Privacy Policy
Effective Date: January 1, 2026
Last Updated: June 1, 2026
The Roberts Foundation ("the Foundation," "we," "us," or "our") is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and safeguard information when you visit therobertsfdn.org (the "Site") or otherwise interact with our programs, including scholarship, mentorship, financial literacy, and civic empowerment programs.
By using the Site or providing information to us, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site or submit information to us.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
Information You Provide Directly. This includes information you give us when you subscribe to our newsletter, apply for a scholarship or mentorship program, request to become a mentor or volunteer, make a donation, submit essays, photos, videos, testimonials, creative works, or other application or program materials, contact us, or otherwise communicate with us. Depending on the interaction, this may include your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, date of birth, academic records, financial information (for scholarship eligibility), parent or guardian contact information (for applicants under 18), school information, demographic information, photos, audio or video recordings, likeness, biographical details, payment information (for donations), and any other information you choose to share.
Information Collected Automatically. When you visit the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type, device identifiers, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the dates and times of your visits. This information is collected through cookies, log files, and similar technologies.
Information From Third Parties. We may receive information from third parties, including our hosting platform (Framer), payment processors, email service providers, social media platforms, schools or partner organizations that refer applicants, and analytics services.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and our programs;
Review and process scholarship, mentorship, and program applications;
Communicate with applicants, recipients, mentors, volunteers, donors, and subscribers;
Process donations and provide donation receipts;
Send newsletters, program updates, and other communications you have requested;
Comply with legal obligations, including IRS reporting and grant compliance;
Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, security incidents, or other harmful activity;
Conduct internal analysis and reporting on the impact of our programs.
Verify eligibility and obtain parental or guardian consent where required;
Administer participant safety, youth protection, and program integrity measures;
Review, evaluate, and, with appropriate consent, publish or otherwise use submissions, success stories, testimonials, photos, videos, and related materials for mission-related, educational, donor stewardship, grant reporting, and promotional purposes;
Maintain records of parental permissions, releases, and communication preferences;
We do not use your personal information for targeted advertising, and we do not sell personal information.
3. Children's Privacy (Important — Please Read)
The Foundation serves young people, including minors, and we take special care to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of youth participants. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"), applicable Texas law, and other applicable laws governing the personal information of minors. We seek to collect only the personal information reasonably necessary for program administration, participant support, safety, legal compliance, and related nonprofit operations.
Children Under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13 through the Site without verifiable parental consent. If a child under 13 wishes to participate in any program that requires submission of personal information, a parent or legal guardian must complete the application on the child's behalf, provide any required consents and permissions, and supervise the child's participation as appropriate. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information promptly unless we are legally required or permitted to retain it.
Minors Ages 13–17. For applicants and program participants between the ages of 13 and 17, we require parent or guardian contact information and, where required by law, program policy, or the nature of the activity, parent or guardian consent before collecting, using, disclosing, or publishing a minor's personal information, submission materials, image, voice, or likeness for purposes beyond an initial inquiry or internal application review. We may also require separate parental permission for participation in events, mentoring activities, interviews, recordings, or public-facing recognition.
Parent and Guardian Rights. Parents and legal guardians have the right, subject to applicable law and reasonable verification, to review the personal information we have collected about their child, request that we correct or delete such information, withdraw consent for certain future uses, including publicity uses, and refuse further collection or use. To exercise these rights, please contact us at the address below. We may need to retain certain information as required for legal compliance, safeguarding, recordkeeping, dispute resolution, or program administration.
We encourage parents and legal guardians to monitor minors' online activity and to help us protect youth participants by not submitting unnecessary sensitive personal information through the Site or program forms.
Educational Records. When we receive educational records (such as transcripts or letters of recommendation) in connection with a scholarship application, we treat that information as confidential and use it only for the purposes for which it was provided. We will not disclose educational records except as permitted by the student or parent or guardian, as required by law, or as necessary to administer the program. We request that applicants and schools avoid submitting highly sensitive information unless specifically requested.
Youth Submissions and Publicity Controls. We may receive essays, applications, recommendations, photographs, videos, artwork, testimonials, and similar materials submitted in connection with our programs (collectively, "Submissions").
We will use Submissions for application review, program administration, safeguarding, legal compliance, internal recordkeeping, impact measurement, and related nonprofit purposes.
We will not publicly post or otherwise use a minor's Submission, image, voice, full name, school affiliation, or other identifying information for marketing, publicity, fundraising, social media, or donor communications unless we have obtained any consent we determine is appropriate from the minor's parent or legal guardian and, where appropriate, assent from the minor.
Even where consent is provided, we may limit identifying details, use first name only, generalize location or school information, or decline to publish material in our discretion to protect participant safety and dignity.
Submission of materials to us does not require us to publish, post, return, or retain them, and we may remove or decline to use any materials at any time.
4. How We Share Information
We share personal information only as described in this Policy:
With Service Providers. We share information with vendors who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting (Framer), email delivery, payment processing, analytics, and document storage. These providers are authorized to use personal information only as necessary to provide services to us.
With Program Partners. With your consent (or the consent of a parent or guardian, where applicable), we may share information with partner organizations, schools, universities, mentors, event hosts, or service providers involved in administering scholarships, mentorship matches, youth programming, participant support, or program events. We limit sharing to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
For Legal Reasons. We may disclose information when required by law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Foundation, our program participants, or others.
In Connection With Organizational Changes. If the Foundation merges with, is acquired by, or transfers programs to another nonprofit organization, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the receiving organization honoring this Policy.
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information for marketing purposes.
No Sale; Limited Youth Publicity Use. We do not sell personal information, and we do not use minors' personal information for targeted advertising. Any public use of a youth participant's story, image, voice, Submission, or likeness is subject to the consent framework described in Section 3 and any separate release or consent we may require.
5. Cookies and Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember preferences, and understand how visitors use the Site. You can configure your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Some parts of the Site may not function properly if cookies are disabled.
We may use analytics services (such as Google Analytics) to understand Site traffic and engagement. These services collect information about your use of the Site and may set their own cookies. You can learn more about these services and opt out by visiting their respective websites.
We do not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals because no industry standard has been finalized. We do not track users across third-party websites for advertising purposes.
6. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, with additional care for information relating to minors. These measures may include access controls, role-based restrictions, vendor due diligence, secure storage practices, and limiting access to youth records to personnel, volunteers, and service providers with a legitimate need to know. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping any account credentials confidential.
7. Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, to comply with legal, tax, safeguarding, insurance, and grant obligations, or to resolve disputes. Scholarship and program records, including records relating to parental consent, releases, applications, awards, and participant communications, may be retained for the duration of the program, plus additional years required for audit, grant, IRS, youth protection, or legal reporting purposes. Publicity consents and related release records may be retained for as long as needed to document permissions and prior uses. When information is no longer needed, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, de-identify, or anonymize it, unless retention is required or permitted by law.
8. Your Rights Under Texas and Other State Laws
Depending on where you reside, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:
The right to confirm whether we are processing your personal information;
The right to access the personal information we hold about you;
The right to correct inaccuracies;
The right to delete personal information you have provided;
The right to obtain a copy of your personal information in a portable format;
The right to opt out of the sale of personal information or targeted advertising (note: we do not engage in these activities);
The right to appeal a denial of any of the rights above.