Privacy Policy

The Westside Alumni Foundation ("Foundation," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information entrusted to us by scholarship applicants, donors, alumni members, volunteers, website visitors, and event participants. This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we collect, how we use and safeguard that information, and the rights you have regarding your personal data.

By accessing our website at westsidealumnifoundation.org or submitting information through our forms, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with these practices, please refrain from using our website or submitting personal information.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information depending on your interaction with the foundation:

• Scholarship Applicants: Full name, date of birth, mailing address, email address, phone number, high school and college enrollment records, cumulative GPA, standardized test scores, financial aid documentation (Expected Family Contribution), personal essays, community service records, and letters of recommendation.
• Donors: Full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, donation amount and frequency, payment method details (processed securely through our third-party payment processor), fund designation preferences, and corporate employer matching information.
• Alumni Network Members: Full name, graduation year, school of attendance, current employer and professional title, mailing address, email address, phone number, industry classification, and regional chapter preference.
• Volunteers and Mentors: Full name, contact information, professional background, availability preferences, and background check authorization.
• Website Visitors: IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, referring URL, and session duration collected automatically through standard web analytics.

2. How We Use Your Information

Personal information is used solely for the following legitimate purposes:

• Evaluating and processing scholarship applications through our annual review cycle.
• Processing and acknowledging charitable contributions and issuing tax receipts.
• Maintaining the alumni directory and facilitating networking connections among verified members.
• Matching career mentors with mentees based on industry expertise and availability.
• Communicating foundation news, event invitations, and scholarship announcements.
• Improving website functionality and user experience through aggregated analytics.
• Complying with legal obligations, including IRS reporting requirements for tax-exempt organizations.

3. Information Sharing & Disclosure

The Westside Alumni Foundation does not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise disclose your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. This is an absolute, unconditional guarantee.

We may share limited personal information only in the following circumstances:

• Scholarship Disbursement: Recipient name, enrollment status, and institutional information shared with the accredited educational institution designated to receive scholarship funds.
• Payment Processing: Donor payment details transmitted securely to our PCI-DSS compliant payment processor for transaction fulfillment. We do not store credit card numbers on our servers.
• Legal Compliance: Information disclosed when required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, including IRS Form 990 public disclosure requirements applicable to 501(c)(3) organizations.
• Background Checks: Volunteer and mentor authorization information shared with our licensed background check provider for screening purposes.

4. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (TLS 1.2 or higher), access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel, regular security audits, and secure physical storage for paper records maintained at our Denver office. Scholarship application files are stored in encrypted, access-controlled systems and are retained only for the duration required by our records retention policy.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses essential cookies necessary for basic site functionality, such as maintaining session state and remembering user preferences. We may also use anonymized analytics tools to understand aggregate traffic patterns and improve the user experience. We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, or third-party tracking technologies that follow users across other websites. You may configure your browser to reject cookies, though this may affect certain website features.

6. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, including educational institutions, GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and corporate partner organizations. These third-party sites operate under their own privacy policies, and the Westside Alumni Foundation is not responsible for their data collection or privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external site you visit through links on our pages.

7. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of thirteen. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under thirteen years of age. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under thirteen, we will promptly delete that information from our records. Parents or guardians who believe their child's information may have been submitted to our website should contact our office immediately at (303) 555-0247 or [email protected].

8. Your Rights Under CCPA and GDPR

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information, including the right to know what information we collect, the right to request deletion of your data, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. As stated above, we do not sell personal information under any circumstances.

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides you with rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object. To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer at [email protected]. We will respond to verified requests within thirty calendar days.

9. Data Retention

Scholarship application records are retained for a period of seven years following the application cycle, consistent with IRS record-keeping requirements for tax-exempt organizations. Donor contribution records are retained permanently for audit trail and tax compliance purposes. Alumni directory records are maintained as long as the member's account remains active and are archived upon request. Website analytics data is retained in anonymized, aggregated form and cannot be linked to individual visitors after collection.

10. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our data practices, legal requirements, or operational procedures. Material changes will be communicated through a prominent notice on our website and, where practical, by email to individuals in our active contact database. The "Last updated" date at the top of this policy indicates the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

11. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:

Westside Alumni Foundation — Privacy Officer
1847 Westside Parkway, Suite 305
Denver, CO 80204
Phone: (303) 555-0247
Email: [email protected]