Thank you for being part of the global ecovillage movement. At GEN, we believe in transparency, trust, and treating each other with respect — and that includes how we handle your personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. We’ve written this in plain language because we want you to actually read it and understand your rights. We collect only what we need to provide our services, we never sell your data, and you are always in control of your information.
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is a registered Scottish charity (SC043796) and holds consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). GEN is dedicated to supporting, connecting, and amplifying communities pioneering sustainable, regenerative, and intentional ways of living across the globe. We are based at Lucky Star Lane, 129e High Street, Forres, Moray IV361DX United Kingdom, and we operate ecovillage.org as a service to the global ecovillage movement.
When we say “we,” “us,” or “GEN,” we mean the Global Ecovillage Network. When we say “you,” we mean anyone using our website or services.
GEN is the data controller for personal data processed through this website and its services, as defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
This Privacy Policy applies to all information we collect through our website (ecovillage.org and any subdomains); our services (the Ecovillage Directory, Needs & Offers, Groups community chat, and Reviews & Ratings); our communications (emails, newsletters, and other correspondence); events and programmes (registrations, attendance, and participation); and donations and membership including Friends of GEN and other supporter programmes.
GEN reserves the right to update this policy at any time. Changes will be reflected on this page with the date of last revision noted above. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes your acceptance.
We may collect two categories of data: personally identifiable information (“personal data”) and non-personally identifiable information (“non-PII”).
Personal Data
Personal data is collected when you voluntarily provide it — for example when you create a user profile, add a listing to the Directory, sign up for our newsletter, make a purchase or donation, respond to a survey, register for an event, submit a Needs & Offers listing, or leave a review. By voluntarily providing personal data, you consent to its use in accordance with this policy.
For interactive services where you choose a public profile (Community, Individual, or Network) or submit content to Groups, Needs & Offers, or Reviews, by providing that content you agree that we may make it available to other members and visitors. You can modify or remove this content at any time by contacting us or using profile settings where available.
Newsletter and Communications
You may opt in to receive communications by donating; signing up via an online form; or signing up at an offline event. We ask only for the minimum information needed — usually your name, country, and email address. We will never share, sell, or exploit your contact information.
Ecovillage Directory
By submitting contact information in connection with a Directory listing, we consider through legitimate interest that you are consenting to that data being accessible so your community can be found and connected with. Where possible, we recommend using generic contact details not directly associated with specific individuals. If you find your details connected to a listing without your consent, or need information updated or removed, please contact us.
Friends of GEN & Membership)
When you sign up to Friends of GEN or become a supporting member, we hold your data on the basis of contractual necessity and legitimate business interest to provide your membership benefits. If you wish to cancel your membership, please contact our team.
Consultancy Enquiries
When you enquire about GEN Consultancy services, we store your contact data securely for up to 6 months after our last contact with you, on the basis of legitimate business interest. You may request update, disclosure, or deletion at any time.
GEN Ambassadors
When you apply to become a GEN Ambassador, we store your expression of interest and delete it 6 months after our last contact, unless you become an Ambassador. If you do, we retain your information for the duration of your ambassadorship to provide your benefits. To step down or request data removal, please contact us.
Financial Data
When you pass financial data to GEN, we keep it for 6 months unless other legal obligations apply. As a registered Scottish charity, GEN is required to retain financial data used in annual reporting for 6 years from the end of the relevant financial year. After the applicable period, data is securely deleted.
Card transactions are processed directly by our third-party payment processors (Stripe or PayPal) using industry-standard practices. Your payment information is not stored on our website, nor does it pass through our servers. By making a payment, you consent to the processor accessing your financial information and agree to be bound by their terms of use. GEN is not liable for issues arising from the processors’ own systems.
Both Stripe and PayPal are PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant. We store only the last four digits of your card electronically; no record of your security number is retained after processing.
We use your email address for both transactional purposes (order confirmations, renewal notices) and promotional purposes (newsletters, event notifications, programme updates) where you have opted in. Emails may contain tracking to indicate whether the email was opened and which links were clicked, to help us improve our communications.
If you would rather not receive promotional emails, you may opt out at any time. We comply with applicable email marketing law including the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). We reserve the right to send certain administrative messages without the option to opt out, unless you unsubscribe entirely.
When you visit ecovillage.org, our servers automatically gather information from your browser (IP address, browser type, referring pages, device type, date/time of visit) to analyse trends, administer the site, prevent fraud, and improve our services. No personal data is used or exposed in this process. We do not share log files externally.
You will only ever receive promotional communications after consenting to them. We currently operate a single mailing list covering GEN’s programmes, projects, consultancy, and fundraising. If you want to discuss your communication preferences, please contact us. To withdraw consent for any communications, contact us and we will remove you from our systems promptly.
GEN believes that data sovereignty and control are fundamental in the digital age. Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
Right of access — You may request copies of all personal data we hold about you. We will respond within one month.
Right to rectification — You may ask us to correct inaccurate data. We will comply within one month.
Right to erasure — You may request deletion of your data from our systems (the “right to be forgotten”). We will comply within one month.
Right to restriction — You may ask us to restrict how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability — You may request that we transfer your data to you or a third party in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to object — You may object to processing based on legitimate interest.
Right to withdraw consent — Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. We will respond to all legitimate requests within the timescales required by UK GDPR. You may also withdraw consent for the public display of any submitted content (profiles, reviews, listings) at any time by contacting us. Removal will be honoured where technically and legally feasible.
Under UK GDPR, GEN relies on the following lawful bases depending on context: consent (for newsletters, marketing, and partner data sharing); contractual necessity (to fulfil membership, donation, or event registration agreements); legitimate interests (for the directory, consultancy enquiries, and ambassadors, where not overridden by your rights); and legal obligation (where required by law, e.g. financial records for charity regulatory purposes).
Welcome to ecovillage.org, operated by the Global Ecovillage Network (“GEN,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using our website, services, or platforms (collectively, the “Services”), you (“User” or “you”) agree to be bound by these Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, Submission Guidelines, and any additional terms applicable to specific features.
Your use of the Services constitutes acceptance of these Terms as they exist at the time of use. We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time, and continued use after changes constitutes acceptance. For material changes, we will provide prominent notice on the website and, where applicable, notify registered users by email.
GEN provides a platform connecting individuals, communities, and networks exploring ecovillage, intentional, cooperative, and regenerative living. Our Services include:
Directory & Profiles — Community Listings (public profiles for forming or established ecovillages and intentional communities); Individual Profiles (for those exploring, seeking, or living in community); and Network Profiles (for organisations and networks).
Needs & Offers — Classified-style listings for resources, opportunities, services, and requests related to ecovillage and intentional community living.
Groups — Real-time community chat rooms and hubs for discussion, collaboration, and connection (subject to the separate Community Agreement below).
Reviews & Ratings — A peer feedback system allowing users to rate and review communities and experiences (subject to the separate Reviews & Ratings Policy below).
Additional features — Newsletter subscriptions; event listings and registration; educational resources and publications; and e-commerce (products, memberships, subscriptions).
You must be at least 13 years of age to use our Services. Users aged 13–17 must have parental or guardian consent. If we learn a user under 13 has created an account, we will terminate it immediately. In jurisdictions requiring parental consent for users under 16, that consent must be obtained before using our Services.
To access certain features, you must create an account. You agree to: provide accurate, current, and complete information; maintain and update your account information; safeguard your login credentials; notify us immediately if your account is compromised; and accept responsibility for all activity under your account. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or provide false information.
GEN hosts a platform that brings together individuals and communities exploring ecovillage, cooperative, regenerative, and intentional ways of living. Whether submitting a community listing, creating a personal profile, or sharing services, images, or updates, we ask you to follow the guidelines below. These standards help ensure our shared space remains inclusive, truthful, and aligned with the purpose of this network.
Relevance — All submissions should be clearly connected to ecovillage or intentional community, or adjacent movements such as permaculture, sustainable housing, cooperative economics, or social and ecological justice. Community listings must describe a forming or established group (4 or more adults, or at least 2 years of collective history). Individual profiles should reflect a sincere interest in community life. Submissions outside these themes may be removed.
Respect & Inclusion — GEN does not allow content that discriminates against others based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, family structure, disability, national origin, or any other protected characteristic. Communities with religious or spiritual foundations are welcome, but public listings must meet the applicable legal criteria for religious community housing exemptions.
Kindness in Communication — Submissions should not include language that shames, judges, or harms others — including subtle put-downs directed at marginalised identities. We will not publish content that promotes hate, exclusion, or ideologies rooted in anti-Blackness, anti-Indigeneity, transphobia, ableism, or other forms of oppression. Our goal is to foster honest, respectful connection, even when values differ.
No Exploitation or Graphic Content — We do not permit content promoting human exploitation, trafficking, sexual solicitation, or objectification. We will not publish media that is excessively graphic, glorifies violence, portrays non-consensual or underage situations, or celebrates suffering in any form.
Truthfulness & Intellectual Property — All submissions should reflect the truth of your current situation to the best of your ability. We will remove content we know to be false, deceptive, or misleading, or that impersonates others, misrepresents affiliations, or includes copyrighted material without permission.
Accuracy & Consent — By submitting a listing or profile, you confirm that the information is accurate and you have the right to publish it. If submitting on behalf of a group or organisation, you must have that group’s permission. Images, testimonials, or quotes involving others should only be shared with their consent.
Public Visibility — Community listings are published publicly and appear in our searchable Directory. Individual profiles can be set to public or kept private within the GEN network. Please ensure any publicly visible content is appropriate for a wide audience.
Review & Moderation — All submissions are reviewed by GEN staff before being published. We may ask for edits or clarification. After publication, we reserve the right to remove content that violates these guidelines or receives credible reports from community members. Repeat or serious violations may lead to removal from the platform.
The Reviews & Ratings system supports transparency, trust, and accountability across our Directory. It gives individuals and communities the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and help others make informed decisions.
Rating Scale (1–5 stars) — You will rate your experience in three categories: Responsiveness (how quickly and clearly the contact person replied); Accuracy of Information (whether the listing matched your experience); and Overall Experience (your general impression of the community). Each category uses a 1–5 star scale. Numeric scores will be averaged publicly.
Comment Box (Optional) — You may add a written comment (maximum 500 characters) to give context to your rating. All written reviews will be publicly visible, pending moderation.
Review Window & Visibility — Both parties (visitor and community) are encouraged to submit a review within 14 days. Reviews will be published after moderation.
Eligibility — Reviews may only be submitted by logged-in, verified members who have had a direct experience with the community (e.g. a visit, event, or stay). Posting reviews on behalf of others or based on hearsay is not permitted. Multiple reviews from the same individual should only be submitted after a significant new interaction.
Moderation & Flagging — All reviews are subject to automated and/or human moderation. Communities may flag reviews they believe to be inappropriate, but cannot remove reviews directly. Flagged reviews remain hidden until reviewed by GEN staff. Final decisions on removal, reinstatement, or edits rest with GEN staff.
Transparency & Appeals — If a review is removed or edited, both parties will receive an explanation. Either party may appeal by contacting us. Please allow 14 days for a response. Final decisions on reinstatement rest with GEN staff.
What We Expect from Reviewers — Honesty: accurately reflect your experience. Relevance: stick to facts about the visit. Respect: use constructive and inclusive language. Transparency: disclose any personal or financial stake. Harm Reduction: consider how your feedback may affect small, interdependent communities. Reflect on how personal assumptions or emotional reactions may shape your perspective. If unsure, pause and seek clarity before posting.
What is Not Allowed — Harassment, personal attacks, hate speech, or discriminatory remarks; posting private communications without consent; revenge reviews or coercive threats of negative feedback; reviews based on hearsay; or misrepresenting someone’s identity or values. Violations may result in review removal and possible suspension or expulsion from ecovillage.org.
Dispute Resolution — If you believe a review is unfair or inaccurate, contact us within 30 days. The moderation team will review both sides and may contact involved parties for clarification. Staff decisions are final and aim to be restorative, not punitive. GEN reserves the right to reject reports used to silence legitimate criticism.
Groups is a real-time community platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and connection around ecovillage and intentional living, cooperative practices, and community building. By using Groups, you agree to these additional terms.
What’s Encouraged — Kindness and respect; constructive engagement; thoughtful communication; diversity and inclusion; and supportive feedback.
What’s Not Allowed — Harassment or abuse (personal attacks, name-calling, discrimination); spam or self-promotion; hate speech or promotion of violence; trolling or bad-faith disruption; and any illegal content or activity.
User Responsibilities — You are responsible for: the content you post; following this Agreement and applicable laws; reporting content that violates these terms; and respecting privacy — do not post others’ personal information without consent.
Moderation and Enforcement — GEN staff and volunteer moderators may remove content that violates this Agreement; temporarily or permanently suspend users; and issue warnings or engage in private dialogue to resolve issues. Moderation decisions are made in service of community health.
Content and Intellectual Property — You retain ownership of content you post but grant GEN a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display and distribute your contributions within the platform and for promotional purposes. Do not post copyrighted content without permission.
You agree not to: violate any local, national, or international law; impersonate others or use accounts without permission; post fake, retaliatory, or misleading content; use bots, scrapers, or automated tools without permission; bypass security features or overload our systems; extract or republish content without authorisation; disrupt the Services; introduce viruses, malware, or harmful code; attempt unauthorised access to accounts or systems; advertise or promote unrelated products or services; or use the Services primarily for business promotion (unless explicitly permitted in Needs & Offers).
All content on ecovillage.org — including text, graphics, logos, software, and design — is owned by GEN or our licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property law. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without written permission.
You retain ownership of content you submit. By submitting, you grant GEN a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable licence to display, distribute, reproduce, modify, and use your content for promotional, educational, or operational purposes and to sublicense content to partners or service providers as needed. This licence ends when you delete your content, subject to reasonable backup retention periods.
We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms or applicable law, infringes third-party rights, poses security or safety risks, or is reported by users and confirmed to violate our guidelines.
Copyright Infringement — GEN respects intellectual property rights. If you believe content on our site infringes your copyright, please submit a notice through our contact form with subject line “Copyright Infringement Notice” including: your contact information; a description of the copyrighted work; the location of the infringing content (URL); a statement of good faith belief; a statement that the information is accurate; and your signature.
GEN offers products, memberships, and subscriptions. By making a purchase, you agree to provide accurate billing information; pay all applicable fees; and authorise recurring charges for subscriptions. We use third-party processors (Stripe, PayPal) to handle transactions securely. Your payment information is transmitted directly to the processor and is NOT stored on GEN servers.
Refund and cancellation policies vary by product. Generally: digital products — no refunds after delivery; subscriptions — cancel any time, no refunds for partial periods; events — refund policy stated at time of registration. Contact us for specific purchase queries. We reserve the right to change prices at any time; changes do not affect existing subscriptions until renewal.
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GEN, its trustees, officers, staff, volunteers, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from: your use of the Services; your violation of these Terms; your violation of any third-party rights; content you submit; or your interactions with other users. This indemnification survives termination of your account or these Terms.
These Terms are governed by the laws of Scotland and England & Wales. Any disputes arising under these Terms will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Scotland. GEN will seek to resolve disputes in good faith and in a spirit consistent with our community values before pursuing formal proceedings.
GEN reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting to ecovillage.org, with the “Last Updated” date revised accordingly. For material changes, we will provide prominent notice on the website and notify registered users by email where applicable. Continued use of our Services after changes constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree to revised Terms, please discontinue use.
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Registered Scottish charity SC043796 · UN ECOSOC consultative status
Mail: Lucky Star Lane, 129e High Street, Forres, Moray, IV361DX UK
By using ecovillage.org and our Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these Terms; you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy; you are legally capable of entering into this agreement; and you will use the Services in compliance with all applicable laws.
Thank you for being part of the ecovillage movement. Together, we’re building a culture of mutual respect, transparency, and possibility.
In community,
The Global Ecovillage Network
With your explicit consent, we may share selected personal data and content submissions (such as directory listings and profile information) with mission-aligned partner organisations for purposes such as cross-posting, co-hosting events, or expanding your visibility across aligned directories or platforms — including our partnership with the Fellowship for Intentional Community (FIC) and ic.org.
This sharing is opt-in only. When you create or edit your Directory listing, you will see a clear option:
☐ I agree to allow my contact details and submitted content — specifically my Listing, Timeline, and User Profile — to be shared with partner organisations aligned with GEN’s mission. I understand this content may include special category information such as my community’s religious or philosophical tradition and membership demographics including sexual orientation, and that partner organisations may be based outside the United Kingdom. (Optional)
These partners support the growth and visibility of ecovillages and intentional communities. If you check this box, your listing may appear on multiple aligned directories simultaneously — giving your community greater visibility. You can contact us at any time to find out which partners hold your listing, or to withdraw your consent.
If you do not check this box, your listing remains on ecovillage.org only. You may change your preference at any time by contacting us.
Consent is always optional and not required to use our core services. If you have provided consent and wish to withdraw it, contact us and we will cease sharing as soon as reasonably possible.
We do not sell or trade your personal data. We share it only: with service providers acting on our behalf (payment processors, email services, database hosts, analytics — bound by UK GDPR obligations); where legally required (to comply with law, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of GEN, our users, or the public); and with mission-aligned partners, with your explicit prior consent only.
Our third-party processors include Stripe and PayPal (payments), Mailchimp (email communications), WooCommerce (online store), Google Workspace (internal operations), and analytics tools. We ensure all processors are UK GDPR compliant.
Due to GEN’s global nature and internationally distributed team, data is sometimes processed across borders. Where data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum where applicable.
We retain personal data only as long as necessary. Directory, profile, review, and listing data is retained until you remove it or your account becomes inactive — you may request deletion at any time. Consultancy and Ambassador enquiry data is deleted 6 months after last contact. Financial records are retained for 6 years from the end of the relevant financial year in compliance with Scottish charity law. Newsletter data is retained until you unsubscribe. Some data may persist in backups for a limited period following deletion.
Some of GEN’s services — in particular community and network listings in the Ecovillage Directory — may involve the collection and publication of special category personal data, including information about religious or philosophical beliefs (such as a community’s spiritual or faith tradition) and sexual orientation (such as demographic information about a community’s membership).
GEN processes this data on the following lawful bases under Article 9 UK GDPR:
You are never required to provide this information. Where you do, it will be handled with the additional safeguards required under Article 9 UK GDPR, used only for the purposes for which it was submitted — that is, describing your community to prospective members and visitors — and shared with partner platforms only if you have separately opted in to partner data sharing.
GEN does not intentionally collect other special category data — including health information, political opinions, racial or ethnic origin, sex life, or criminal convictions — and will remove any such data encountered in submissions unless a clear lawful basis applies.
If you wish to remove or amend any special category data associated with your listing, please contact us.
If you attend a GEN event, you may be photographed. We request explicit consent before using photographs for digital or print communications. If you do not wish photos of yourself to be used in this way, please notify event management. We use photo release forms with third-party photographers in accordance with UK copyright and data protection law. If you see a photo of yourself in our communications and wish to revoke consent, contact us and we will remove it as quickly as possible.
Our services are not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from users under 13. If we become aware that a user under 13 has created an account, we will terminate it and delete the associated data promptly. Users aged 13–17 must have parental or guardian consent.
We use cookies to ensure our website functions correctly, improve your experience, and gather anonymous analytics. The main cookies we use include: WooCommerce store cookies (shopping cart); WordPress login cookies; spam prevention cookies; site performance cookies; Google Analytics (_ga, gid); mailing list preference cookies (hustle*); and Cloudflare security cookies (__cfduid).
We may also permit trusted third-party services to use similar technologies for analytics and user experience improvements. All information collected via third-party cookies is anonymous. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Refusing all cookies may affect website functionality.
Our security measures include SSL/TLS (HTTPS) encryption for all data transferred through ecovillage.org; encryption at rest for stored personal data; role-based access controls; access logging and monitoring; PCI DSS-compliant payment processing; and documented incident response procedures.
No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we use commercially reasonable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Users should avoid sharing sensitive personal data in public or group environments on our platform.
In the unlikely event we detect a data breach for which GEN is responsible, we are required under UK GDPR to report this to the ICO within 72 hours. Where a breach is likely to result in high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will also notify you directly.
If you have a complaint about how we have handled your personal data, please contact us. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
For privacy matters or UK GDPR-related enquiries please contact us.
Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) — Registered Scottish charity SC043796 · UN ECOSOC consultative status
Mail: The Park, Findhorn, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TZ, United Kingdom
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We’re grateful you’re part of this movement, and we don’t take your trust lightly.
In community,
The GEN Team
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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