Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us through our website forms, including:

• Name (first and last)
• Email address
• Phone number (optional)
• City and state of residence
• Employment status and background information
• Business idea descriptions and goals
• How you heard about us
• Any other information you include in a message or form submission

This information is collected through our interest/application form, contact form, and any other forms present on the site.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website or source
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

This information is collected through standard web server logs and, if applicable, analytics tools such as Google Analytics.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information you provide for the following purposes:

• Program administration: To review interest form submissions and determine whether applicants may be a fit for the Option C program
• Communication: To respond to your inquiries, schedule discovery calls, and follow up on your application status
• Program delivery: To deliver mentorship, training, and support services to accepted participants
• Donor and partner relations: To respond to donation inquiries, partnership requests, and volunteer interest
• Website improvement: To understand how visitors use our website and improve its content and functionality
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and reporting requirements as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your information for commercial marketing or advertising purposes unrelated to Option C Foundation's mission.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We use Netlify to host our website and process form submissions. Netlify's servers receive form data as part of our website infrastructure. Netlify's privacy policy governs their handling of this data.
• Program mentors and staff: With your knowledge and as part of program participation, we may share relevant information with program mentors and staff who work directly with participants.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

We do not share participant information with employers, background check services, or law enforcement unless legally required.

4. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including providing program services, maintaining records required by law, and resolving disputes.

For interest form submissions: We retain submitted information for a period of up to 24 months to allow for potential future program participation or follow-up.

For active participants: We retain program-related information for a period of up to 5 years following the completion or discontinuation of program participation.

You may request deletion of your information at any time (see Section 7 — Your Rights).

5. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure HTTPS encryption on all website pages
• Form data transmitted and stored through Netlify's secure platform
• Limited internal access to personal information on a need-to-know basis

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we use commercially reasonable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies and Tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience and understand site usage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

We may use:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly
• Analytics cookies: Used to understand how visitors use our site (e.g., Google Analytics)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some website features.

If we use Google Analytics, data collected is subject to Google's Privacy Policy. We use analytics data only to improve our website and understand which content is most useful to visitors.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: The right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: The right to request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: The right to request that we delete your personal information, subject to any legal obligations we have to retain it
• Opt-out: The right to opt out of receiving email communications from us at any time
• Portability: The right to request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format (where technically feasible)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the information provided in Section 9.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website and program are intended for adults 18 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a minor without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

9. Contact Us Regarding Privacy

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us:

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within a reasonable timeframe.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or organizational structure. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Continued use of our website following the posting of changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.