Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Seed Foundation ("Seed Foundation," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Custer, South Dakota, operating as part of the Black Hills Consortium ecosystem. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, students, program participants, event attendees, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, make donations, enroll in educational programs, participate in community programs, or attend our events. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the practices described herein, please do not use our website or services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us and information that is automatically collected when you use our services:

• Donor Information: Name, email, mailing address, phone number, payment information, donation amounts, and giving history
• Student Information: Name, contact details, educational background, employment history, program enrollment data, academic performance, and career placement outcomes
• Relocation Applicant Information: Name, contact details, current location, employment details, household composition, and relocation preferences for Settle the West
• Event Registration: Name, contact details, dietary preferences, accessibility needs, and professional information for THE CULT convention and other events
• Seed Labs Applicant Information: Business plans, founder information, revenue projections, and grant application materials
• Volunteer Information: Name, contact details, skills, availability, and background check information where required
• Website Usage Data: IP addresses, browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process donations and provide tax receipts
• Administer educational programs through Seed Academy, including enrollment, grading, and placement services
• Evaluate and process relocation applications for Settle the West
• Manage event registration and logistics for THE CULT convention and other events
• Review Seed Labs grant applications and monitor grant recipient progress
• Communicate with you about programs, events, fundraising campaigns, and organizational updates
• Improve our website, programs, and services based on usage patterns and feedback
• Generate aggregate impact reports and program outcomes for stakeholders and grantmakers
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including IRS reporting requirements
• Protect the safety and security of our participants, staff, and volunteers

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We respect your privacy and share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Black Hills Consortium Affiliates: We may share limited information with BHC-affiliated entities to coordinate programs (e.g., sharing relocation applicant data with Pass Creek Holdings for housing, or student data with Grow Campus for workspace access). We share only the minimum information necessary for program coordination.
• Service Providers: We use third-party vendors for payment processing (Stripe), email communications, website hosting (Vercel), database management (Supabase), and analytics. These vendors are contractually obligated to protect your information.
• Partner Towns: For Settle the West, we share limited applicant information with partner municipalities (Custer, Hill City, Hot Springs, and other participating towns) to facilitate relocation services and community integration.
• Grantmakers and Reporting: We share anonymized and aggregated program outcome data with grantmakers, foundations, and government agencies as required by grant agreements and reporting obligations.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. Donor lists are never shared with external organizations without explicit consent.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption of sensitive data, secure payment processing through PCI-compliant providers, access controls that limit data access to authorized staff, regular security assessments, and secure data storage on enterprise-grade infrastructure. Despite these precautions, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. We will notify affected individuals promptly in the event of a data breach as required by applicable law.

6. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, request corrections to inaccurate information, request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements), opt out of marketing communications at any time, and request a copy of your data in a portable format. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the information provided below. We will respond to your request within 30 days. Donors may update their information or manage communication preferences through the donor portal at any time.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. We use essential cookies to maintain website functionality and session state, analytics cookies (via Vercel Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our website, and preference cookies to remember your settings and choices. We do not use advertising or targeting cookies. You may control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Disabling essential cookies may impact the functionality of certain features on our website, including the donation portal and program application forms.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is generally directed to adults. However, some Seed Academy programs may be open to participants under 18 years of age. For participants under 18, we require parental or guardian consent before collecting personal information. We collect only the minimum information necessary for program participation from minors. Parents or guardians may review, request deletion of, or refuse further collection of their child's information by contacting us. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verified parental consent in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, and support our charitable mission. Donation records are retained for a minimum of 7 years for IRS compliance and audit purposes. Student records are retained for 5 years after program completion to support alumni services and outcome tracking. Event registration data is retained for 2 years after the event. Application data for unsuccessful applicants is retained for 1 year and then securely deleted. You may request early deletion of your data at any time, subject to our legal retention obligations.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including partner organizations, funding sources, and educational resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit. Links to external sites do not constitute endorsement of their content, products, or services.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, programs, or legal requirements. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. For material changes, we will provide additional notice through our website or email. Your continued use of our website and services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: