Privacy Policy of IPMA (International Professional Mentor Association)

Last Updated: 2026-03-11

1. Introduction

International Professional Mentor Association (IPMA), hereinafter referred to as “IPMA”, “we”, “us”, or “our”, is a not-for-profit organization based in California, USA, with registration number C4256408.

We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.ipmaglobal.org (the “Website”) or otherwise interact with us. It also describes your rights under applicable data protection laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable.

Please read this policy carefully. If you have any questions, you can contact us at: privacy@ipmaglobal.org.

2. What Personal Data Do We Process, For What Purpose, and On What Legal Basis?

We only process your personal data when we have a legal basis to do so. The legal bases we rely on vary depending on your location and the nature of our interaction. They include:

• Contract – processing necessary for the performance of a contract with you.
• Consent – you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose.
• Legitimate Interest – processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.
• Legal Obligation – processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject.

Below we explain the categories of personal data we process, for what purposes, and on which legal basis.

a. Website Usage (Log Data)

When you visit our Website, our servers automatically collect standard log information, including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, pages you view, the date and time of your visit, and the website from which you came.

• Purpose: To ensure the Website functions properly, to analyze and improve its performance and security, and to detect and prevent attacks.
• Legal basis: Our legitimate interest in maintaining a secure and stable website.

b. Membership Registration

When you apply for membership with IPMA, we ask you to provide certain information, such as your name, country, city, telephone number, and email address. You may optionally provide additional details.

• Purpose: To create and manage your membership, communicate with you about your membership, and provide member benefits.
• Legal basis: Performance of the membership contract with you.

You may update or remove your information at any time by logging into your membership account or by contacting us. If you delete essential data, your membership may be cancelled.

c. Events (Conferences, Webinars, etc.)

When you register for one of our events, we collect your name, contact details, and any other information required for the event (e.g., dietary preferences, special needs). For conferences, we may also provide an event app where your name, country, organization, and email address may be visible to other delegates for networking purposes (you will be informed separately and may have choices).

• Purpose: To manage your registration, communicate event details, ensure your participation, and after the event to inform you about similar future events.
• Legal basis: Performance of the contract for the event; for post-event marketing, we rely on our legitimate interest in promoting our activities (you may object at any time).

d. Purchases of Goods and Services (Membership Fees, Event Tickets, Books, Certifications, etc.)

When you purchase any goods or services from us, including membership fees, event tickets, books, certifications, or other products, we collect your name, billing and shipping address (if applicable), email address, and payment details (processed by our payment provider – see section 5). We may also collect information necessary to provide the service, such as certification credentials.

• Purpose: To process your order or registration, deliver the goods or services, handle returns or cancellations, and keep records of the transaction.
• Legal basis: Performance of the contract with you.

e. Donations

If you make a donation to IPMA, we collect your name, contact details, and donation amount. Payment information is processed by our payment provider.

• Purpose: To process your donation, provide you with a receipt, and keep records for accounting and legal obligations.
• Legal basis: Performance of the donation arrangement; additionally, we have a legal obligation to keep financial records under California and US law.

f. Blog Comments

If you post a comment on our blog, we collect your name, email address, and the comment content. Your name and comment may be publicly visible.

• Purpose: To allow you to participate in discussions and to display comments on the Website.
• Legal basis: Your consent, which you give by submitting the comment. You can request removal of your comment at any time.

g. Contact Inquiries

When you contact us via email or through a contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the contents of your message.

• Purpose: To respond to your inquiry and provide assistance.
• Legal basis: Our legitimate interest in communicating with you.

h. Financial Transactions (US Legal Obligation)

As a US-based not-for-profit organization, we are required by law to keep financial records, including any payments you make to us (membership fees, event fees, book purchases, donations), for seven years to comply with federal and state tax requirements. This information is stored separately from your other records and is used only for accounting and tax compliance purposes.

• Legal basis: Legal obligation.

i. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making, including profiling, that produces legal effects concerning you.

3. Cookies

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies. For detailed information, please refer to our Cookie Policy below (section 9). You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or via the cookie banner on our Website.

4. From Whom Do We Receive Your Personal Data?

In most cases, we receive your personal data directly from you. In some instances, we may receive data from third parties, such as event partners or payment processors, but only where you have authorized them to share it with us or where it is necessary to fulfil a contract.

5. With Whom Do We Share Your Personal Data?

We may share your personal data with the following categories of third parties, strictly for the purposes described in this policy:

• Service providers who help us operate our Website and business. These include:
  • Website Hosting: Hostinger
  • Payment Processors: Stripe (for processing payments)
  • Email Communication Services: for sending membership communications, event updates, and marketing emails
  • Analytics Providers: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our Website (cookies require consent where applicable).
• Professional Advisers: Such as lawyers, accountants, and auditors where necessary.
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

6. How Long Do We Keep Your Personal Data?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

• Membership data: Retained for the duration of your membership plus a reasonable period afterward (usually up to one year) unless you request deletion earlier.
• Financial records (including donations, purchases, fees): Retained for seven years to comply with US legal and tax requirements.
• Event registration data: Retained for the duration of the event and for a reasonable period afterward (e.g., to handle post-event inquiries).
• Contact inquiries: Retained for as long as necessary to resolve your query and then deleted.

When we no longer need your data, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Know/Access: You can ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Deletion (Right to be Forgotten): You can ask us to delete your personal data, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal obligations).
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to limit the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You can ask us to provide your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time.
• Right to Non-Discrimination (for California residents): We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@ipmaglobal.org. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (e.g., 45 days for CCPA requests).

8. Making a Complaint

If you are not satisfied with how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In California, you may contact the California Attorney General’s Office. We hope, however, that you will first contact us so we can resolve any concerns.

9. Cookie Policy

a. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to the site owners.

b. Why Do We Use Cookies?

We use cookies to:

• Ensure the Website functions properly (strictly necessary cookies);
• Remember your preferences (functional cookies);
• Analyze how visitors use our Website so we can improve it (analytical/statistical cookies).

c. Types of Cookies We Use

The table below lists the cookies we use on our Website. Some cookies are placed by third‑party services.

Note: This list may be updated as we change our services. Please check this policy periodically.

d. How to Manage Cookies

You can control and/or delete cookies as you wish. You can delete all cookies already on your device and set most browsers to prevent them from being placed. If you do this, however, you may have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit a site, and some services and functionalities may not work.

Most browsers allow you to:

• See what cookies are set and delete them individually;
• Block third‑party cookies;
• Block cookies from particular sites;
• Block all cookies from being set;
• Delete all cookies when you close the browser.

To find out how to manage cookies on popular browsers, visit:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari
• Edge

10. Links to Other Websites

Our Website may contain links to external sites (e.g., our partners, social media). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page with a new “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@ipmaglobal.org