Privacy Statement
INTRODUCTION
The Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK) Eye Foundation works to raise global awareness and educate both contact lens wearers and medical communities about AK. Because contact lens wearers face a higher risk of developing this rare condition — especially when lenses come into contact with water — we focus on prevention, education, and the message that contact lenses and water do not mix.
The AK Eye Foundation is an independent organization and receives no government funding. To achieve our mission, we rely on the dedication and support of our staff, donors, partners, and volunteers.
We consider the privacy of personal data extremely important. All information is processed and protected with great care, in accordance with applicable privacy laws such as the Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR). This privacy statement explains how we handle personal information from donors, one‑time contributors, volunteers, participants, contacts, and visitors to our website.
WHAT HAPPENS TO MY DATA?
When you donate, contribute, include us in your will, or participate in an activity (such as a sponsored run), we may request information through forms on our website. We also collect information when you request details about our work, ask a question, respond to our website or social media, or contact us in any other way.
We may ask for contact details such as your (company) name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, and banking information. We also process information related to donations, transactions, purchases, or participation in our activities.
In addition, we collect data about your use of our website(s). This may include device information (such as a unique ID, operating system, and settings), the time of your visit, and which pages you viewed. We also track how often our emails or pages are opened and clicked to improve our communication.
Occasionally, personal information may be validated or supplemented with data from external sources to keep our records accurate and up to date.
YOUR RIGHTS
We use your information to provide services and to inform you about our activities by letter, email, or phone. You may view the personal data we process about you at any time, free of charge, and request corrections if needed.
If you wish, we can provide your contact, address, and banking details in a machine‑readable format so you can transfer them to another organization. You may also object to receiving marketing communications from us via email, phone, mail, or SMS. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@akeyefoundation.com.
You may also request that we delete your data. However, we cannot always comply. For example, if you are or have been a donor, tax regulations require us to retain certain records for seven years. Additionally, if you opt out of marketing communications, we must retain your name to ensure you are excluded from future mailings. If we cannot fulfill your request, we will explain why.
HOW DOES THE AK EYE FOUNDATION PROTECT YOUR DATA?
We take physical, technical, and organizational measures to safeguard your information. Our secure server is hosted in the Netherlands and is accessible only to authorized individuals.
COOKIES
The AK Eye Foundation uses a limited number of cookies.
Functional cookies
We use Google Analytics to collect information such as the date and time of visits and which pages are viewed. This helps us improve our website, understand traffic patterns, and measure the popularity of different sections. All data is used in aggregated form and cannot be traced back to individual users. Google Analytics is configured in a privacy‑friendly manner: IP addresses are anonymized, and data is not shared with third parties.
THIRD‑PARTY LINKS
Our website may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT
The AK Eye Foundation reserves the right to update or modify this privacy statement when necessary.
QUESTIONS AND CONTACT
If you have questions or comments about this privacy statement, please contact us:
Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK) Eye Foundation
Bertus Aafjeshof 180
1628 VV Hoorn
The Netherlands
E: info@akeyefoundation.com
Updated: 20.01.2026
