Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

At Made In Santa Rosa Education Foundation ("we," "us," or "our"), we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, engage with our services, or participate in our educational programs.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you interact with our foundation. This may include:

• Contact information such as name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
• Demographic information including age, gender, and educational background
• Payment and billing information when you make donations or register for programs
• Program application details including academic records, interests, and goals
• Communication preferences and feedback about our services
• Employment information if you apply for positions or volunteer opportunities

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing behavior. This includes:

• IP address and geographic location data
• Browser type, operating system, and device information
• Pages viewed, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
• Referring website addresses and search terms used to find our site
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies data

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including educational institutions, partner organizations, social media platforms, and public databases. This information helps us verify details, enhance our services, and better understand our audience to improve educational opportunities.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes related to our mission of expanding educational opportunities:

Program Administration and Delivery

• Processing applications and enrollment for educational programs
• Communicating program updates, schedules, and important information
• Evaluating program effectiveness and participant progress
• Providing personalized educational resources and support
• Coordinating with educators, mentors, and partner organizations

Fundraising and Donor Relations

• Processing donations and issuing tax receipts
• Sending updates about our impact and success stories
• Inviting supporters to events and fundraising campaigns
• Recognizing donors and acknowledging contributions
• Analyzing donation patterns to optimize fundraising strategies

Marketing and Communications

• Sending newsletters, announcements, and educational content
• Promoting new programs and opportunities
• Conducting targeted advertising campaigns to reach potential participants
• Measuring campaign effectiveness and optimizing audience targeting
• A/B testing different messaging approaches to improve engagement
• Retargeting website visitors with relevant educational opportunities

Analytics and Improvement

• Analyzing website traffic and user behavior to enhance user experience
• Tracking conversion rates and lead generation effectiveness
• Measuring ROI on marketing campaigns and program initiatives
• Identifying trends in educational needs and community interests
• Conducting research to develop new programs and services

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We respect your privacy and do not sell your personal information. However, we may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers and Partners

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, conducting our programs, and serving our community. These providers include payment processors, email service providers, cloud storage services, advertising platforms for targeted campaigns, analytics tools for tracking conversion and ROI, and educational technology platforms. All service providers are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information.

Educational Institutions and Organizations

With your consent, we may share relevant information with schools, colleges, scholarship providers, and partner organizations to facilitate educational opportunities, coordinate program delivery, and support your academic advancement.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, in response to legal processes, to protect our rights and property, to ensure the safety of our participants and staff, or to comply with regulatory requirements applicable to nonprofit organizations.

Aggregated and Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated, anonymized data that cannot identify individual users for research purposes, grant reporting, impact assessments, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of our programs to funders and stakeholders.

Data Security

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security practices include:

• Encryption of sensitive data during transmission using SSL/TLS protocols
• Secure storage of personal information on protected servers
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal information
• Staff training on data protection and privacy best practices
• Incident response procedures for potential data breaches

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but remain committed to maintaining industry-standard protections.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and support our marketing efforts. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences and understand how you interact with our site.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for website functionality and security
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand visitor behavior and improve our site
• Marketing Cookies: Enable targeted advertising and retargeting campaigns
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and personalize your experience
• Social Media Cookies: Allow sharing content on social platforms

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of our website. We also use web beacons, pixels, and similar technologies to track email opens, ad impressions, and conversion events for campaign optimization.

Your Privacy Rights

You have certain rights regarding your personal information. Depending on your location and applicable laws, these rights may include:

Access and Portability

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and receive a copy of that information in a portable format. We will provide this information within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days of your request.

Correction and Update

If your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request corrections or updates. You can update many details directly through your account settings or by contacting us at Lisa@madeinsantarosaedu.com.

Deletion and Erasure

You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions. We may need to retain some information for legal compliance, record-keeping, or to complete transactions you initiated. When deletion is not possible, we will inform you of the reasons.

Opt-Out and Unsubscribe

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails, adjusting your communication preferences in your account settings, or contacting us directly. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing emails, we may still send you important transactional or administrative messages.

Advertising Preferences

You can opt out of targeted advertising by adjusting your ad settings on various platforms, using browser privacy settings, or utilizing industry opt-out tools. This will limit our ability to show you personalized ads based on your interests and behavior, though you may still see generic advertisements.

Children's Privacy

We are committed to protecting the privacy of children who participate in our programs. Our website and services are not directed to children under 13 without parental consent. When we collect information from minors as part of our educational programs, we:

• Obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent before collecting personal information
• Collect only information necessary for program participation
• Provide parents with access to their child's information
• Allow parents to request deletion of their child's information
• Implement additional security measures for children's data
• Comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and similar regulations

If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child without proper consent, please contact us immediately at Lisa@madeinsantarosaedu.com so we can take appropriate action.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Our retention periods vary based on the type of information and purpose:

• Program Participant Records: Retained for the duration of participation plus 7 years for alumni relations and impact tracking
• Donor Information: Retained for tax compliance purposes (typically 7 years) and ongoing donor relations
• Marketing Data: Retained until you opt out or for 3 years of inactivity
• Website Analytics: Aggregated data retained indefinitely; individual user data for 26 months
• Employment Records: Retained according to applicable labor laws and regulations

When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention and destruction policies.

Third-Party Links and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by Made In Santa Rosa Education Foundation. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites.

When you click on third-party links or use third-party services integrated into our website (such as social media platforms, payment processors, or educational tools), you may be providing information directly to those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites or services before providing your personal information.

We carefully select our third-party partners and require them to maintain appropriate security and privacy standards, but we cannot control their practices or be held responsible for their actions.

International Data Transfers

Our foundation is based in Santa Rosa, California, United States. If you are accessing our website or services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers and central database are located.

The United States may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country. By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and acknowledge that it will be subject to U.S. law. We implement appropriate safeguards to protect your information regardless of where it is processed.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you via email if you have provided your email address
• Post a prominent notice on our website
• Provide a summary of key changes in our communications

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

We are committed to working with you to resolve any privacy concerns. We will respond to your inquiry within 10 business days and work diligently to address your request in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other California privacy laws:

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
• Right to request deletion of your personal information
• Right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
• Right to request specific pieces of personal information we have collected

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided above. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within the timeframes required by California law.