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Privacy Policy

Effective date: 17 August 2026

Blue Sands Foundation respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information responsibly, securely and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through our website, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices available to you.

1. Who We Are

Blue Sands Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation working to improve public health, environmental sustainability and community resilience across The Gambia.

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For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact:

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Blue Sands Foundation Gambia
Kings Junction
Lamin Town, West Coast Region
The Gambia

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Email: info@bluesandsfoundation.gm
Telephone: +220 83 3296850

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following information when you use our website or communicate with us.

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Information You Provide

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This may include:

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  • Your name

  • Email address

  • Telephone number

  • Country, city or location

  • Organisation and job title

  • Partnership interests

  • Information included in an enquiry or message

  • Newsletter preferences

  • Donation amount and transaction details

  • Any other information you choose to provide

 

Please do not submit sensitive personal information unless it is necessary and we have specifically requested it.

 

Donation Information

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When you make a donation, we may collect your name, contact details, donation amount, payment status and information required to issue a receipt or maintain financial records.

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Payments may be processed by an independent payment provider. Blue Sands Foundation does not normally receive or store complete debit or credit card details. Payment providers process that information under their own privacy policies and security standards.

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Website and Device Information

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When you visit the website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

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  • Internet Protocol address

  • Browser and device type

  • Operating system

  • Pages visited

  • Referring website

  • Date and time of access

  • General location derived from an IP address

  • Cookie identifiers and preferences

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use personal information to:

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  • Respond to questions, messages and requests

  • Review and manage partnership enquiries

  • Process donations and issue acknowledgements or receipts

  • Maintain financial, administrative and donor records

  • Send newsletters when you have subscribed

  • Provide information about our programmes, research and impact

  • Coordinate volunteering or community participation

  • Manage relationships with partners, donors and supporters

  • Improve the website and understand how it is used

  • Protect the website against misuse, fraud and security threats

  • Meet legal, regulatory, safeguarding and reporting obligations

  • Establish, exercise or defend legal rights

 

We will only use personal information for the purpose for which it was collected or for a compatible purpose.

4. Our Reasons for Processing Information

Depending on the circumstances, we process personal information because:

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  • You have given your consent

  • Processing is necessary to respond to your request

  • Processing is necessary to manage a donation, partnership or other relationship

  • We have a legitimate organisational interest, such as improving our services or protecting our website

  • We must comply with a legal or regulatory obligation

  • Processing is necessary to protect an individual’s vital interests

 

You may withdraw your consent at any time. This will not affect processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.

5. Email Updates

We will only send newsletters or promotional updates when you have requested them or otherwise consented to receive them.

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Every marketing email will provide a way to unsubscribe. You may also unsubscribe by contacting info@bluesandsfoundation.gm.

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We may still send essential administrative messages relating to a donation, enquiry, partnership or service you requested.

6. Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

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  • Keep the website functioning correctly

  • Remember visitor preferences

  • Maintain website security

  • Understand website traffic and performance

  • Improve content and visitor experience

 

Where required, non-essential cookies will not be activated until you provide consent.

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You can accept, reject or adjust non-essential cookies through the website’s cookie controls. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.

More information is available in our Cookie Policy.

7. How We Share Information

We do not sell or rent personal information.

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We may share information only when reasonably necessary with:

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  • Website-hosting and technical-service providers

  • Payment processors and financial institutions

  • Email and newsletter providers

  • Professional advisers, auditors and accountants

  • Government bodies, regulators or law-enforcement authorities when legally required

  • Programme or research partners when necessary for an agreed activity and subject to appropriate safeguards

  • Successor organisations in connection with a lawful organisational restructuring

 

Service providers may only use information to perform authorised services and must handle it securely.

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We will not disclose information to a programme or research partner for an unrelated purpose without an appropriate legal basis or your consent.

8. International Data Transfers

Some website, payment, email or cloud-service providers may store or process information outside The Gambia.

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Where information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that it receives appropriate protection. This may include contractual safeguards, security requirements and assessments of the recipient’s data-protection practices.

9. How Long We Keep Information

We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet legal, financial, safeguarding and reporting obligations.

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Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information. For example:

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  • General enquiries will be retained only while they remain relevant

  • Newsletter information will be retained until you unsubscribe or the mailing list is discontinued

  • Partnership records may be retained for the duration of the relationship and a reasonable period afterwards

  • Donation and financial records may be retained for the period required by applicable accounting, audit and legal obligations

 

When information is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise or archive it in accordance with our internal procedures.

10. Information Security

We use reasonable organisational and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information against:

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  • Unauthorised access

  • Accidental loss

  • Misuse

  • Alteration

  • Unlawful disclosure

  • Destruction

 

These measures may include access controls, secure systems, staff confidentiality requirements, software updates and appropriate oversight of service providers.

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No website or electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should avoid sending confidential or highly sensitive information through an unencrypted website form.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website is intended for a general audience and is not designed to collect personal information directly from children without appropriate consent.

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If a child’s information is required for a programme, story, photograph or other activity, Blue Sands Foundation will apply appropriate safeguarding, consent and privacy procedures.

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If you believe a child has submitted personal information through the website without appropriate permission, please contact us so that we can review and, where appropriate, remove it.

12. Photographs and Community Stories

We may publish photographs, videos, testimonials or stories about our programmes and their impact.

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We will seek appropriate permission before publishing identifiable information, particularly where children or vulnerable individuals are involved. Consent may be withdrawn for future use by contacting us, although it may not always be possible to recall materials already distributed or published.

13. Your Rights and Choices

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

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  • Ask what personal information we hold about you

  • Request access to your information

  • Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information

  • Request deletion of your information

  • Object to or restrict certain uses of your information

  • Withdraw consent

  • Unsubscribe from marketing communications

  • Request a portable copy of information you provided

  • Raise a concern about how your information is handled

 

These rights may be limited where we must retain or process information to comply with legal, financial, safeguarding or other legitimate obligations.

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To make a request, email info@bluesandsfoundation.gm. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

14. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites, publications, payment services or social-media platforms.

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Blue Sands Foundation is not responsible for the content, security or privacy practices of third-party services. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing personal information.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our website, services, legal obligations or information-handling practices.

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The revised policy will be published on this page with a new effective date. Significant changes may also be communicated through the website or by another appropriate method.

16. Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests or concerns, contact:

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Blue Sands Foundation Gambia
Kings Junction
Lamin Town, West Coast Region
The Gambia

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Email: info@bluesandsfoundation.gm
Telephone: +220 83 3296850

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