Privacy Policy

Progressive Center for Independent Living, Inc. (PCIL)
Effective date: September 15, 2026
Last updated: September 15, 2026

​

1. Overview

The Progressive Center for Independent Living, Inc. ("PCIL," "we," "us," or "our") respects the privacy of the people and communities we serve. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when you visit our website, subscribe to communications, contact us, register for an event or program, complete a survey or form, make a donation, apply for membership or employment, or otherwise interact with PCIL through the online and communication channels covered by this Policy.

​

Some PCIL programs and services may be governed by additional privacy notices, confidentiality requirements, agreements, funder requirements, or federal or state laws. If a program-specific notice conflicts with this general Privacy Policy, the program-specific notice will govern that information.

​

2. Scope

This Policy applies to personal information collected through:

• PCIL's website, including pcil.org and the pages, forms, portals, and features available through it;

• email newsletters, event communications, surveys, and outreach campaigns;

• online registrations, donations, membership forms, contact forms, story submissions, nominations, and employment applications; and

• other online or communication-based interactions that refer or link to this Policy.

​

This Policy does not automatically apply to third-party websites, applications, payment platforms, social media services, or other services that maintain their own privacy policies. It also does not replace confidentiality requirements that apply to particular PCIL programs, services, or records.

​

3. Information We Collect

​

INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE

Depending on how you interact with PCIL, we may collect:

• Contact information, such as your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, and communication preferences.

• Requests and communications, including messages, questions, feedback, survey responses, stories, photographs, nominations, and information submitted through forms.

• Program inquiry information, including information you choose to provide about services, support needs, disability, accessibility, transportation, education, employment, benefits, or other circumstances relevant to your request.

• Event and participation information, such as registrations, attendance, accommodation requests, emergency-contact information, and preferences.

• Donation and membership information, such as donation amount, transaction date, membership status, acknowledgment preferences, and related communications. Payment-card information is generally collected and processed by the applicable payment provider. PCIL may receive limited transaction information but does not ordinarily receive complete card details.

• Employment information, such as application materials, work history, qualifications, references, and information needed during recruitment.

• Account information, if a particular PCIL website feature allows you to create an account.

• Other information you voluntarily provide.

​

Please do not submit Social Security numbers, complete payment-card numbers, passwords, medical records, or detailed case information through a general website contact form unless the form specifically requests that information and identifies an approved secure method.

​

INFORMATION COLLECTED AUTOMATICALLY

When you use our website or interact with electronic communications, PCIL and its service providers may automatically collect information such as:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, device type, operating system, and general location derived from technical information;

• pages viewed, links clicked, referring pages, dates, times, and duration of visits;

• cookie identifiers and preferences; and

• email delivery and engagement information, such as whether a message was delivered, opened, or clicked, subject to your device and email-provider settings.

​

INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM OTHER SOURCES

We may receive information from service providers, event partners, referral sources, schools, government agencies, funders, public sources, or other organizations when permitted by law and appropriate for the interaction. We may also receive information from a parent, guardian, support person, or other authorized representative acting on your behalf.

​

4. How We Use Information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to inquiries and connect people with appropriate PCIL programs, information, services, or resources;

• provide, administer, improve, and evaluate programs, services, events, memberships, and community outreach;

• process registrations, donations, memberships, applications, surveys, and other transactions or submissions;

• send requested newsletters, program updates, event information, fundraising communications, service-related notices, and other communications;

• understand website, email, campaign, and program engagement;

• improve the accessibility, clarity, relevance, and effectiveness of our website and communications;

• maintain records, protect our systems, detect misuse, troubleshoot problems, and support organizational security;

• meet contractual, grant, reporting, audit, insurance, legal, regulatory, and recordkeeping obligations;

• establish, exercise, or defend legal claims and protect the rights, safety, and property of PCIL, the people we serve, our staff, and others; and

• carry out another purpose disclosed when the information is collected or with your direction or consent.

​

Where required, PCIL will seek appropriate consent before using personal information for a materially different purpose.

​

5. Email and Other Communications

PCIL may communicate with you by email, telephone, text message, or postal mail when appropriate to your interaction with us. Communications may concern a program or service, an event registration, a transaction, an inquiry, organizational news, a survey, a scholarship, an employment application, or a charitable fundraising initiative.

​

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link included in the message. PCIL may still send nonmarketing communications when reasonably necessary for a program, event, transaction, safety notice, legal obligation, or response you requested.

​

Additional information about PCIL's email practices is available in our Email and Anti-Spam Policy.

​

6. Analytics and Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Tools

PCIL may use analytics and artificial intelligence-assisted tools for limited administrative, analytical, and communication-related tasks, such as identifying general trends, evaluating outreach, organizing information, and assisting with drafts. These tools assist staff and do not replace accountable human judgment. AI-assisted material is subject to human review before it is relied upon or published, as appropriate to the use.

​

PCIL personnel are not permitted to enter confidential case information or directly identifying sensitive information into general-purpose AI tools. This includes Social Security numbers, complete payment-card information, passwords, medical records, detailed case notes, and identifiable information about a person's disability, health, benefits, finances, accommodations, or participation in PCIL programs.

​

PCIL may authorize a different use only after reviewing the particular tool, purpose, information involved, and applicable privacy, security, contractual, and legal requirements. PCIL does not use general-purpose AI tools to make final decisions about an individual's eligibility for services, benefits, employment, accommodations, or participation in PCIL programs.

​

PCIL does not intentionally use identifiable sensitive program information to train a publicly available AI model.

​

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

PCIL and its service providers may use cookies, pixels, local storage, and similar technologies to operate the website, remember preferences, understand website usage, measure communication effectiveness, prevent fraud, and improve performance. Depending on the tools enabled, these technologies may include:

• Strictly necessary technologies, which support essential website functions and cannot generally be disabled through PCIL's cookie controls;

• Functional technologies, which remember settings or support optional website features; and

• Analytics technologies, which help us understand how visitors use the website and how the site performs.

​

Where available, you can use PCIL's cookie settings to manage nonessential technologies. You may also configure your browser to block or delete cookies. Blocking certain technologies may affect the availability or operation of some website features.

​

8. When We Disclose Information

PCIL may disclose personal information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers. We may provide information to vendors that perform services on PCIL's behalf, such as website hosting, email delivery, cloud storage, cybersecurity, event administration, donation and payment processing, form administration, analytics, recruitment, document management, and authorized AI-assisted services. We seek to limit access to information reasonably necessary to provide the service.

• Program, referral, and event partners. We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to fulfill a request, coordinate an event or service, or make a referral, consistent with applicable authorization, notice, agreement, and law.

• Government agencies, funders, auditors, insurers, and professional advisers. We may disclose information when reasonably necessary for reporting, oversight, compliance, legal, accounting, insurance, audit, or professional-advisory purposes.

• Legal, safety, and security purposes. We may disclose information when we reasonably believe disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, property, systems, or the integrity of PCIL's operations.

• Organizational changes. If PCIL merges with another organization, transfers a program to another provider, reorganizes, or dissolves, information may be transferred as part of that transition, subject to appropriate protections.

• At your direction or with your consent. We may disclose information when you direct us to do so, authorize a referral, or otherwise consent.

​

PCIL does not knowingly sell personal information for money. PCIL does not use sensitive program information for targeted advertising.

​

Some service providers may store or process information in the United States or other countries where they operate. Their handling of information is governed by their agreements with PCIL and their own applicable privacy obligations.

​

9. Sensitive Information

Because of PCIL's mission, information provided to us may include disability, health, benefits, financial, accommodation, precise-location, citizenship or immigration, or other information that may be considered sensitive under applicable law. PCIL seeks to collect only information reasonably related to the interaction, request, program, or service. We handle sensitive information according to applicable authorization, consent, notice, agreement, and legal requirements.

​

10. Children and Minors

PCIL offers certain programs and activities that may involve minors. Information relating to minors may be collected from a parent, guardian, school, agency, authorized representative, or the minor when permitted by the applicable program and law. PCIL applies additional safeguards where required.

​

Our general website is not directed to children under 13 for the independent submission of personal information. If you believe a child submitted personal information through a general website feature without appropriate authorization, please contact us using the information below.

​

11. Data Retention

PCIL retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet applicable legal, grant, contractual, audit, tax, insurance, reporting, safety, and recordkeeping obligations. Retention periods vary based on the type and sensitivity of the information, the program involved, and applicable requirements.

When information is no longer reasonably needed, PCIL will delete, de-identify, or securely dispose of it in accordance with applicable requirements and organizational procedures, subject to legal holds and other permitted exceptions.

​

12. Security

PCIL uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information based on its nature and sensitivity. These measures may include access controls, staff training, vendor review, authentication, secure storage, backups, and incident-response procedures, as appropriate.

No website, electronic transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If you believe information submitted to PCIL has been compromised, please contact us promptly.

​

13. Your Choices and Privacy Requests

Depending on applicable law and the nature of the information, you may be entitled to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of certain personal information. You may also have the right to object to or opt out of certain uses of personal information.

​

To submit a privacy request, email info@pcil.org or write to the Mercer Office address listed below. Please provide enough information for us to understand and respond to your request, but do not send highly sensitive information through ordinary email. PCIL may need to verify your identity or your authority to act for another person before completing a request.

​

Privacy rights and PCIL's ability to fulfill a request may be limited by applicable legal, contractual, program, safety, reporting, or recordkeeping requirements.

​

14. Third-Party Services and Links

PCIL's website and communications may link to or use third-party services, including Wix, donation and payment processors, registration and survey platforms, social media networks, map providers, video platforms, employment services, and community-resource websites. These third parties may collect information directly from you and maintain their own privacy policies and security practices.

PCIL does not control every third party's privacy or security practices. Please review the privacy notice of the relevant third party before providing information directly to it.

​

15. Changes to This Policy

PCIL may update this Policy as our practices, services, technology, or legal obligations change. We will publish the updated Policy with a revised effective or last-updated date. If a change materially affects how previously collected sensitive information will be used, PCIL will provide additional notice or obtain consent when required rather than relying solely on a retroactive website update.

 

16. Contact PCIL

Questions, privacy requests, or concerns may be directed to:

Email: info@pcil.org

​

Mercer Office
3635 Quakerbridge Road, Suite 40
Hamilton, NJ 08619
Telephone: (609) 581-4500

​

Hunterdon Office
1220 State Highway 31, Suite 14
Lebanon, NJ 08833
Telephone: (908) 782-1055