Terms of use

What is the purpose of this website?

We maintain this website to provide you with information about SOS Children's Villages, and to offer you the opportunity to help children and youngsters in need. If you register on our website, you can obtain easy access to information about a specific area of our work. The website includes features, which make it possible to share something you have seen or read with a friend or acquaintance. You can also make a donation to SOS Children's Villages on both a regular and on a more spontaneous basis.


May SOS Children's Villages change or discontinue any service or content offered?

SOS Children's Villages maintains the right to change or discontinue any content, aspect or feature, which receives too little interest. In the case that we should decide to discontinue a more permanent way to support SOS Children's Villages, all registered visitors with a valid and functional e-mail address will be notified.

Are there any limitations on how I can use the website including its texts, images and features?

WHEN YOU USE OUR WEBSITE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THIS STATEMENT. THESE TERMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR YOUR PROTECTION, AS WELL AS OURS.

Much of the content, features and technology have been offered to us on condition that their ownership rights are respected. Other material and technology is owned by SOS Children's Villages.

Copy or use of texts, photos, graphical elements, features or technology for personal financial gain, commercial purposes or any inappropriate or unlawful activity will not be accepted. This includes use of material or technology for private interests or activities, which may harm SOS Children's Villages or is not related to our work. Photos and graphical images under "send an e-card", the galleries and photo albums are not excluded from these terms and conditions of use.

The name and logo of SOS Children's Villages are protected by law, and the use of these in any language is not permitted without the explicit and written approval of the International Office of SOS-Kinderdorf International located in Innsbruck, Austria.

IT IS IMPROPER, AND MAY BE A VIOLATION OF LAW, IF YOU POST OR DOWNLOAD ANY MATERIAL YOU DO NOT OWN OR FOR WHICH YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO USE. VIOLATION OF SOMEONE'S COPYRIGHT, TRADEMARK OR OTHER PROPERTY RIGHTS MAY SUBJECT YOU TO CIVIL OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES.

The above includes posting or storing any information on our website, which violates the law or third parties' rights (including, but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents, privacy and confidentiality).

Does SOS Children's Villages take responsibility for links and their content?

Our website may provide links to other websites or resources. As we have no control over these websites or resources, we cannot take responsibility for their availability. Nor can we endorse, take responsibility or liability for any content, advertising, products or other materials on or available from such websites or resources. Further we do not take responsibility or liability, direct or indirect, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on such content, goods or services available from externally linked websites or resources.

What is SOS Children's Villages' liability for the use of this website?

With regard to services provided on or through the website free of charge, SOS Children's Villages shall be liable only in cases of wilful misconduct or gross negligence by its legal representatives or any other employee when performing her or his duties for the organisation.

These limitations in terms of liability apply to all compensation claims for damages regardless of whether they are based on breach of contract, tort or any other reason.

Should any dispute arise concerning liability, the legal domicile would be Innsbruck, Austria, the location of the International Office of SOS-Kinderdorf International.

Warning regarding phishing

SOS Children's Villages is aware that there are increasingly frequent phishing attempts from fraudsters trying to illegally obtain sensitive information from donors - at the expense of children.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a method of attempting to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or company in an electronic communication. Most methods of phishing use some form of technical information designed to form a link in an e-mail. The bogus website the link leads to appears to belong to the real organisation.

Protection

  • Neither a well configured firewall nor the best antivirus program alone will help you to prevent phishing attacks. Act with caution and "healthy" suspicion!

  • Look out for a sender's e-mail address that is similar to but not the same as an SOS Children's Villages e-mail address. Fraudsters often sign up for free e-mail accounts with company names in their address to fool you.

  • To trick you into disclosing sensitive information, fraudsters often include a link to a bogus website that looks like or sometimes looks exactly the same as the sign-in page of the legitimate website of SOS Children's Villages. Just because a site includes an SOS Children's Villages logo or looks like our real page, it is not necessarily ours! Bear in mind that logos and the appearance of legitimate websites are easy to copy.

  • If you are unsure about a link to the SOS Children's Villages website provided via e-mail, do not sign in. Instead, close and then reopen your browser, and then type the website address into the address bar of your browser.

  • Typing in SOS Children's Villages' correct website address (www.sos-childrensvillages.org) is the best way to ensure that you are not redirected to a bogus site.

Reporting