The Science Place Foundation ("the Foundation," "we," "us," or "our") operates the website at scienceplacefoundation.org (the "Site"). This policy explains what information we collect when you visit, how we use it, and the choices you have. We are an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas.
This policy applies only to the Site. It does not apply to third-party sites we link to (including but not limited to the digital archive hosted at archives.scienceplacefoundation.org, payment processors, or social media platforms), each of which has its own privacy practices.
1. Summary
- We do not require accounts to use the Site.
- We do not use advertising trackers or cross-site tracking cookies.
- We do not sell or rent personal information.
- We use Cloudflare's privacy-focused analytics to measure overall site traffic, and we collect limited technical information automatically (such as IP addresses) through our hosting provider and content delivery network, primarily for security and reliability.
- We collect personal information only when you voluntarily provide it (for example, by emailing us or making a donation).
2. Information We Collect Automatically
When you visit the Site, our hosting provider and content delivery network (Cloudflare) automatically receive and may log:
- Your IP address
- The date and time of your request
- The pages you requested and the referring page (if any)
- Your browser type, operating system, and approximate geographic region (derived from IP)
- Cookies set by Cloudflare for security and bot management (such as
__cf_bm), which are strictly necessary for the Site to function safely
These logs are used to operate, secure, and monitor the Site. They are retained for a limited operational period and are not used to build advertising or marketing profiles.
3. Cookies and Similar Technologies
The Site does not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking.
The only analytics we use is Cloudflare's privacy-focused web analytics, which measures aggregate site traffic without setting cookies on visitors' browsers.
The only client-side storage the Site sets directly is a single sessionStorage entry used to remember that you have dismissed the photosensitivity warning for the current browser session. This entry is cleared automatically when you close the browser tab.
Cloudflare may set strictly necessary cookies (such as __cf_bm) as part of its security and bot-management functions. You can manage or block cookies through your browser settings; blocking them will not prevent you from using the Site.
4. Information You Provide Voluntarily
We collect personal information only when you choose to share it with us. This includes:
- Email correspondence. If you contact us at the email address listed on the Site, we receive your email address, the contents of your message, and any attachments. We use this information to respond to you and to keep a record of the correspondence.
- Donations and contributions. If you make a financial donation, donations are processed by Donorbox, a third-party payment processor. We do not collect or store your full payment card details on our servers. Donorbox provides us with limited information necessary to acknowledge your gift, send a receipt for tax purposes, and comply with applicable nonprofit reporting requirements (typically your name, email address, donation amount, and the date of the donation). Donorbox's own privacy policy governs its handling of your payment data.
- Materials submissions. If you offer historical materials (documents, photographs, artifacts) for our archive, we may collect your name, contact information, and a description of the materials so that we can follow up with you.
We use this information for the purpose for which you provided it and do not share it with third parties for marketing.
5. Third-Party Services
The Site is built with and depends on a small number of third-party services:
- Cloudflare — content delivery, DNS, DDoS / bot protection, and privacy-focused web analytics. Cloudflare receives the IP address and request metadata for every visitor.
- Google Fonts — typography. When your browser loads a Site page, it requests font files directly from Google's servers (
fonts.googleapis.com,fonts.gstatic.com). This means your IP address is visible to Google as part of that request. Google states that it does not use these font requests for advertising. - Donorbox — donation processing. See Section 4.
We do not control the privacy practices of these providers. We encourage you to review their privacy policies directly.
6. Information We Do Not Collect
For clarity, the Site does not:
- Use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any third-party advertising or cross-site tracking tool.
- Operate user accounts, profiles, or logins on the public site.
- Host comments, forums, or any user-generated content surface.
- Sell, rent, or trade any personal information.
7. Children's Privacy
The Site is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us and we will delete it.
8. Your Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have legal rights regarding your personal information. We honor these rights regardless of your jurisdiction where reasonable.
8.1 Residents of California (CCPA / CPRA)
You may have the right to:
- Know what categories of personal information we have collected about you and how we use it
- Access the specific personal information we hold about you
- Request deletion of your personal information
- Opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law)
- Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the contact details below.
8.2 Residents of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Other GDPR-Aligned Jurisdictions
You may have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate personal information
- Request deletion of your personal information ("right to be forgotten")
- Object to or restrict our processing of your personal information
- Receive a copy of your personal information in a portable format
- Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
Our lawful bases for processing are: (a) your consent, when you voluntarily contact us; (b) our legitimate interest in operating and securing the Site; and (c) compliance with legal obligations applicable to charitable organizations.
8.3 Other U.S. State Laws
Residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws (including but not limited to Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Texas) may have similar rights. Contact us to exercise them.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected:
- Email correspondence: retained for as long as needed to maintain the conversation thread and any related records, and as required by applicable nonprofit recordkeeping rules.
- Donation records: retained for the period required by IRS nonprofit recordkeeping rules and applicable state law (typically at least seven years).
- Server and CDN logs: retained for a limited operational period (typically no longer than 90 days, depending on the provider's defaults).
10. Security
We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the limited personal information we hold. No method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. International Visitors
The Foundation is based in the United States. If you visit the Site from outside the United States, the limited information described above will be processed in the United States, which may have different data protection rules than your country of residence. By using the Site, you understand and consent to this transfer.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be highlighted on the Site for a reasonable period after they take effect.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise any of the rights described above, please contact:
The Science Place Foundation Email: contact@scienceplacefoundation.com