# Privacy Policy

- Link: https://ascendinginstitute.org/privacypolicy/
- Published: 2026-09-04T02:50:35-04:00
- Author: El

Effective date: October 30, 2026

**The short version:** We collect only what we need to run the Ascension Institute
website and member community. We never sell your personal information. Payments 
are handled by Stripe, so we never see or store your full card number. You can see,
change, download or delete your information at any time by contacting us at [info@ascendinginstitute.org](https://ascendinginstitute.org/privacypolicy/info@ascendinginstitute.org).

This Privacy Policy explains how the Ascension Institute (“Ascension Institute,”“
we,” “us” or “our”) collects, uses and protects information when you visit [ascendinginstitute.org](https://ascendinginstitute.org),
create an account, become a member or take part in our online community (together,
the “Services”). By using the Services, you agree to the practices described here.

## 1. Information We Collect

### Information you give us

 * **Account details:** your name, username, email address and password when you
   register or sign up for a membership.
 * **Profile information:** anything you choose to add to your community profile,
   such as a photo, bio, interests, “Ask me about” topics, website or social links,
   and your city, state or country. You decide who can see your location, and you
   can hide your online status in your settings.
 * **Community content:** posts, comments, replies, likes, photos, videos, audio,
   files, event RSVPs, forum topics and messages you share in the community, in 
   Spaces, in the Lounge chat or in private messages.
 * **Membership and billing details:** your membership plan, billing period, discount
   code (if any), billing name and address, and order history.
 * **Messages to us:** what you send when you contact us, book a session, register
   for an event or respond to a survey.

### Information from payment providers

Payments are processed securely by **Stripe**. Your card details go directly to 
Stripe and are never stored on our servers. Stripe shares limited information with
us, such as the last four digits of your card, the card type, expiration date and
payment status, so we can manage your membership. Stripe’s use of your information
is covered by the [Stripe Privacy Policy](https://stripe.com/privacy).

### Information from social sign-in

If you choose to sign up or log in with Google, Facebook or X (formerly Twitter),
that service shares basic profile information with us, such as your name, email 
address and profile picture, based on the permissions you approve. We never receive
your password for those services, and we never post to your social accounts. You
can disconnect a social login at any time from your account settings or from the
provider’s own settings.

### Information collected automatically

 * **Usage and device information:** your IP address, browser type, device type,
   pages visited, links clicked and the date and time of your visit. Our web server
   and security tools record this to keep the site running and secure.
 * **Activity information:** when you were last active in the community, which is
   shown to other members (for example, “Active 5 minutes ago”).
 * **Cookies:** small files stored in your browser. See “Cookies” below.

## 2. How We Use Your Information

 * To create and manage your account and membership, and to give you access to member
   features.
 * To process payments, renewals, discount codes, refunds and cancellations.
 * To run the community: showing your profile and posts to other members, delivering
   messages and notifications, and adding you to Spaces you join or that come with
   your membership or discount code.
 * To send service emails, such as receipts, password resets, membership notices,
   invitations and replies to your messages.
 * To send newsletters and the weekly community digest. Every one of these emails
   includes a one-click unsubscribe link.
 * To keep the Services safe: preventing spam, fraud and abuse, and enforcing our
   community guidelines.
 * To understand how the Services are used so we can improve them.
 * To comply with legal obligations.

## 3. AI Features

Our community may include an **AI Community Guide**. The Guide is always clearly
labeled as **AI** and never presents itself as a person. To write welcomes, replies,
conversation starters and community summaries, the Guide may send relevant community
content (such as a post it is replying to) to a third-party AI provider, such as
Anthropic, OpenAI or Google, which processes it under that provider’s terms. Private
messages are not shared with the Guide unless you message the Guide directly.

## 4. How We Share Information

**We do not sell or rent your personal information.** We share it only in these 
cases:

 * **With other members:** your profile, posts and activity are visible to other
   members according to your privacy settings and the settings of the Spaces you
   join.
 * **With service providers** who help us run the Services, only as needed to do
   their work, including:
    - Hostinger (website hosting)
    - Stripe (payment processing)
    - Our email delivery and newsletter tools
    - Google, Facebook and X (only if you choose social sign-in)
    - AI providers for the AI Community Guide (see Section 3)
 * **For legal reasons:** if required by law, or to protect the rights, property
   or safety of the Ascension Institute, our members or others.
 * **Business changes:** if the Ascension Institute is involved in a merger, sale
   or transfer of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
   We will notify you before it becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

## 5. Cookies

We use cookies that are necessary for the site to work, such as keeping you logged
in, remembering your checkout and discount code, and remembering preferences like
how you arrange the community sidebar. We also use caching to make the site faster.
If we add analytics or advertising cookies in the future, we will update this policy.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, but parts of the site,
such as logging in, may not work without them.

## 6. Embedded Content and Links

Pages and posts may include embedded content, such as videos, music or maps from
YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Spotify and similar services. Embedded content behaves
as if you visited the other website, and those services may collect information 
about you under their own privacy policies. Our site also links to other websites,
such as Amazon, AbeBooks and eBay. We are not responsible for the privacy practices
of other websites.

## 7. How Long We Keep Information

We keep your account information for as long as your account is active. Posts and
comments stay in the community until you or a moderator delete them. Billing records
are kept as long as required for tax and accounting purposes. If you ask us to delete
your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information unless we need
to keep some of it to meet a legal obligation, resolve a dispute or prevent fraud.

## 8. Your Rights and Choices

 * **View and update:** you can view and edit most of your information from your
   profile and account settings at any time.
 * **Download or delete:** you can ask us for a copy of your personal information,
   or ask us to delete it, by emailing [info@ascendinginstitute.org](https://ascendinginstitute.org/privacypolicy/info@ascendinginstitute.org).
 * **Emails:** you can unsubscribe from newsletters and the weekly digest using 
   the link in any of those emails. Service emails about your account and payments
   will still be sent while your account is active.
 * **Visibility:** you can control who sees your location and whether others can
   see when you are online.
 * **Cancel:** you can cancel your membership at any time from your account settings.

Depending on where you live, such as in California, the European Union or the United
Kingdom, you may have additional rights, including the right to correct your information,
to object to or restrict certain uses, to data portability, and to lodge a complaint
with your local data protection authority. We will not treat you differently for
exercising any of these rights. To make a request, contact us using the details 
below; we may need to verify your identity first.

## 9. Security

We use reasonable safeguards to protect your information, including encrypted (HTTPS)
connections, secure payment processing through Stripe and restricted access to member
data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee
absolute security. Please use a strong, unique password and keep it private.

## 10. Children’s Privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect
personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 where local law requires
a higher age). If you believe a child has given us personal information, please 
contact us and we will delete it.

## 11. International Visitors

The Ascension Institute is based in the United States, and your information may 
be stored and processed in the United States or other countries where our service
providers operate. By using the Services, you understand that your information may
be transferred to countries whose data protection laws may differ from those where
you live.

## 12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change 
the effective date at the top of this page, and if the changes are significant, 
we will notify members by email or with a notice in the community.

## 13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information,
please contact us:

**Ascension Institute**
Email: [info@ascendinginstitute.org](https://ascendinginstitute.org/privacypolicy/info@ascendinginstitute.org)
Website: [ascendinginstitute.org](https://ascendinginstitute.org)