The Northcrest Center (“Northcrest,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to respecting the privacy of the children, families, donors, volunteers, staff, supporters, and community members we serve. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect information when you visit northcrestcenter.org, use a Northcrest portal or online form, register for a program or event, make a donation, communicate with us, or otherwise use our services (collectively, the “Services”).
Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with it, please do not use the Services or submit personal information through them. This policy does not replace any additional notice or consent form provided for a particular program, school service, event, payment, photo or video release, or other activity.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide
- Contact and account information: name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, login credentials, membership number, and communication preferences.
- Family and participant information: parent or guardian details and a child’s name, date of birth, age, grade, gender, school, program interests, and other information needed for enrollment, participation, eligibility, or safety.
- Program and form information: applications, registrations, consents, attendance-related information, survey responses, inquiries, and information submitted through interest, contact, volunteer, or event forms.
- Documents and sensitive information: documents or records you choose or are asked to upload for a program. Depending on the program, these may contain health, emergency-contact, educational, identity, or other sensitive information. Please provide only information requested by Northcrest.
- Donation and transaction information: donation amount, transaction status, billing contact information, and limited payment-related records. Payment card or bank information is generally collected and processed directly by our payment processor; Northcrest does not ordinarily receive complete card or bank account numbers.
- Communications: emails, text messages, telephone communications, support requests, and other correspondence, including our responses.
- Media and testimonials: photos, videos, recordings, stories, or testimonials when submitted or used with appropriate permission or release.
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you use the Services, we and our service providers may automatically collect information such as your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring pages, pages viewed, dates and times of access, approximate location derived from an IP address, cookie identifiers, and interactions with our website or communications.
2. Cookies and Similar Technologies
We may use cookies, pixels, logs, and similar technologies to operate and secure the Services, remember preferences, understand usage, measure communications, and improve performance. These technologies may include:
- Essential technologies: needed for login, security, navigation, forms, and core functionality.
- Preference technologies: remember choices and settings.
- Analytics technologies: help us understand traffic and how the Services are used.
You can usually control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may limit portal, form, or website functionality. Where required, we will provide additional choices or notices.
3. How We Use Information
- Provide, administer, personalize, and secure our Services, portals, programs, events, memberships, and accounts.
- Review applications and registrations; communicate with parents, guardians, participants, donors, volunteers, and supporters; and provide requested assistance.
- Process and acknowledge donations, fees, and other transactions; maintain financial and tax records; and detect or prevent fraud.
- Send operational notices, program updates, newsletters, fundraising messages, and other communications consistent with your choices and applicable law.
- Maintain participant safety, emergency contacts, eligibility records, permissions, and program documentation.
- Analyze usage, troubleshoot problems, improve accessibility and user experience, and develop or evaluate programs.
- Comply with legal, regulatory, accounting, reporting, grant, insurance, safeguarding, and contractual obligations.
- Protect the rights, safety, security, and property of Northcrest, our participants, and others; investigate misuse; and enforce applicable terms and policies.
4. Email and Text Messages
If you sign up for email or text messages, we may send program information, reminders, announcements, fundraising communications, or other messages described at the time of signup. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. You may unsubscribe from marketing email using the link in the message and may opt out of text messages by replying STOP. Reply HELP for help when that option is supported. Consent to marketing messages is not a condition of making a donation or participating in a program. We may still send non-marketing messages that are necessary for an account, transaction, safety matter, or active program relationship.
5. How We Disclose Information
We do not sell personal information for money. We may disclose information as reasonably necessary in the following circumstances:
- Service providers: vendors that support hosting, cloud storage, portals, forms, email, text messaging, analytics, customer support, payment processing, cybersecurity, document management, and related operations. They may process information only to perform services for us, subject to their agreements and applicable law.
- Programs and events: authorized staff, volunteers, coaches, instructors, facilities, program partners, or event partners when necessary to administer an activity, support safety, or provide a requested service.
- Legal and safety purposes: government authorities, law enforcement, courts, insurers, professional advisers, or others when required by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, or property; respond to an emergency; investigate fraud or abuse; or comply with legal process.
- Organizational transactions: a successor or other appropriate party in connection with a merger, reorganization, financing, transfer of assets, or similar organizational change, subject to appropriate protections.
- At your direction or with consent: other persons or organizations when you request or authorize the disclosure.
- Aggregated information: information that has been combined or de-identified so it does not reasonably identify an individual.
Some third parties, such as payment processors or linked websites, may collect information directly under their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies.
6. Children’s Privacy and Parent/Guardian Controls
Northcrest serves children and families, but our online accounts, registration forms, donation tools, and general website features are intended for use by adults, parents, or legal guardians unless we expressly state otherwise. Children under 13 should not create an account or submit personal information directly to us without a parent or guardian’s involvement and any consent required by law.
Parents or guardians may provide information about a child so that Northcrest can evaluate, enroll, support, and protect that child in our programs. We seek to collect only information reasonably needed for those purposes. If we operate an online service directed to children under 13 or knowingly collect personal information online directly from a child under 13, we will provide any required notice, obtain verifiable parental consent when required, and provide applicable parental rights under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
A parent or guardian who believes a child submitted personal information without appropriate permission may contact us. After reasonable verification, we will review the request and take appropriate action, which may include access, correction, or deletion, subject to legal and program-record requirements.
7. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information. Access is limited based on role and operational need, and we use service providers and security measures appropriate to the nature of the information. No system, storage method, or transmission over the Internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please keep account credentials confidential and notify us promptly if you suspect unauthorized account activity.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including active programs and accounts, participant safety, donor and transaction records, legal and tax requirements, grant or insurance obligations, dispute resolution, and enforcement of agreements. Retention periods vary by record type and applicable requirements. When information is no longer reasonably needed, we may delete, destroy, or de-identify it. Backup copies may remain for a limited period before routine deletion.
9. Your Choices and Requests
Depending on the information and applicable law, you may ask us to provide access to, correct, or delete personal information associated with you or your child. You may also update certain account information through the portal and change communication preferences as described in Section 4. We may need to verify your identity and authority before acting on a request. Some requests may be limited where retaining information is reasonably necessary or legally required, including for financial, safety, enrollment, or recordkeeping purposes.
Florida’s Digital Bill of Rights currently excludes nonprofit organizations from its general scope. Even when a particular privacy law does not apply, Northcrest will review reasonable privacy requests in light of its obligations and operational needs.
10. Third-Party Services and Links
The Services may integrate with or link to third-party websites, payment platforms, communication services, calendars, social media, or other tools. Northcrest does not control and is not responsible for a third party’s privacy, security, or content. A link does not imply that the third party follows this policy. Review the third party’s terms and privacy policy before providing information.
11. Information from Outside the United States
Northcrest is based in the United States, and information submitted through the Services may be processed and stored in the United States. If you access the Services from another country, its data-protection laws may differ from those where you live.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our programs, technology, service providers, or legal obligations. We will post the revised policy and update the effective date. If changes are material, we may provide additional notice through the website, portal, or contact information available to us, as appropriate. Your use of the Services after an updated policy becomes effective is subject to the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
For questions, concerns, or privacy requests, contact:
Please do not send highly sensitive information by ordinary email. We may request additional information through a more appropriate channel when necessary to verify or complete a request.
Thank you for trusting The Northcrest Center with your information.