Privacy at SPARKS
Plain-language and honest. Here's exactly what we collect, why, and how we protect it.
Effective date: June 20, 2026
1. Who we are and what this policy covers
SPARKS Book Club ("SPARKS," "we," "our," or "us") is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pairs shared reading with hands-on STEM and craft activities for elementary-school students. Before each session, we mail participating families a book and a supply package.
This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have. It applies to our website and to the way we run our program. We've written it in plain language on purpose, because our families and supporters deserve to understand exactly how we handle their information.
2. The information we collect
We deliberately collect as little as possible. In practice, that means:
- Enrollment information: the parent or guardian's name, email address, and mailing address, so we can send books, supplies, and program emails to your household.
- A participating child's first and last name: provided by the parent or guardian at enrollment. We use it only to address packages to your child, keep accurate program records, and greet students by name during sessions.
- Donor information: name, email address, and any details needed to process a gift and send a tax-deductible donation receipt.
- Volunteer and inquiry information: name and email address when someone reaches out to volunteer or ask a question.
Information we do not collect: We do not collect personal information directly from children. Children don't fill out forms, create accounts, or submit anything to us. The information we keep about a child is the first and last name a parent gives us at enrollment. We do not take, store, or publish photos or video of children.
3. How we use your information
We use the information above to:
- mail books and supply packages to enrolled families;
- send program updates, session reminders, and occasional news to enrolled families and donors;
- process donations and issue receipts;
- respond to volunteer offers and general questions; and
- run and improve the program.
We do not sell your information, and we do not share it for anyone else's advertising.
4. The tools and services we rely on
Running a small nonprofit means we use a few trusted third-party services to do things we can't do alone. When you use these, your information is also handled under that provider's own privacy policy.
- Online forms: we use Google Forms to collect enrollment, feedback, and volunteer responses.
- Email: we send program emails from a standard Gmail account.
- Donations: when online giving is live, donations will be processed through our bank, Bank of America. Your payment information is handled by the bank's secure systems; we never see or store your full card or account number.
We share information with these providers only as needed to deliver the service, never for them to use on their own behalf.
5. Children's privacy
This is the part that matters most to us, because we serve children.
SPARKS is a program for children, but the information we collect comes from the parents and guardians who enroll them, not from the children themselves. Children don't fill out forms, create accounts, or share personal information with us, and we never take, store, or publish photos or video of children.
The information we keep about a participating child is their first and last name, which a parent or guardian provides at enrollment. We use it to address book packages to your child, keep accurate program records, and greet students by name during sessions. We pair it with your household mailing address solely to deliver those packages.
The federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) sets rules for handling personal information about children under 13, including a child's name and home address. A parent or guardian, not the child, provides this information when they choose to enroll their child, which is how a program like ours is meant to receive it. We collect only what we need to run the program, store it securely, keep it no longer than necessary, and honor any parent's or guardian's request to review, correct, or delete it. If you want to do any of those things for your family or your child, contact us using Section 11 and we'll take care of it promptly.
6. Cookies and analytics
Our website uses Google Analytics to understand general traffic patterns, such as how many people visit a page and which pages are most useful. To do this, Google Analytics uses cookies and collects limited technical information such as your browser type and approximate location. We use this information only in aggregate to improve the site; we don't use it to identify individual visitors. You can opt out by adjusting your browser's cookie settings or by installing Google's opt-out browser add-on.
7. How long we keep your information
We keep enrollment, donor, and volunteer information only as long as we need it to run the program, meet our recordkeeping and tax obligations as a nonprofit, and stay in touch with active families and supporters. When we no longer need it, we delete it.
8. Your choices and rights
You can, at any time:
- ask what information we have about your family;
- ask us to correct it;
- ask us to delete it; and
- ask us to stop sending you emails at any time. We don't run a subscription or marketing list, so there's no link to click; just contact us and we'll stop.
To make any of these requests, reach us using Section 11.
9. How we protect your information
We limit who on our team can access your information, use reputable service providers for forms, email, and donations, and avoid keeping information we don't need. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable, good-faith steps to protect what you share with us.
10. Changes to this policy
If we update this policy, we'll change the effective date at the top and post the current version on our website. If we ever make a significant change to how we handle children's or families' information, we'll do our best to let enrolled families know directly.
11. How to contact us
If you have questions about this policy, or you're a parent or guardian who wants to review, correct, or delete your family's information, please contact us at:
Becca Pollard
Email: becca@sparkslearning.org