1. Introduction
Welcome to Elevare Spirit ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website elevarespirit.org and use our services.
By accessing or using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms outlined here, please discontinue use of our website and services immediately.
This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected through our website (elevarespirit.org), related services, sales and marketing activities, and when you interact with us directly through consultations, retreats, workshops, or communications.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information that you provide directly to us, information collected automatically when you use our website, and information from third-party sources. Understanding what data we collect helps us provide better services while respecting your privacy.
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
When you engage with our services, register for events, download free resources, or contact us, you voluntarily provide us with personal information. This includes your name, email address, phone number, and any other details you choose to share.
Specifically, we collect:
Contact Information: Your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you sign up for our newsletter, register for a retreat or workshop, request a free guide, or contact us with inquiries.
Payment Information: When you book paid services, we collect billing details including credit card information, bank transfer details, or other payment method information. Note that payment processing is handled by secure third-party payment processors, and we do not store your full payment card details on our servers.
Health and Wellness Information: When you participate in our coaching sessions, retreats, or workshops, you may share information related to your spiritual journey, personal challenges, wellness goals, or mental health background. This information is treated with heightened confidentiality and is only used to tailor our services to your needs.
Communication Preferences: Information about your preferences for receiving communications from us, including newsletter subscriptions, marketing materials, and service updates.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you browse our website, certain technical information is automatically collected to improve your experience and help us understand how visitors interact with our content.
Usage Data: We collect information about how you access and use our website, including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and the date and time of your visits.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Our website uses cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences, understand how you use our site, and improve your experience.
Types of Cookies We Use:
Essential cookies are necessary for our website to function properly and cannot be disabled. They enable core features like page navigation, secure areas access, and shopping cart functionality if applicable.
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous information about page visits, time spent on pages, and error messages encountered.
Marketing cookies track your browsing activity to deliver personalized advertisements relevant to your interests. These may be set by our advertising partners and allow for retargeting across platforms.
2.3 Information From Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including payment processors who verify transaction details, email marketing platforms that confirm subscription status, and analytics providers who offer insights into website performance.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for various purposes, all aimed at providing you with exceptional spiritual coaching services while maintaining transparency about our practices.
3.1 Providing and Managing Our Services
Your information enables us to deliver the services you request, including scheduling and conducting coaching sessions, organizing and running retreats and workshops, processing payments and bookings, and providing customer support. Without this information, we simply cannot deliver our services effectively.
3.2 Communicating With You
We use your contact information to send important updates about your bookings, schedule changes, and service-related announcements. You will receive administrative messages necessary for your participation in our programs, and you may receive promotional communications about similar services that may interest you, though you can opt out of marketing messages at any time.
3.3 Improving Our Services
Your feedback and usage data help us understand what works well and what needs improvement. We analyze website traffic patterns to optimize content and user experience, conduct surveys and research to enhance our offerings, and identify and fix technical issues that affect website performance.
3.4 Legal Compliance and Security
We use information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, respond to legal requests and court orders, enforce our terms of service, and protect our rights, property, and safety as well as that of our clients and the public.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your information with certain service providers and partners who help us operate our business.
4.1 Service Providers
We work with trusted third-party companies that perform services on our behalf, including payment processors for secure transaction handling, email service providers for newsletter delivery, web hosting providers for website infrastructure, and analytics providers for understanding website performance.
4.2 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information when required by law, such as in response to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal processes. We may also share information when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, investigate potential violations of our terms, or protect the safety of our users or the public.
4.3 Business Transfers
If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or prominent notice on our website before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
Retention Periods:
Account information is retained for the duration of your relationship with us plus seven years for legal and tax purposes. Transaction records are kept for seven years from the date of transaction to comply with financial regulations. Communication preferences and newsletter subscriptions remain active until you unsubscribe. Coaching session notes related to health and wellness are retained with enhanced confidentiality for five years after your last session.
When determining retention periods, we consider the nature of the information, the purposes for which it was collected, legal requirements, and our legitimate business interests.
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include secure socket layer (SSL) encryption for data transmission, encrypted storage of sensitive information, regular security assessments and updates, restricted access to personal information among our staff, and ongoing training for team members on data protection practices.
While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to maintaining industry-standard protections.
7. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. We respect these rights and provide mechanisms for you to exercise them.
7.1 Your Rights Under GDPR (European Union)
If you are located in the European Union, you have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and request a copy. You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data. In certain circumstances, you can request deletion of your personal information. You may object to or request restriction of certain processing activities. You have the right to data portability, receiving your data in a structured, commonly used format. Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time.
7.2 Your Rights Under POPIA (South Africa)
If you are located in South Africa, the Protection of Personal Information Act grants you the right to access your personal information held by us. You may request correction, deletion, or destruction of your personal information where it is no longer needed. You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. You may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
7.3 Exercising Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below. We will respond to your request within 30 days and may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.
8. Children's Privacy
Our website and services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. Upon verification, we will promptly delete such information from our records.
9. International Data Transfers
If you access our website from outside South Africa, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in South Africa where our servers are located. Data protection laws in South Africa may differ from those in your country of residence.
By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to our facilities in South Africa and to the facilities of third parties with whom we share it as described in this Privacy Policy.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that party's site. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.
We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. Your interactions with these third parties are governed by their respective privacy policies.
11. Cookies and How to Manage Them
11.1 Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically choose to block all cookies, accept all cookies, or receive a notification when a cookie is set. The process for managing cookies varies by browser:
Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
Edge: Settings > Cookies and Site Permissions > Manage and delete cookies
11.2 Opt-Out Tools
For analytics cookies, you can opt out through tools like the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. For marketing cookies, you can visit the Digital Advertising Alliance's opt-out page or the Network Advertising Initiative's opt-out page.
11.3 Impact of Disabling Cookies
Please note that disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of our website. Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are required for basic website functionality.
12. Marketing Communications
We may send you marketing communications about our services, retreats, workshops, and promotions that may interest you. You can opt out of receiving marketing emails at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email or by contacting us directly.
After unsubscribing, you may still receive transactional emails related to your bookings and services, which are necessary for the administration of our business relationship.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated policy on our website with a revised "Last Updated" date.
For significant changes, we may also send you an email notification. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
14. Sensitive Personal Information
We recognize that some information you share with us during coaching sessions may be particularly sensitive. This includes information about your mental health, spiritual experiences, personal challenges, or life circumstances. Such information is treated with heightened confidentiality and is:
Only shared with your explicit consent, used solely for the purpose of providing our services to you, stored with enhanced security measures, and never shared with third parties except as required by law.
15. Affiliate Disclosure
Our website may contain links to third-party products or services. If you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support our mission and allows us to continue providing valuable content and services.
16. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Elevare Spirit
Email: hello@elevarespirit.org
Website: https://elevarespirit.org/contact.html
Mailing Address: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
We are committed to addressing your concerns promptly and resolving any issues related to your privacy.
17. Consent
By using our website and services, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in this Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our website after any changes to this policy constitutes acceptance of those changes.
This Privacy Policy is effective as of January 2026 and applies to all information collected through the elevarespirit.org website and related services.