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Privacy Policy

 

Effective Date: May 29, 2026

Headwaters Science Institute (“HSI,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Soda Springs, California. We are committed to protecting the privacy of visitors to our website at headwatersscienceinstitute.org. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.

By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

  1. Information We Collect
  2. Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information you voluntarily provide to us, including:

  • Name and email address when you sign up for our newsletter via GiveButter
  • Payment information (such as credit/debit card details) when making a donation through GiveButter or purchasing from the Headwaters Store. Note: payment data is processed directly by our payment partners and is not stored on our servers.
  • Name, email address, and any other information you include when submitting a contact form or emailing us directly
  1. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain data is collected automatically through Google Tag Manager and associated tools, including:

  • IP address and approximate geographic location
  • Browser type and device information
  • Pages visited and time spent on each page
  • Referring website or search terms used to find us
  • Interactions with embedded content (such as YouTube videos)

This data is collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies. See Section 4 for more information on how to manage your cookie preferences.

  1. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Send newsletters and program updates to subscribers who have opted in
  • Process donations and store purchases
  • Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
  • Understand how visitors use our website in order to improve its content and performance
  • Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. 

 

  1. Third-Party Services and Data Sharing

We share data with the following third-party service providers only as necessary to operate our website and programs:

Google (Analytics / Tag Manager)

We use Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics to understand website traffic and user behavior. Google may collect and process data including your IP address and browsing behavior on our site. For more information, see Google’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy. 

GiveButter

Donations and newsletter signups are managed through GiveButter, a third-party platform. Payment, donor, and subscriber information is governed by GiveButter’s Privacy Policy. We receive transaction records but do not store full payment details on our own servers. If you have subscribed to our newsletter, you may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us at info@headwatersscienceinstitute.org.

Spond (Program & Camp Registrations)

Registrations for our school programs, summer camps, and other activities are handled through Spond, a third-party registration platform at club.spond.com. When you click a registration link on our website and complete enrollment on Spond’s platform, your registration data (such as participant names, contact details, and payment information) is collected and stored by Spond, not by Headwaters Science Institute. Spond is independently responsible for the data it collects. We encourage you to review Spond’s Privacy Policy at https://spond.com/privacy-policy before registering.

Please note that our website’s analytics tools (Google Tag Manager) may collect general browsing data — such as which program pages you visited — before you navigate to Spond. This is covered under Section 1(b) above.

YouTube

Our website embeds YouTube videos. When you interact with these videos, YouTube (owned by Google) may set cookies and collect data in accordance with its own privacy policy.

  1. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enable site functionality and collect analytics data. When you first visit our site, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner allowing you to:

  • Accept all cookies
  • Reject non-essential cookies
  • Manage your preferences by category

Non-essential cookies (such as analytics and tracking cookies) will not be activated until you have provided consent. You may update your preferences at any time using the “Manage Consent” link in the website footer.

We also honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal. If your browser has GPC enabled, we will treat this as a request to opt out of tracking.

  1. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

  • The right to know what personal information we collect, use, share, or sell
  • The right to delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
  • The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (note: we do not sell personal information)
  • The right to correct inaccurate personal information
  • The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@headwatersscienceinstitute.org. We will respond within 45 days.

  1. Children’s Privacy

Headwaters Science Institute serves K–12 students through our programs, and some of our website content is directed at students and parents. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13 through our website without verifiable parental consent, in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Program registration forms that collect information about minors are handled separately and subject to additional consent procedures. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at info@headwatersscienceinstitute.org.

  1. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe. Donation records are retained as required for nonprofit financial reporting.

  1. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. However, no method of internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

  1. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to headwatersscienceinstitute.org. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites and encourage you to review their policies before providing any personal information.

  1. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

  1. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Headwaters Science Institute

PO Box 913, Soda Springs, CA 95728

Phone: (530) 426-3063

Email: info@headwatersscienceinstitute.org

Headwaters Science Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.