appearing through the Business Directory requires correction.
The Chamber may request reasonable verification before making certain changes to information or accounts.
Accurate information helps us maintain useful resources for members, businesses, residents, and the community.
- Children's Privacy
Our general website and membership services are not primarily directed toward children under the age of 13.
We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children under 13 through general membership functions without appropriate authorization.
Certain Chamber or community programs may involve families or younger participants. When such activities require information concerning minors, additional procedures, permissions, notices, or consent may be used where appropriate.
- Your Privacy Choices
Depending upon the nature of your relationship with the Chamber and applicable law, you may contact us regarding personal information associated with you.
Requests may include reasonable requests to correct inaccurate information, update contact information, change certain communication preferences, request removal of information from public display where appropriate, or ask questions regarding how information is being used.
Certain information may need to be retained for accounting, membership, transaction, security, legal, archival, dispute resolution, or other legitimate purposes.
Removal of information from a Chamber webpage does not guarantee immediate or complete removal from search engine caches, internet archives, third party websites, or systems outside the control of The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
- Public Information, Search Engines, and Archives
Information intentionally published through our website may be indexed, cached, copied, archived, or otherwise processed by search engines and other online services.
This is particularly relevant to information intentionally published through the Business Directory, Chamber news, public event pages, sponsorship information, photographs, videos, and other public website content.
Once information has been made publicly available online, The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce cannot guarantee that copies will not remain within independent search engines, archives, caches, social media platforms, or third party systems after information is changed or removed from our website.
Members and other contributors should therefore carefully consider what information they submit or authorize for public publication.
- Legal Requirements and Protection of Rights
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce may preserve, use, or disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with applicable law, legal process, court orders, governmental requirements, regulatory obligations, or other lawful requests.
Information may also be used or disclosed when reasonably necessary to investigate fraud, protect website security, enforce applicable agreements or policies, or protect the rights, safety, property, or legitimate interests of the Chamber or others.
- Changes to This Privacy Policy
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce may revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our website, technology, programs, membership services, organizational practices, legal requirements, or other circumstances.
When changes are made, the revised policy may be published on this page with an updated revision date.
We encourage members and website visitors to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
- Relationship to Other Chamber Policies and Resources
Privacy is one part of the larger organizational framework of The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
Our About the Chamber page explains more about who we are and the organization we are building.
Our Mission & Vision describes the principles and objectives guiding our work.
Our President's Message provides a personal perspective on the direction, leadership, and culture of the Chamber.
Our Code of Professional Conduct establishes expectations concerning professionalism, integrity, respectful networking, nondiscrimination, appropriate communication, and relationship building.
Our Supporting Our Community page explains more about our commitment to community service and involvement.
Our Business Directory connects visitors with Chamber members and their businesses and organizations.
Our Events create opportunities for people to meet, communicate, learn, and develop genuine relationships.
Our Sponsors help support Chamber programs, activities, and continued development.
Prospective members can explore our Member Packages to learn more about opportunities to become involved with The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
Together, these resources help explain who we are, what we believe, and the standards under which we seek to operate.
Questions regarding this Privacy Policy, Chamber information practices, membership information, public directory information, photography or video preferences, or other privacy related matters may be directed to The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce through our Contact page.
When contacting us regarding information associated with you or your organization, please provide enough information for us to understand and appropriately respond to your request.
For security and privacy purposes, we may request reasonable verification before making certain changes or releasing information.
Our Commitment to Privacy, Community, and Integrity
The Franklin Lakes Chamber of Commerce exists to strengthen connections among businesses, professionals, organizations, and the greater community.
Those relationships depend upon trust.
Responsible handling of information is therefore part of our broader commitment to integrity.
Our Mission & Vision establishes the principles guiding our organization.
Our President's Message provides perspective on the Chamber we are building.
Our Code of Professional Conduct establishes expectations for how members and participants interact.
Our Supporting Our Community initiatives put our community commitment into action.
Our Business Directory helps connect businesses and organizations with the people who may need them.
Our Events create opportunities for genuine relationships to develop.
And this Privacy Policy establishes principles for responsibly handling information as our organization and digital resources continue to grow.
Community First. Relationships Second. Business When the Need Arises. Integrity Always.
Making Our Community Better One Day at a Time™.