Privacy Policy of the Natural Resources Council of Maine
Last updated: August 6, 2026
This Privacy Policy applies to the website(s), ecommunications tools, electronic-based platforms, and all other interactive features, services, and communications published, distributed, and managed by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM, “we,” “us,” or “our”) (collectively, the “Site”), regardless of how accessed and/or used.
Changes. Our Privacy Policy will change over time, and the use of information that we gather now is subject to this Policy as modified to the extent permissible by law. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to modify and amend this Privacy Policy in any manner at any time by posting a change notice on our Site. We encourage you to check back periodically. If we make a material change to our Privacy Policy that would lessen your privacy rights, we will either continue to honor our prior Policy, or we will ask for your consent to the change. Otherwise, your continued use of our services once the revised privacy policy has been posted on our Site affirms your agreement to such changes.
Contact us. If you have questions about the Privacy Policy or do not see your concerns addressed here, please contact us by email at nrcm@nrcm.org or write the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Membership Services, 3 Wade Street, Augusta, ME 04330.
What Types of Information Are Collected. When you interact with an NRCM page or account, including on NRCM’s social media such as Facebook, we may collect personal information, such as your name, email address, telephone number, postal address, credit card, billing, and/or contact information. Once received, we automatically create a user profile linked to that personal information. If the same personal information is provided in connection with future donations, actions, or other activities on the Site, such activities will be added to that user profile. The following list includes the most common ways that you may directly provide your personal information to us.
Registration. You may choose to subscribe to NRCM e-newsletters, event invitations, and other NRCM mailing lists. Doing so may require you to provide your email address and certain other personal information.
Action Network. To send a message to elected government officials and decision-makers using our online Action Network, you will need to identify yourself by name, address, email address, phone number, or other personal information. This is necessary for your message to be effective; in addition, many government officials require it. NRCM may use this personal information to contact you with the latest issue alerts and updates. Please be aware that comments sent to federal agencies may be made available publicly, often via the web, and will sometimes include the full name and address of the person(s) submitting the comments.
“Tell Your Friends.” We always hope that you will forward our action items, news, and other information. To forward an article from our Site, you may be required to enter your name, email address, and the email address(es) of your intended recipient(s). Please note that NRCM includes your name and email address when you ask us to send a message on your behalf.
Contests. NRCM occasionally runs contests and raffles through our Site, accompanied by a set of rules, which explain that we collect entrants’ names, physical addresses, and email addresses and that we publish the names of winners. This information is treated with the same discretion that we provide to our donors.
Donations and Gifts. In order to make a donation on our Site, you will be required to input certain personal information about yourself and, if your gift is in honor of someone else and you wish notice to that individual be sent electronically, the email of the person to whom the gift is honoring. NRCM will use your personal information and the gift recipient’s personal information provided by you, in a manner consistent with our Privacy Policy. By submitting personal information about others, you represent and warrant that you have full authority to do so.
Communications Between You and NRCM. When you provide NRCM with your email address and mailing address, we may contact you to invite you to become a member of our organization. To choose not to receive these requests, please contact us at nrcm@nrcm.org or (800) 287-2345.
Additional Information NRCM Collects; Cookies and Tracking Mechanisms. We also collect information about you indirectly. For example, we may use technologies, such as cookies, which are small text files sent by our Site to your computer or other access device, that are accessed when you visit our Site in the future. We use cookies to prepopulate forms for users and to track user patterns on the Site. These cookies help us understand how users are using our Site and which pages are of greatest use and interest. The information in the cookie includes a user’s IP address and is transmitted to and stored by Google. You may at any time delete any cookies by using the option in your Internet or mobile browser or by deleting the cookies directly from your hard drive or mobile device.
Similar to cookies, we use web pixels, beacons, or tags, which are types of code or transparent graphics (sometimes called “clear GIFs” or “web beacons”) with unique identifiers that are used to understand browsing activity. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user’s computer hard drive, web beacons are rendered invisibly on web pages when you open a page. We may use these technologies to track email open rates, click-throughs, and the IP address of Site users to measure the success of communications and to discourage fraudulent uses.
NRCM may use web beacons so that we can compile aggregated statistics relating to Site operations and track access to particular parts of our Site. We prohibit web beacons on our Site from being used by third parties to collect or access your personal information.
Modification of Cookies. Please note that you can adjust the settings of your Internet or mobile browser so that your computer notifies you every time a cookie is being sent, or turn off cookies, if you prefer not to use them. You can learn more about how to modify cookies by checking your browser Help menu or the vendor documentation for your specific software. Keep in mind that if you choose to turn off cookies, some of our services and Site features may not function properly. Please be aware that if you choose to use our Site without changing your settings, you are consenting to NRCM’s use of cookies and other tools.
Analytics and Online Advertising. NRCM uses Google Analytics to track a wide range of behavioral data regarding our Site, including social media. When you interact with our Site, your web browser sends information to Google such as the URL of the page you’re visiting and your IP address (which can be used to identify your general location). You may learn more about how Google Analytics collects and processes data by reviewing its policy entitled “How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services” located at this link. In some cases, we may integrate the analytics services we use with certain Google advertising features in order to gain insights into our website visitation and so that we can adjust ad campaign strategies.
Opting Out of Google Analytics. Please note that you can modify your Ads Settings or download this browser extension to opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising and any associated advertising placement and tracking features.
In addition to Google Analytics, NRCM also uses Deep Log Analyzer so that we can further refine data gathered through the Site.
Use/Sharing of Your Information.
List Exchange. Your right to privacy is important to us. NRCM does not sell, exchange, or otherwise share your email address or telephone number with any other organization. NRCM may share or exchange names and mailing information with a like-minded group. In each instance, the list is provided for a one-time use and is sent directly to a mailing house, not the organization. NRCM members may opt out of this or similar rentals/exchanges by contacting Member Services at support@nrcm.org or (800) 287-2345. You also may mail your instructions to: Member Services, NRCM, 3 Wade Street, Augusta, ME 04330.
Required by Law. We reserve the right to access, read, preserve, and disclose any personal information to respond to law enforcement requests and as required by applicable law, court order, or governmental regulations; to enforce or apply our terms and other agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of NRCM, our employees, our volunteers, our users, or others.
Professional Advisors. We share personal information (including sensitive data) with our insurers and other professional advisors, including attorneys, accountants, consultants, and auditors, that need access to your information to provide operational or other support services on our behalf.
With Your Consent. We also may share or disclose your information with your consent or at your direction.
Your Privacy Choices.
In addition to the opt-out rights described above, you have the ability to make the following choices:
If you have chosen to receive any of our publications by email, you are able at any time to unsubscribe by clicking a link that appears in the email publication itself, by visiting Managing Your Preferences, or by contacting us at nrcm@nrcm.org or (800) 287-2345. You may use that same contact information to share your preferences for physical mailings as well.
You may update or correct your personal information provided to us by visiting Managing Your Preferences, by contacting us at nrcm@nrcm.org, or by calling (800) 287-2345.
How We Protect Your Information. Please note that when you donate a one-time or recurring gift to NRCM through our Site, we cannot see or access credit card information. It is transmitted through a secure connection and encrypted. We do not/cannot store your credit card information or in any way keep it on file. We will not disclose any donor giving information except as necessary to process your donation or as required by law.
We have put in place technical, administrative, and physical security measures that are designed to safeguard your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, and alteration. Please be aware though that, despite our best efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of the information you provide to us, and any information provided to us is at your own risk.
In the event we are required by law to notify you of a data security incident or compromise, you agree and consent to receive such notification via electronic communication, including email communication.
Data Retention. We will only retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and as set forth under this Policy, as may be required by law (including for tax and accounting purposes), or as otherwise communicated to you.
Other Websites. Our Site may link to other website content, or videos (embedded or direct links) maintained by third parties. We are not responsible for the sites, content, or videos available via those links, and we have not reviewed the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy practices of any third-party sites you choose to access.
Social Media. Our Site may include functionality that allows certain kinds of interactions between our Site and your account on a third-party website or application. For example, we may provide links on our Site to facilitate sending a communication from our Site, or we may use third parties to facilitate emails, posts or Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, or TikTok postings. If you follow NRCM on social media sites, we may collect personal information when you communicate with us within the social media sites or use functionalities, plugins, widgets, or tools from social media platforms or networks in connection with our Site (e.g., to log into an account, or to share inspiration, finds, and other content with your friends and followers on social media) or when you click “Share This” or “Like” buttons. The use of this functionality may involve the third-party site providing information, including personal information such as first and last name, email address, mailing address, approximate geographic location, search history, browser information, and other information to us.
International Use. NRCM is located in the United States. This Site is hosted in the United States and is governed by United States law. It is not intended for, or designed to attract, residents of the European Union, the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or any other jurisdiction outside of the United States. We may store and process your personal information in any country where we have facilities or in which we engage service providers. By using the Site, you understand that your information will be transferred to countries outside of your country of residence, including the United States, which may have data protection rules that are different from those of your country.
Children’s Privacy. Our Site is not intended for individuals under 16 years of age. No one under age 16 may provide any personal information to or on our Site. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from individuals under 16; and any information collected regarding individuals under 16 is limited to fundraiser participants and provided with the consent of a parent or guardian. If you are under 16, do not use or provide any personal information on this Site. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a person under 16 without the consent of a parent or guardian, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have obtained any personal information from or about a person under 16 without a parent or guardian’s consent, please contact us at nrcm@nrcm.org or (800) 287-2345 so that we may address.
Do Not Track Signals. NRCM does not track its users over time and across third-party websites to provide targeted advertising; therefore, we do not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals.
Governing Law. You agree that NRCM’s Privacy Policy and your use of this Site shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Maine. Any dispute relating to it and to your use of this Site shall be resolved solely in the state or federal courts located in Augusta, Maine.
