Common Ground

Effective Date:1/1/2025
Last Updated: 5/21/25

Introduction

Common Ground (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website www.gocommon.org (the “Service”). We are a community development organization dedicated to promoting economic development and social growth, aligning workforce training, fostering job creation, and strengthening the overall prosperity of the neighborhoods we serve.

Our mission is to empower micro and small businesses, entrepreneurs, and underserved community members with social, business, financial, and technical assistance and resources. We promote community revitalization through the restoration of vacant and abandoned property to create or preserve affordable housing, and repurpose commercial and industrial property for community development.

This Privacy Policy informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

When you interact with our services, we may collect the following types of personal information:

Contact Information:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Mailing address
  • Company or organization name

Business and Program Information:

  • Business type and industry
  • Services of interest (virtual office, flex desk, co-work space, event space)
  • GROUND UP membership preferences
  • LEAP program application details
  • Nonprofit formation requirements
  • Property development and community revitalization interests
  • Financial information for funding programs (when applicable)
  • Workforce training and job creation needs

Communication Records:

  • Correspondence through our contact forms
  • Email communications
  • Phone call records
  • Meeting notes and consultation records

Information Automatically Collected

Technical Information:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Device information
  • Pages visited and time spent on our site
  • Referring website information

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze website traffic, and understand user preferences. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences.

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Service Delivery

  • Providing virtual and flex desk office space solutions
  • Managing co-work space and event space facilities
  • Processing membership applications for our GROUND UP membership program
  • Delivering our LEAP (Local Entrepreneur Accelerator Program) services
  • Providing comprehensive back-office support and business consulting
  • Facilitating nonprofit formation and support services
  • Offering professional branding and customized CRM/ERP solutions
  • Supporting workforce training and job creation initiatives
  • Assisting with property restoration and community development projects

Communication

  • Responding to inquiries and support requests
  • Sending program updates and newsletters (with consent)
  • Providing important service announcements
  • Facilitating networking opportunities within our community

Business Operations

  • Improving our services and user experience
  • Conducting research and analysis for program development
  • Complying with legal and regulatory requirements
  • Protecting against fraud and unauthorized access

Marketing and Outreach

  • Promoting our services and programs (with consent)
  • Sharing success stories and community impact (with permission)
  • Developing targeted content and resources

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

For users in the European Union, we process your personal data based on:

  • Consent: When you explicitly agree to receive marketing communications
  • Contract: To fulfill our services and membership agreements
  • Legitimate Interest: To improve our services and support community development
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in:

  • Website hosting and maintenance
  • Payment processing
  • Email marketing services
  • Customer relationship management
  • Event management platforms

These providers are contractually bound to protect your information and use it only for specified purposes.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the business transaction. You will be notified of any such change via email or website notice.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

  • Comply with legal processes or government requests
  • Protect our rights and property
  • Ensure the safety of our users and the public
  • Investigate potential violations of our terms of service

Community Partners

With your explicit consent, we may share relevant information with:

  • Partner organizations for collaborative economic development programs
  • Funders and investors for program reporting (anonymized when possible)
  • Local economic development agencies for community impact assessment
  • Workforce training partners and job creation initiatives
  • Property restoration and community revitalization partners
  • Nonprofit sector collaborators and support networks

Data Security

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your personal information:

Technical Safeguards:

  • SSL encryption for data transmission
  • Secure server hosting with regular backups
  • Access controls and authentication measures
  • Regular security audits and updates

Administrative Safeguards:

  • Staff training on privacy and security practices
  • Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular review of data handling procedures
  • Incident response protocols

Physical Safeguards:

  • Secure facilities with controlled access
  • Locked storage for physical documents
  • Secure disposal of sensitive materials

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

  • Provide our services and maintain your account
  • Comply with legal, financial, and regulatory requirements
  • Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements
  • Fulfill legitimate business purposes

Specific retention periods:

  • GROUND UP membership records: Duration of membership plus 7 years
  • LEAP program participant records: 7 years after program completion
  • Financial records: 7 years for tax and regulatory compliance
  • Property development records: 10 years for legal compliance
  • Marketing communications: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
  • Website analytics: Up to 2 years

Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Portability

  • Request a copy of your personal data
  • Obtain your data in a portable format

Correction and Updates

  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Update your contact preferences

Deletion

  • Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
  • Remove your information from marketing communications

Control and Consent

  • Withdraw consent for data processing where applicable
  • Opt out of marketing communications
  • Control cookie settings through your browser

Complaints

You have the right to file a complaint with supervisory authorities if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

To exercise these rights, contact us at admin@gocommon.org or use the contact information provided below.

Children’s Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information promptly.

International Data Transfers

If you are located outside the United States, please note that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where our servers and central database are located. By using our services, you consent to this transfer.

For European Union users, we ensure adequate protection through appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. We will:

  • Post the updated policy on our website
  • Update the “Last Updated” date
  • Notify users of significant changes via email or website notice
  • For material changes, obtain renewed consent where required

Contact Information

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

Common Ground
Email: admin@gocommon.org
Website: www.gocommon.org
Phone: 609-450-3288

Data Protection Officer (if applicable):
Email: admin@gocommon.org

We are committed to addressing your privacy concerns promptly and transparently. Please allow up to 30 days for us to respond to your requests.

Acknowledgment

By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to our collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described herein.