Privacy Policy

tasteofafricafestival.com
Effective Date: August 1, 2026
Last Reviewed: August 1, 2026

Taste of Africa® is a registered trademark of Cheza Nami Foundation, Inc., a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. References to “Taste of Africa,” “we,” “our,” or “us” in this Privacy Policy refer to Cheza Nami Foundation, Inc. We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit tasteofafricafestival.com, register for events, subscribe to our newsletter, submit vendor or producer inquiries, purchase merchandise, or otherwise interact with our website.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect information you voluntarily provide, including:

Name
Email address
Phone number
Mailing address
Organization or business name
Vendor or producer application information
Event registration details
Payment information (processed securely through third-party payment providers)
Communications you send us

We may also automatically collect:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device information
Pages visited and time spent on our website
Referring website or source
Data collected through cookies and similar technologies

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
Process event registrations
Manage vendor, sponsor, and producer applications
Send newsletters and festival updates
Process merchandise purchases
Improve our website and visitor experience
Comply with legal obligations
Protect against fraud or misuse

3. Newsletter Communications

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we may send:

Festival announcements and event updates
Community news and programming information
Partner and sponsor announcements
Promotional communications

You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.

4. Vendor, Sponsor, and Producer Information

Information submitted through vendor, sponsor, volunteer, or licensed producer application forms may be used to:

Review and evaluate applications
Contact applicants regarding their submission
Coordinate festival logistics and participation
Maintain records regarding licensed Taste of Africa® events

Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance.

5. Payments

Payments made through our website are processed by secure third-party payment processors. Cheza Nami Foundation does not store complete credit card or payment account information on its servers.

6. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve website functionality, remember visitor preferences, measure website traffic, and improve overall user experience. Cookies may be set by our website directly or by third-party analytics and marketing tools we use.

You may disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect certain website functionality.

If third-party analytics or advertising tools (such as Google Analytics or Meta Pixel) are active on this website, we will update this section to identify those tools specifically.

7. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information with trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website and delivering our programs, including:

Event service providers and logistics partners
Payment processors
Email marketing and newsletter platforms
Technology and website vendors
Legal authorities when required by law or to protect our rights

All third-party service providers are required to handle your information in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, maintain records of festival and licensing activity, or as required by applicable law. When personal information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to securely delete or anonymize it.

9. Data Security

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites for informational purposes. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or policies of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Children's Privacy

Our website is intended for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

12. California Privacy Rights

California residents have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and related regulations, including:

Right to Know: the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you
Right to Delete: the right to request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions
Right to Correct: the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information
Right to Opt-Out of Sale: we do not sell personal information. California residents may confirm this at any time by contacting us
Right to Non-Discrimination: we will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your California privacy rights

To submit a California privacy rights request, please contact us using the information in Section 14. We will respond to verified requests within 45 days as required by applicable law.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The Effective Date at the top of this document will reflect the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this policy regularly. Continued use of the website following any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.