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Privacy Policy

How we handle your information, and the choices you have.

Last updated: July 15, 2026Effective: July 15, 2026

Introduction & scope

The Veterans Transition Center of California ("VTC," "we," "us," or "our") helps Veterans in need get back on their feet. We respect your privacy. We wrote this policy to be easy to read.

This policy explains what information we collect when you use our website, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. It covers this website and the ways you contact us or support us through it, including donations and forms.

VTC is a nonprofit organization. Our legal name is Veterans Transition Center of California. Our EIN is 77-0431413. By using our website, you agree to this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

This page is written in plain language for the people we serve. It is not legal advice.

Information we collect

We collect two kinds of information: information you give us, and information collected automatically when you use the site.

Information you provide

You may choose to share information with us. This happens when you donate, fill out a form, ask for help, sign up for updates, or contact us. It can include:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Your phone number
  • Your mailing address
  • Donation information, such as the amount and date. Your card details go straight to our payment processors — see Payment processing below.
  • Information you enter in a form or intake request, including messages you send us

Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, some information is collected automatically by our servers and the tools we use. It can include:

  • Your IP address (a number that identifies your internet connection)
  • Your device and browser type
  • Cookie IDs and similar identifiers (see Cookies & tracking technologies)
  • Usage and analytics data, such as which pages you view and how you got to our site

How we use your information

We use your information to run our programs and keep this website working. We use it to:

  • Respond to your questions and requests for help
  • Process and thank you for your donations
  • Connect you with the right programs and services
  • Send you updates or newsletters you asked for
  • Improve our website and understand how people use it
  • Keep the site secure and prevent fraud or abuse
  • Meet our legal, tax, and reporting duties as a nonprofit

We only use your information for the reasons in this policy, or for reasons we explain to you when you share it.

Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only in these limited ways:

  • Service providers who work for us, such as our payment processors, email tools, and website and analytics providers. They may only use your information to do work for us.
  • When you ask us to, for example to refer you to a partner program you request.
  • For legal reasons, if the law requires it, or to protect the safety, rights, or property of VTC, our staff, or the public.

We do not share your personal information with other organizations for their own marketing. See Donor privacy for our full pledge.

Analytics & advertising (Google)

Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our site, so we can make it better. Google Analytics uses cookies and device identifiers to collect information such as the pages you visit and how you reached our site.

Google may process this information on our behalf. You can learn more in Google's article, How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services (opens in a new tab).

Google Ads and Google Ad Grants

We use Google Ads conversion tracking to see which ads and pages lead people to take action, such as donating or contacting us. As a nonprofit, we also take part in Google Ad Grants, a program that helps eligible charities show ads in Google search results.

Remarketing and advertising features

We use Google's advertising features, including Google Signals, remarketing, and Customer Match. With these features, first- and third-party cookies work together to show you our ads based on your past visits to our website.

You can control or opt out of this kind of advertising here:

VTC may use your contact information to reach you with VTC's own fundraising messages, both by email and through advertising platforms. This can include uploading a hashed (scrambled) version of your email to Google Customer Match. When we do this, Google acts as VTC's service provider for VTC's own ads.

VTC does not target or personalize advertising using disability, veteran-health, homelessness, or financial-hardship signals. We never pass personal information — such as names, emails, or veteran or health details — into analytics or advertising parameters.

Cookies & tracking technologies

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device. We use cookies and similar tools to make the site work, remember your preferences, measure how the site is used, and support the advertising described above.

Some cookies are essential — the site cannot work properly without them. Others are optional, such as analytics and advertising cookies.

We use a self-hosted cookie consent banner. If you are in the United States, non-essential cookies are on by default and you may opt out. If you are in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, non-essential cookies stay off until you opt in. Our banner uses Google Consent Mode v2 to apply your choice.

You can also manage or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the site works.

Do Not Track & Global Privacy Control

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as opt-out requests for non-essential analytics and advertising cookies. GPC is a setting you can turn on in some browsers and extensions. It tells websites you want to opt out of tracking.

"Do Not Track" (DNT) is an older browser setting. There is no common industry standard for how websites should respond to it, so we do not respond to DNT signals. Instead, we honor GPC, which is the current, supported way to signal your choice.

Third parties, including Google, may collect information about your online activity over time and across different websites when you use our site. They use this information to measure our site and, where you have not opted out, to show you relevant ads.

You can limit this using the opt-out tools listed under Analytics & advertising, your cookie choices, or the GPC signal described above.

Payment processing

VTC does not collect, process, or store full payment card numbers. Online donations are processed by Fundraise Up and Stripe. Both are certified PCI DSS Level 1 compliant, which is the highest security standard in the payment industry. They encrypt and tokenize your card details, so the information is protected.

"Tokenized" means your card number is replaced with a secure stand-in code, so we never see or keep your actual card number. To learn how these processors handle your information, see the Fundraise Up privacy policy (opens in a new tab) and the Stripe privacy policy (opens in a new tab).

Donor privacy

We are grateful for every gift, and we protect our donors' privacy.

We do not sell, rent, trade, or share your personal information with other organizations for their own marketing.

What we collect from donors

When you donate, we may collect your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and details about your gift, such as the amount, date, and whether it is one-time or recurring. Your card details go straight to our payment processors, not to us.

Reviewing and correcting your information

You may ask us to review, update, or correct the donor information we hold about you. Email info@vtcmonterey.org and we will help.

Opting out by channel

You can ask us to stop contacting you through any channel:

  • Mail — ask us to remove you from our postal mailing list.
  • Email — use the unsubscribe link in any email, or ask us directly.
  • Phone — tell us you would prefer not to receive calls.
  • Text — reply STOP or ask us to stop (note we do not currently send marketing texts).

When you ask us to stop, we do it promptly. Once you opt out of a channel, we keep only the minimum information needed to remember your choice.

Email communications

If you sign up for updates or make a donation, we may send you email about our work, events, and fundraising.

Every marketing or fundraising email we send includes VTC's postal mailing address and a working unsubscribe link. If you unsubscribe, we honor your request promptly. You may also email info@vtcmonterey.org to opt out.

We may still send you non-marketing messages, such as a receipt for a donation or a reply to a question you sent us.

Text messages

VTC does not currently send marketing text messages. If this changes, we will update this policy and give you a clear way to opt out.

Children's privacy

This website is meant for adults. It is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and we will delete it if we learn we have. Parents or guardians may contact us at info@vtcmonterey.org.

Your California privacy rights

VTC is a nonprofit that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3). The CCPA and CPRA apply only to for-profit "businesses," so VTC is generally not subject to those laws.

Even so, we want to do right by the people we serve. We are not legally required to, but VTC will honor requests from California residents to know, delete, or correct the personal information we hold. To make a request, email info@vtcmonterey.org. We may need to verify your identity before we act on a request.

"Shine the Light" (California Civil Code 1798.83)

We do not share personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing, so California Civil Code 1798.83 does not require us to do more.

Data security, retention & your choices

How we protect your information

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect your information, such as encryption in transit and limiting who can access it. No method of storage or transmission over the internet is 100% secure, so we cannot promise absolute security.

How long we keep it

We keep your information only as long as we need it for the reasons in this policy, or as long as the law requires — for example, to keep tax and donation records. When we no longer need it, we delete it or remove the details that identify you.

Your choices

  • Update your information by emailing info@vtcmonterey.org.
  • Opt out of marketing by channel (see Donor privacy and Email communications).
  • Manage cookies and ads with our consent banner, your browser settings, GPC, and the opt-out links above.

Changes & how to contact us

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we post the new effective date at the top of this page. If we make major changes, we will announce them, for example with a notice on our website.

If you have questions about this policy or your information, please contact us:

Veterans Transition Center of California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.