What are cookies?
Cookies save you the trouble of re-entering certain information in some registration areas, help to deliver content-specific information to you, and track which sections of the site are most popular. A ‘cookie’ is actually a file that our web server or the web server of one of our service providers or third-party partners may send to your computer when you access one of our sites. This file is then stored on your computer. Tracking is limited by user cookie preferences and privacy settings (e.g., browser restrictions, ad blockers, or opt-outs) so you are in control on how cookies are used.
What types of personal information is collected through cookies and other analytical tools?
Cookies may obtain information identifying your computer or browser, including a device ID, your IP Address, and/or an Ad ID, as well as information relating to your browsing history. When you access CCI sites the tools that we use may collect information such as -
- Pages visited and time spent on site
- Referral source (e.g., Google search, Meta ad, EDM (email marketing)
- Device type, browser, and operating system
- Interactions with forms, buttons, and donation journeys
- Conversion events (e.g., donations made, event sign-ups)
- Campaign-specific tags to attribute results to marketing activities
- Cookies also support essential functions such as secure logins and remembering user preferences (language, layout, etc.).
Our marketing automation tool for EDMs and SMSs collects information such as -
- Whether a message was opened or not
- Which links were clicked
- Which landing pages were visited after engaging with the message
- Unsubscribes and delivery status (e.g., soft/hard bounce)
What types of cookies and other analytical tools do we use and for what purposes?
The Children’s Cancer Institute uses Google Tag Manager on our sites to manage and deploy tracking codes from third-party platforms such as -
- Google Analytics 4 for visitor behaviour insights
- Meta Pixel for tracking conversions from Meta campaigns
- Google Ads tags to monitor SEM performance
- Other custom tracking codes that help evaluate the success of EDM initiatives
We also use a marketing automation platform (Ortto) to track engagement with our electronic communications (e.g., EDMs and SMS messages). While this does not use cookies on our website directly, it collects behavioural data such as open rates, link clicks, and user actions post-click, often tied to a supporter ID or email address.
We use this information to -
- Measure the effectiveness of our digital campaigns (e.g., Meta, Google SEM, EDMs, SMS)
- Retarget website visitors with relevant ads on platforms like Meta and Google
- Improve website performance and user experience
- Understand donor and supporter journeys to better meet their needs
- Personalise content and communications (e.g. - use of Personalised URL (PURL) for Appeals landing pages)
- Optimise our marketing spend by knowing what channels and messages perform best
- Use insights from email and SMS engagement to segment our audience, personalise future communications, and improve supporter retention and conversion.
Importantly, the data helps us support more children and families by ensuring our fundraising efforts are as effective and efficient as possible.
