Welcome to the Global Institute of Planning & Sustainable Development

1. Who we are

The Global Institute of Planning and Sustainable Development ("the Institute", "we", "us") is responsible for the personal data described in this policy. Our head office is at 19624 Governor's Highway, Suite 123, Flossmoor, Illinois 60422, USA. You can contact us about data protection at support@globalinstitutepsd.org.

2. Information we collect

Account details: your name, username, email address, password (stored only in encrypted, hashed form), phone number, country, city and, if you choose, your organisation, profile photo and time zone. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google.
Learning records: courses you enrol in, lesson progress, assessment submissions, grades and certificates.
Payment information: amounts, dates, references and payment status. Card details are entered directly with our payment providers and are never stored by the Institute.
Conference registrations: name, contact details, organisation and designation, nationality, country of residence, requests for a visa invitation letter, and any dietary or accessibility requirements you share.
Donations: your name, email, phone (optional), gift amount, the area you choose to support, any dedication, and whether you wish to remain anonymous.
Communications: messages sent through our contact form or support tickets, and your newsletter subscription.
Technical data: IP address, browser and device type, pages visited and security logs, collected automatically to keep the Services working and secure.

3. How we use your information

To create and manage your account and deliver courses, assessments and certificates.
To process payments, installments, conference registrations and donations, and to send receipts and confirmations.
To organise events, including arranging accommodation, transport and invitation letters you request.
To respond to enquiries and provide support.
To send newsletters and updates you have subscribed to. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every newsletter.
To maintain the security of the Services, prevent fraud and meet our legal and accounting obligations.
To understand how our programmes are used and improve them.

4. Legal bases

Where data protection laws such as the EU/UK GDPR or the Nigeria Data Protection Act apply, we rely on: contract (to provide the courses, events and services you sign up for); consent (for newsletters and optional cookies, which you can withdraw at any time); legitimate interests (to run, secure and improve the Institute's services); and legal obligation (for example, financial record keeping).

5. Payments

Payments are processed by Stripe, Paystack and Flutterwave, which are responsible for handling your card details securely under industry standards such as PCI-DSS. We receive confirmation of the payment, its amount and a reference, which we use to confirm your enrolment, registration or gift.

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only where necessary with:

Service providers who help us run the Services, such as payment processors, website and database hosting, email delivery, media storage (Cloudinary) and Google sign-in, under appropriate confidentiality and data protection terms;
Event partners such as hotels and transport providers, limited to what is needed to deliver the conference package you booked;
Authorities where we are required by law, or to protect the rights, safety and security of the Institute, our users or others.

7. International transfers

The Institute operates across the United States, Africa and beyond, so your data may be processed in countries other than your own. Where this happens, we take steps to ensure it remains protected, including contractual safeguards with our service providers.

8. How long we keep data

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above. Academic records and certificates are kept so we can verify qualifications in the future; financial records are kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws; other data is deleted or anonymised when no longer needed or when you ask us to remove it, unless we must keep it by law.

9. How we protect your data

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, access controls for staff and administrators, and trusted service providers to protect your information. No system is completely secure, so please keep your password safe and tell us at once if you suspect your account has been compromised.

10. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

access the personal data we hold about you and receive a copy;
correct inaccurate or incomplete data — much of it can be updated in your profile;
ask us to delete your data, or to restrict or object to how we use it;
receive your data in a portable format;
withdraw consent at any time, for example by unsubscribing from newsletters or changing your cookie preferences.

To make a request, email support@globalinstitutepsd.org. We may need to verify your identity, and will respond within the time required by applicable law. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.

11. Cookies

Cookies are small files stored in your browser. We use:

Necessary cookies: a session cookie that keeps you signed in and remembers your basket, and a security token that protects forms against misuse. The website cannot work without these.
Announcement preferences: a session cookie remembers that you have seen our announcement pop-up during your visit and is deleted when you close your browser; if you choose "Don't show this again", that choice is saved in your browser's local storage.
Your cookie choice: the preferences you set in our cookie banner are saved in your browser's local storage so we don't ask again on every visit.

We do not currently use analytics or advertising cookies. If we introduce them, they will only be used with your consent through the cookie banner. You can also clear or block cookies in your browser settings, although parts of the website may then stop working.

12. Children

Our Services are designed for adult learners and professionals. Learners under 18 should use the Services with the involvement of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has given us personal data without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes to our Services or the law. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated. Where changes are significant, we will let you know through the website or by email.

14. Contact us

For questions about this policy or your personal data, email support@globalinstitutepsd.org, call +1-312-217-0967, or write to us at 19624 Governor's Highway, Suite 123, Flossmoor, Illinois 60422, USA.

Data Policies