Cookie Policy
Last Updated: August 30, 2026
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to website owners. Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you close your browser, while session cookies are deleted when you close your browser.
2. How We Use Cookies
When you visit our website, we use cookies to:
- Remember your cookie consent preferences
- Understand how you use our website (in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland only after you accept; elsewhere from your first visit — see "When we ask permission first" in Section 3.3)
- Analyze website traffic and user behavior (in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland only after you accept; elsewhere from your first visit — see "When we ask permission first" in Section 3.3)
- Improve our website and user experience
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Necessary Cookies (Always Active)
These cookies are essential for the website to function properly. They enable basic features like storing your cookie consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information and cannot be disabled.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| cookie-consent | Stores your cookie preferences | 12 months |
3.2 Functional Cookies (Always Active)
These cookies enable essential functionality such as donation processing and application forms. They are necessary for these services to work and cannot be disabled if you wish to use these features.
Microsoft Forms
Used for our charity application form. Microsoft Forms may load additional third-party services (including HubSpot) for form analytics and feedback collection. These services are controlled by Microsoft.
| Service | Purpose | Load Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Forms | Charity application form processing | When application modal opened |
| HubSpot (via Microsoft Forms) | Form analytics and feedback | Loaded by Microsoft Forms |
Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/
HubSpot Privacy: https://legal.hubspot.com/privacy-policy
Zeffy Payments and Ordering
Zeffy provides donation and T-shirt ordering forms embedded on our website. Form and payment information is processed by Zeffy.
| Service | Purpose | Load Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Zeffy | Donation and merchandise form processing | When a Zeffy form is viewed |
Privacy Policy: https://support.zeffy.com/legal-data-privacy-security
3.3 Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use this information to improve our website and user experience.
When we ask permission first
We use Google Consent Mode, and what it does depends on where you are. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, Google's tags set no analytics or advertising cookies and collect no identifiers from your device until you accept. They still count your visit in an aggregate, cookie-free way so we know how many people used the site — that measurement cannot be tied back to you or to your next visit.
Everywhere else, including the United States where this charity operates, analytics cookies are set from your first visit without requiring your prior opt-in — the banner is still shown, and declining turns them off — because no law there requires us to ask first. Advertising data is also shared with Google in those regions for our Ad Grants search ads — you can stop that with the Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information link in our footer or by sending a Global Privacy Control signal. Wherever you are, you can turn analytics off at any time using the Cookie Preferences link in our footer, and we will delete the cookies listed below when you do.
Microsoft Clarity is different. It records how visitors move through pages, so it runs only if you explicitly accept analytics cookies — everywhere in the world, not just in Europe. Declining, or simply not answering the banner, keeps it off.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. We use Google Analytics to understand how users interact with our website.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Distinguishes unique users | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Maintains session state | 2 years |
| _gid | Distinguishes users | 24 hours |
Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Microsoft Clarity
Microsoft Clarity is a user behavior analytics tool that helps us understand how users interact with our website through session recordings and heatmaps.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _clck | Persists Clarity User ID | 1 year |
| _clsk | Session cookie | 1 day |
Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement
3.4 Marketing Cookies (Requires Consent)
These cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for users and thereby more valuable for publishers and advertisers.
Meta Pixel (Facebook Pixel)
The Meta Pixel is an analytics tool that helps us measure the effectiveness of advertising by understanding the actions people take on our website.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _fbp | Tracks user behavior for advertising | 3 months |
| fr | Enables ad delivery and targeting | 3 months |
Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/
Google Ads conversion tracking (Ad Grants)
This site advertises through Google Ad Grants, which gives nonprofits free search advertising. Keeping that grant requires us to measure which ads lead to a donation or a volunteer sign-up, so where advertising storage is permitted Google may set the cookies below. They are advertising cookies, not analytics: the Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information link in our footer, and a browser sending Global Privacy Control, both stop them being set and delete the ones already on your device.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _gcl_au | Links an ad click to a later action on this site | 3 months |
| _gcl_aw, _gcl_dc, _gcl_gb | Records which kind of ad click brought you here; which one is set depends on the ad | 90 days |
| _gac_<property-id> | Carries ad-click details to our analytics property so a conversion can be credited | 90 days |
We do not enable personalized or remarketing advertising. Ad Grants accounts cannot use it, and we leave that signal switched off.
4. How to Manage Cookies
You have several options for managing cookies:
4.1 Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner. You can:
- Accept All: Allow all cookies including analytics and marketing
- Decline All: Only essential cookies will be used
- Customize: Choose which types of cookies you want to allow
4.2 Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically:
- View what cookies are stored and delete them individually
- Block third-party cookies
- Block all cookies from specific websites
- Block all cookies from being set
- Delete all cookies when you close your browser
Please note that if you block all cookies, you may not be able to use all features of our website.
4.3 Opt-Out Links
You can opt out of specific third-party cookies:
- Google Analytics: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Meta (Facebook): Facebook Ad Settings
5. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
This site reads the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal and treats it as an opt-out of advertising data sharing, applied before any Google tag loads — so a browser sending GPC never has advertising cookies set. We do share advertising data with Google to measure our Google Ad Grants search ads, which California law may treat as “sharing”, and that is exactly what GPC opts you out of. You can also use the Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information link in the footer. Do Not Track is a separate, deprecated signal with no agreed meaning, and we do not act on it. GPC does not switch off basic analytics, which you control separately: outside the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland analytics cookies are set automatically (see "When we ask permission first" in Section 3.3), and any visitor can turn them off at any time via the Cookie Preferences link in the footer — we delete the cookies we set when you do. Microsoft Clarity and the Meta Pixel stay off everywhere unless you explicitly opt in.
6. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please review this policy periodically for changes.
7. Contact Us
If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:
- Organization: Shaw Spouses' Club
- Email: shawspousesclub@outlook.com
- Location: Shaw AFB, SC
8. More Information
For more information about how we handle your personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.