Privacy Policy — The Afghanistan Reform Organization (Team-ARO)

Effective date: September 19, 2025

1. Introduction

The Afghanistan Reform Organization (referred to as “Team-ARO”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal data through our website theafghanistanreform.org and related services.

2. Information we collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

  • Contact information: name, email address, phone number, mailing address (when you provide it).

  • Account & contribution data: login credentials, user profile, donation or membership details.

  • Communications: content of emails, contact form submissions, messages, and any attachments you send.

  • Payment information: when you donate or purchase services, we collect payment details through third-party payment processors (we do not store full payment card numbers on our servers).

  • Technical & usage data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages visited, referring/exit pages, operating system, and cookies.

  • Volunteering / employment data: resumes, background details, references — only when you apply or volunteer.

3. How we use your information

We use personal data for purposes including:

  • Operating, maintaining, and improving the website and our services.

  • Processing donations, membership fees, event registrations, and other transactions.

  • Communicating with you about your account, requests, and our programs.

  • Sending newsletters, updates, and advocacy communications (where permitted).

  • Protecting against fraud, abuse, and security threats.

  • Complying with legal obligations and responding to lawful requests.

4. Legal basis for processing (where applicable)

If you are in a jurisdiction that requires a legal basis (e.g., EU GDPR), our lawful bases include:

  • Your consent (e.g., signing up for newsletters).

  • Performance of a contract (e.g., membership or donation processing).

  • Compliance with legal obligations.

  • Our legitimate interests (e.g., security, improving services), balanced against your privacy rights.

5. Cookies and similar technologies

We and our service providers use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to operate the site, remember your settings, analyze usage, and serve relevant content. You may control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling some cookies may limit functionality.

6. Third-party services & sharing

We share data with trusted third parties only as necessary, including:

  • Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) for donations and payments.

  • Email and messaging platforms for communications.

  • Analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand site usage.

  • Contractors and service providers who support our operations.

We do not sell your personal data. We may disclose information to comply with laws, respond to legal requests, or protect rights and safety.

7. International transfers

Team-ARO may transfer and process information in countries other than your residence. When we do so, we will take appropriate steps to protect your data consistent with applicable law.

8. Data security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal data. While we strive to protect information, no security system is impenetrable — we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described (e.g., to maintain records, comply with legal obligations, or as long as you maintain an account). Retention periods vary by data type and legal requirements.

10. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights including:

  • Access to your personal data.

  • Correction or updating of inaccurate data.

  • Deletion or restriction of processing.

  • Objection to certain processing (including marketing).

  • Data portability.

  • Withdrawing consent where processing is based on consent.

To exercise rights, contact us (see Section 14). We may need to verify your identity before responding.

11. Children’s privacy

Our services are not directed at children under 16 (or a higher minimum age where required). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we collected data about a child, contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy. When changes are material, we will post a notice and update the “Effective date” above.

13. Contact

For privacy inquiries or to exercise your rights, contact:

Email: info@theafghanistanreform.org (replace with your contact)

Afghanistan Reform Team

"From Vision to Action – From Action to Change."