Last Updated: July 2016
Design-Build Institute of America (“DBIA”) has developed this Privacy Policy statement (“Privacy Policy”) to assist visitors to or end users of (referenced herein with “you” or “your” or generally, as a “user”) the dbia.org web site operated by DBIA or the mobile and social media network version(s) thereof (referenced collectively herein as the “Site”) in understanding the personally identifiable information (“PII”) collection and use practices for the Site. PII, as such term is used herein, includes information that can identify a specific individual, such as a name, address, phone number, or email address. Please review this Privacy Policy before using or submitting PII to the Site. If you do not agree with the Privacy Policy, do not use the Site.
Information DBIA Collects
THE TYPES OF DATA COLLECTED BY DBIA WILL VARY WITH YOUR PARTICULAR USE OF THE SITE. Below, DBIA provides more specific examples.
Contact Information: DBIA may require you to provide certain contact information, such as, without limitation, your name, phone number, address, and email address.
Demographic & Survey Information: DBIA may collect demographic and general profile data (e.g., educational, interest, professional, and geographic information).
Financial Information: DBIA may collect credit or debit card information.
Transactional Information: DBIA may create and maintain a database of aggregated information about the transactions that occur on the Site (e.g., tool or feature (and related database) utilization, registration information, and activity, navigation, exit page tracking, or content selection data).
Technical Information: DBIA may also collect Internet Protocol (IP) addresses or a unique identifier for a mobile device from users of the Site as well as the date and time of access and the Web page(s) accessed. DBIA may also catalog your log-in information and the type of computer, browser, or operating system you use.
Use of Information
DBIA may use data to operate the Site and provide and/or improve certain of the Site’s features, tools, functionality, or related services. Below, please find additional information on how DBIA may use data collected from the Site.
Contact Information: DBIA may use your contact information (i) to advertise DBIA’s events, programs, products, services or software solutions, including through DBIA’s direct mail efforts, (ii) to create a personalized experience for you when using the Site, (iii) to provide you with news, materials, and information, (iv) to assist with security or fraud prevention or response measures, (v) to facilitate a website feature or tool that requires user input, such as certification registration or renewal, (vi) to allow you to make a payment or donation, (vii) to allow you to participate or register for a DBIA activity, event, or program, (viii) to get in touch with you with respect to any (a) transactions conducted through the Site, such as making a donation, registering for an event or program, or ordering materials, (b) support or customer service, (c) material changes made by DBIA to the Site’s policies and/or agreements, or (d) new programs, events, products, services or software solutions offered by DBIA, or (viii) for any other lawful purposes as determined by DBIA in DBIA’s sole discretion.
DBIA may also share your contact information with third parties including, without limitation, DBIA’s vendors, advertisers, or business partners, to (i) facilitate or implement the foregoing DBIA usage, (ii) advertise the services or activities of others, or (iii) process payments, order fulfillment, or donations. In addition, DBIA may (x) supplement the PII collected from you with information about you obtained from other sources, such as, without limitation, from DBIA’s vendors, advertisers, or business partners, or (y) engage in cross-border transfers of PII with respect to any of the foregoing use of the contact information.
The Site may also offer message boards or interactive communication functionality. This functionality will identify a user (as the user designates during the registration process(s)). DBIA also wishes to remind you that any information you disclose in these areas, including any PII, will become public information.
Demographic & Survey Information: DBIA may use demographic information for marketing, administrative, management, and monitoring purposes in order to continue to provide or improve the Site. In addition, DBIA may share survey results and aggregated demographic data collected through the Site with DBIA’s vendors, business partners, the general public, the news media, and with the U.S. Government and state governments, not only as may be required by law, but also for advertising purposes, for release to third parties, and to participate in government programs and initiatives. But, such survey or aggregated information will not identify any particular user.
Financial Information: DBIA will use financial information to facilitate a payment or donation.
Transactional Information: DBIA may use transactional information for marketing, administrative, and support purposes in order to provide or improve the Site or any software solutions, programs, events, products or services that DBIA may offer. In addition, DBIA may also share such transactional data on an aggregated basis (which will not identify any particular user) with or to third parties, including, without limitation, vendors, advertisers, or business partners.
Technical Information: DBIA may use technical information, such as your IP address or browser type, to help diagnose problems with DBIA’s servers, analyze Site usage trends, track user movements on the Site, and to otherwise administer, improve, manage, and monitor DBIA’s Site.
Business Transactions: In the event that DBIA goes through a business transaction, such as a bankruptcy event, merger, investment transaction, or acquisition by another entity involving the sale of all or a portion of DBIA’s assets or ownership interests (or equity), please note that the PII collected and retained by DBIA may be among the assets transferred or reviewed.
Legal Action. DBIA may disclose PII when legally required to do so in accordance with subpoenas, government requests or regulations, or legal proceedings. DBIA may also disclose PII to protect against misuse or unauthorized use of the Site or as is otherwise required to limit legal liability, protect or defend DBIA’s rights, property, or interests, or protect the safety, rights, or property of others.
Cookies
DBIA or DBIA’s vendors may use cookies, Web beacons, tags, log-in files, and/or other similar data collection or tracking techniques to enhance and/or monitor your experience while using DBIA’s Site. Cookies and other related techniques are generally pieces of information, which DBIA uses for record-keeping purposes and which the Site may transfer to DBIA and/or your computer’s Web browser for storage on DBIA’s server(s) or your computer’s hard drive.
Cookies and other related techniques enable DBIA to manage and/or customize your experience on the Site, including available advertisements. Cookies and other related techniques also make Web-surfing or Site review easier by automatically performing certain functions such as saving your personal preferences and by providing targeted content.
Many consider the use of cookies and such identifiers to be an industry standard measure. Consequently, your Web browser is likely set to accept cookies or allow other identifiers. If you would prefer not to receive cookies or allow identifiers, however, you can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies or surf anonymously. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies or surf anonymously, you should understand that it is possible that some areas of DBIA’s Site will not function properly or as quickly or may require you to log in (again).
Links to Third Party Sites
To the extent hyperlinks or gateways are utilized to access external or third party sites (not controlled, owned, or operated by DBIA), you should be aware that these external or third party sites may collect PII and are not subject to this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy applies only to the Site. DBIA suggests that you check the privacy policies of other Web sites to determine how the proprietors of these third party sites will utilize your PII. Data Security DBIA maintains data security measures for the Site to protect the PII under DBIA’s control against unauthorized access and disclosure. These measures include the implementation of reasonable technical, physical and administrative data security safeguards. More sensitive information, namely, your credit or debit card number, are encrypted and protected with the encryption software SSL when transmitted to DBIA. Credit card information is not stored or re-used. Only authorized personnel with specific IDs and passwords can access credit card information solely for the purpose of processing authorized transactions. DBIA also requires that the vendors DBIA engages with respect to the Site (and use of the PII) employ reasonable safeguards when carrying out their services on DBIA’s behalf. Vendors to whom DBIA discloses PII must also agree to contractual requirements consistent with this Privacy Policy. Notwithstanding the foregoing, DBIA cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any PII.
Opt-Out
The collection, use, and sharing of your PII may be necessary for DBIA to provide certain features, programs, events, resources, products, services and software solutions made available on the Site, and to operate and/or improve the Site. For example, all users who register to access and use the Site will need to submit certain PII to DBIA. However, under other circumstances, you can decide if you wish to provide your PII to DBIA or opt-out of doing so. Specifically, users may opt-out of including the PII they provide to DBIA in connection with the following activities: (i) email communications, newsletters, or postal or facsimile communications sent by DBIA, (ii) (offline or online) donor communications, (iii) advertising arrangements, and (iv) sharing arrangements with DBIA’s vendors or business partners for donation purposes. DBIA also recommends review of your browser settings to determine if additional opt-outs are available.
What about Children?
DBIA cares about the safety of children on DBIA’s Site and encourages parents and guardians to monitor their children’s use of the Internet. Although the Site is suitable for a general audience, the Site is intended for use only by users who are over eighteen (18) years of age. Accordingly, DBIA does not knowingly solicit PII from children or send them requests for personal information. If you become aware that your child has provided PII to DBIA, please contact DBIA immediately so that such information can be deleted and DBIA otherwise discontinues any further services provided to such child.
What about Governing Law?
This Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia, U.S.A. If you are located outside of the United States when you use the Site, any information you submit thereto will be transferred to the United States. Accordingly, by using the Site and submitting PII thereto, you therefore authorize the transfer of your PII to the United States. If any part of this Privacy Policy is determined to be invalid or unenforceable pursuant to applicable law, then the invalid or unenforceable provision or part will be deemed suspended by a valid, enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original provision or part and the remainder of this Privacy Policy shall continue in full force and effect.
Changes in DBIA’s Privacy Policy
DBIA reserves the right in DBIA’s sole discretion to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If DBIA makes changes to this Privacy Policy, DBIA will post those changes at this location or otherwise provide you notice of any material changes. Please review this Privacy Policy on a periodic basis. If you do not agree with the Privacy Policy, do not use the Site.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, requests to change any PII that DBIA stores and maintains, or wish to opt-out or have the PII under DBIA’s control deleted, you can contact DBIA at [email protected]. Postal mail communications should be directed to the following:
Attn: Privacy
1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20004
Please reference “privacy” or “privacy policy” in the subject line of any related communication.