Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 1, 2026

Last Updated: July 28, 2026

1. Who We Are

The Aesculapius Foundation (“Foundation,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 20-0530212) based in Winston-Salem / Clemmons, North Carolina. Our mission is to advance healthcare education, veterinary diagnostic literacy, One Health awareness, professional development, and community empowerment through accessible educational resources and independent initiatives.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, retain, share, and protect information in connection with our website (aesculapiusfoundation.org) and related educational, research, and charitable activities.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information only as described below. We do not maintain public user accounts, process commercial purchases or orders, or operate marketing subscription lists on this website.

A. Information You Provide Directly

  • Contact Form (Gravity Forms): name, email address, and message content.
  • Veterinary Bill Submission Form (Gravity Forms): contact information (name, email, and any additional contact details provided), uploaded original veterinary invoices or bills (PDF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG; up to 10 files, 15 MB each), reason for visit, facility type, document type, state, approximate total, insurance status, and acknowledgment of the Version 2026-08 Consent and Data License Agreement.
  • Program and interest forms (Gravity Forms): Diagnostic Needs Assessment, Equipment Grant Request, Evaluation/Education Partnerships, Manufacturer Inquiry, Practice Interest, and Advisory Board Application. These collect contact details and responses relevant to the specific form purpose.
  • Donation forms (GiveWP): donor name, email address, address fields as supplied, donation amount, campaign or designation, and related transaction metadata.

B. Information Contained in Uploaded Documents

Veterinary invoices and similar documents that users upload may contain personal information relating to third parties (for example, names of veterinarians or clinic staff, account or invoice numbers, clinic addresses, or, less commonly, co-owner or household information). The Foundation treats such incidental third-party information as part of the restricted original submission. It is retained under the same access controls and indefinite-retention rules that apply to the original, and it is removed or de-identified before any research output or public educational material is produced. The submitter is responsible for ensuring they have the right to provide the materials; the Foundation does not independently verify third-party consent for every incidental data element.

C. Information Collected Automatically

Our hosting environment and any analytics tools we enable may automatically collect technical information such as IP address, browser type and version, device type, pages viewed, referring URL, and timestamps. Analytics tools (if activated) are limited to those needed for site operation and improvement.

3. How We Use Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

  • To respond to inquiries and administer educational, evaluation, grant, and partnership programs.
  • To process and acknowledge charitable donations.
  • For independent research and educational purposes under the applicable consent and data-license terms. For Veterinary Bill submissions, original invoices and associated contact information (including incidental third-party data contained in the originals) are retained indefinitely in restricted systems; only approved de-identified outputs are used in research datasets or public educational materials.
  • To operate, secure, maintain, and improve the website and related systems.
  • To comply with legal, regulatory, audit, and recordkeeping obligations, including any applicable data-breach notification duties.

4. Service Providers and Sharing

We share information only with service providers who process it on our behalf and only as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Current categories of providers include:

  • Website hosting: GoDaddy managed WordPress.
  • Form platform: Gravity Forms (including Webhooks and related add-ons used for controlled research ingestion).
  • Donation processing: GiveWP together with Stripe and PayPal. Payment-instrument details (card numbers, etc.) are handled by the processors; the Foundation receives donor contact information and transaction confirmation data.
  • Email delivery: FluentSMTP configured through Microsoft 365 / Outlook.
  • Anti-spam and security: Gravity Forms honeypot and submission-speed checking; Akismet; Wordfence.
  • Analytics and SEO tools: Google Site Kit and Yoast SEO (Analytics connection remains a separate operational decision).

We do not sell personal information. We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, or integrity of the Foundation, its programs, or others.

5. Retention

Retention practices are designed to support research integrity, program administration, and legal compliance:

  • Veterinary Bill originals and associated contact information (including incidental third-party data in the originals): retained indefinitely in restricted systems under the Version 2026-08 Consent and Data License Agreement. Only approved de-identified outputs enter research or educational use.
  • Other form submissions and donation records: retained as needed for operational, acknowledgment, audit, and legal purposes consistent with the Foundation’s Document Retention and Destruction Policy.
  • Technical and security logs: retained according to provider defaults and operational necessity.

The indefinite-retention rule for research-licensed originals is a specific exception to general document-retention schedules and is controlled by the Version 2026-08 Consent and Data License Agreement and this Privacy Policy. Where the Document Retention and Destruction Policy and this Policy address the same materials, the more specific research-retention rule controls.

6. Access, Correction, and Deletion Limitations

Because research submissions are made under a perpetual license with indefinite restricted retention of originals and contact information, the Foundation’s general practice is that those materials are not subject to deletion or return once submitted. Access and correction rights for research-licensed data are correspondingly limited.

This general practice is subject to any non-waivable rights that may be granted by applicable law. If a statute that applies to the Foundation requires us to honor an access, correction, or deletion request with respect to particular data, we will comply to the extent required after verifying identity and confirming the legal basis of the request. We reserve the right to retain information as required by law, for security, fraud prevention, research integrity, litigation holds, or other legitimate operational purposes.

7. Cookies, Analytics, and Do-Not-Track

The Site may use cookies or similar technologies for essential operation, security, and (if activated) analytics. Google Site Kit and Yoast SEO are installed; any Analytics connection remains an open operational decision. We currently do not respond to Do-Not-Track browser signals in a differentiated manner beyond the technical and privacy controls already described. If analytics are enabled in a way that sets non-essential cookies, we will update this section and, where required, provide appropriate notice or choice mechanisms.

8. Security and Data-Breach Notification

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information and our resources as a nonprofit. These include access controls, two-factor authentication for administrative accounts, form-level anti-spam measures, and security scanning. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

In the event of a security breach involving personal information, we will provide notification as required by applicable law, including North Carolina’s Identity Theft Protection Act (G.S. 75-65) and any other state or federal requirements that apply.

9. International Users

The Site is operated from the United States and is intended primarily for users in the United States. If you submit information from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. By submitting information you consent to that transfer and processing under this Privacy Policy and applicable U.S. law.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our website and programs are not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected such information, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The effective date will appear at the top of the policy. Continued use of the website after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or requests, please use the Contact form on our website or write to:

The Aesculapius Foundation

Email: contact@aesculapiusfoundation.org

Mailing address: 1976 Runnymede Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104