Privacy policy

Last Updated: January 23, 2023

The Videogames and Esports Foundation(VEF), an independent, section 501(c)(3) sponsoring organization that administers donor-advised funds, was organized, and operates exclusively, for charitable purposes. The Foundation provides donors the programs, tools, resources, and support to make charitable giving simple and effective. Contributions to the VEF are irrevocable and are immediately tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Contributions to the VEF can be made at times that are most effective for the donor from a tax or financial planning perspective, while grant recommendations to IRS registered 501(c)3 public charities may be made on a separate timetable to support the donor’s charitable aims. The VEF assets are invested and professionally managed, offering the potential for contributions to the VEF to grow and ultimately result in greater support for charitable organizations.

The VEF has been recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a tax-exempt charitable organization that is a public charity sponsoring organization, as described in sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (“the Code”) of 1986, as amended. The Foundation is governed by an independent Advisory Board of Directors and all activities of the VEF are subject to the Directors’ discretion, directly or through staff or other agents.

We care deeply about privacy, particularly when it comes to our student users. Videogames and Esports Foundation, Inc., and its affiliates, subsidiaries, and related corporate entities (collectively, “VEF,” “we,” “us,” and “our”), are committed to being transparent about our privacy practices, including how we collect, process, store, and disclose your personal information in connection with your use of our website, www.vef.gg (“Website”), and any online services provided in connection with our Website (together, our “Services”). 

VEF PRIVACY POLICY

VEF strives to create an inclusive, safe, and aspirational network of gaming communities for all.

By donating to the VEF, you affirm that you have read and understand this Privacy Policy and expressly consent to our collection, storage, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with its provisions, as well as our Terms of Use. All capitalized terms used in this Privacy Policy that are not defined herein shall have the meaning given to them in our Terms of Use or other applicable agreements.

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our privacy practices and contact us with any questions or concerns. If you do not want us to collect and use your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy, we encourage you not to use our Services. 

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

VEF respects your privacy. We don’t sell or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes without your express authorization. We may, however, disclose your personal information when:

  • Disclosure is necessary to perform the contractual obligations set forth in our Terms of Use and in order to provide services to you;

  • You have consented to the processing, which can be revoked at any time;

  • Disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, a court order, or to exercise or defend any impending or asserted legal claims;

  • Disclosure is necessary to further our legitimate interests, as well as those of our third-party business partners;

  • You have expressly made the information public; or

  • Disclosure is necessary in the public interest, such as to prevent crime or to protect your vital interests or those of others.

More specifically, your information may be shared under the following circumstances:

Affiliated Businesses: VEF may periodically provide our corporate partners and official sponsors with information about the numbers and demographics of our donors and supporters. Our sponsors may use this information to offer deals, discounts, and other promotional content to donors.

Legal and Safety Requirements: We may disclose information with third parties as required by law or subpoena or if we reasonably believe that such action is necessary to (a) comply with the law and the reasonable requests of law enforcement; (b) to enforce our Terms of Use or to protect the security or integrity of our Service; and/or (c) to exercise or protect the rights, property, or personal safety of VEF, our users, visitors, or others.

Aggregated Information: We may also share information with third parties in an aggregated or otherwise anonymized form that does not reasonably identify you directly as an individual. This aggregate or anonymized data may be used to evaluate and improve our Service, product functionality, and service offerings.

STORING AND SECURING YOUR INFORMATION

Storage and Processing: Your information collected through our Services may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which VEF or its affiliates or service providers maintain facilities. If you are located in the European Union or other regions with laws governing data collection and use that may differ from U.S. law, please note that we may transfer information, including personal information, to a country and jurisdiction that does not have the same data protection laws as your jurisdiction.

Data Security: The security of your information is important to us. We rely on physical, administrative, and technological procedures to assure the security, integrity, and accuracy of all personal information we collect. We conduct periodic risk assessments and work to remediate any identified security and privacy vulnerabilities in a timely manner. We also restrict employee access to personal information to only those who require it to perform their job functions. 

We employ industry-standard security measures, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology, to safeguard information provided to us during the online donation process. Other security safeguards include but are not limited to data encryption, firewalls, and physical access controls to buildings and files. 

Although we make good faith efforts to maintain the security of all Personal Information, we can’t guarantee that it will remain free from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or alteration. In the event that any information under our control is compromised as a result of a breach of security, we will take reasonable steps to promptly investigate the situation. In the event that Student Data is accessed or obtained by an unauthorized individual, we will notify impacted Students and Schools within ten (10) days of the incident, or as otherwise required in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations.

YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS 

State and federal privacy laws provide users with certain rights related to their personal information. Consistent with applicable laws, VEF gives you the option to access, change, and delete certain information, as well as determine how we communicate with you. 

Updating or Correcting Donor Information: You have the right to request that we rectify inaccurate information about you.

Modifying or Deleting Information: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information. We may not, however, be able to modify or delete your information in all circumstances.

Accessing Your Information: If you would like to review your information or have any questions about changing, or deleting your information, please contact us at contact@vef.gg.

Objecting to Processing: If we process your information based on our legitimate interests as set forth in this Privacy Policy, or in the public interest, you can object to this processing in certain circumstances. In such cases, VEF will stop processing your information unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue processing or where it is needed for legal reasons. 

CONTACT US

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our Services, please contact us at contact@vef.gg or by writing to us at VEF, 13505 S Mur-Len STE 105 #155, Olathe, KS 66062, Attention: VEF Legal Department.

Additionally, if you have a disability and would like to access this Privacy Policy in an alternative format, please let us know using the contact information above.

PRIVACY POLICY CHANGES

As we are constantly improving our Services and expanding our business, VEF reserves the right to periodically modify or update this Privacy Policy. If we modify our Privacy Policy in a material manner, such as seeking to use your information in a significantly different way than we previously disclosed, we will notify you by sending a notice to the primary email address associated with your Donation.

When we make any changes to this Privacy Policy, we will update the “last modified” date at the bottom of this page. If you object to our changes, you may terminate your VEF donation and/or discontinue the use of our Services. Continuing to use our Services after we publish changes to this Privacy Policy means that you consent to the changes.