Privacy Policy
Effective date: June 24, 2026
1. Who We Are
PhillyXL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, operating nationwide. We build free AI and STEM education programs that connect students with peer mentors and real learning opportunities.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit phillyxl.org, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have. We have written it in plain language because many of our community members are teenagers, and everyone deserves to understand how their information is handled.
If you have questions, email us at jay@phillyxl.org.
2. What Information We Collect and Why
We only collect information you give us directly, or basic data about how people use our website.
Contact Form (/contact)
What we collect: Your name, email address, and the message you write.
Why: To respond to your question or request.
How it's stored: Submitted through Netlify Forms, which stores your submission securely and sends a notification to our team.
Newsletter Signup (/newsletter)
What we collect: Your email address and, optionally, your first name. We also capture basic campaign information (UTM parameters) that tells us how you found us.
Why: To send you our newsletter with updates about PhillyXL programs, events, and opportunities.
How it's stored: Your email and name are sent to Beehiiv, the platform we use to manage our newsletter.
Age note: Our newsletter is intended for people aged 13 and older. If you are under 13, please ask a parent or guardian before signing up.
Unsubscribe: Every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link managed by Beehiiv. You can opt out at any time with one click.
Mentor / Volunteer Application (/mentors)
What we collect: Your name, email address, and background information you choose to share.
Why: To review your interest in volunteering or mentoring with PhillyXL.
How it's stored: Submitted through Netlify Forms, which stores your application securely and notifies our team.
Age note: Mentor and volunteer roles are open to people aged 13 and older. Applicants under 18 may need parental or guardian consent depending on the role.
Donation Page (/donate)
What we collect: Our donation page links you to Stripe, a secure third-party payment processor. PhillyXL does not collect, see, or store your payment card number or any financial credentials. Stripe handles all payment data directly.
What we may receive back from Stripe: Confirmation that a donation was made, the amount, and your name and email if you provide them — so we can send a donation receipt for tax purposes.
Website Analytics
We use Plausible Analytics to understand how visitors use our site in the aggregate. Plausible is privacy-first: it uses no cookies, does not track you across other websites, and collects no personal data. There is nothing to opt out of because no personal information is processed.
What We Do Not Collect
- We set no cookies of our own on your device
- We use no advertising trackers or cross-site tracking
- We do not sell your personal information
- We do not offer accounts, logins, or profiles on the public website
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information only for the purposes it was collected:
| Information | How we use it |
|---|---|
| Contact form (name, email, message) | To respond to your message |
| Newsletter (email, first name) | To send our newsletter; to understand signup sources |
| Mentor/volunteer application | To review and follow up on your application |
| Donation confirmation (name, email, amount) | To send a receipt and tax acknowledgment |
| Analytics (aggregate, non-personal) | To improve our website and understand our audience |
We do not use your information for automated decision-making, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to running PhillyXL's programs and communications.
4. Third-Party Services
We work with the following services. Each has its own privacy policy that governs how they handle data on their end.
| Service | What they handle for us | Their privacy policy |
|---|---|---|
| Netlify | Website hosting; stores contact and application form submissions | netlify.com/privacy |
| Beehiiv | Newsletter delivery; stores subscriber emails and names | beehiiv.com/privacy |
| Stripe | Donation payment processing; stores payment card data | stripe.com/privacy |
| Plausible Analytics | Cookieless, aggregate website analytics; no personal data | plausible.io/privacy |
We do not share your information with any other third parties except as required by law.
5. Data Retention
- Contact form submissions: Retained in Netlify for as long as needed to respond to your message, then deleted.
- Newsletter subscriptions: Retained in Beehiiv while you are subscribed. You can request complete deletion by emailing us.
- Mentor/volunteer applications: Retained for the current recruiting cycle, deleted within 12 months if no active role results.
- Donation confirmation data: Retained as required for nonprofit financial recordkeeping and IRS compliance — typically a minimum of 7 years.
- Analytics data: Aggregate and non-personal; retained per Plausible's own policies.
6. Children's Privacy (COPPA)
PhillyXL's programs serve teenagers, including young people aged 13 to 17. We take the privacy of minors seriously.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent, consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Our contact form, newsletter signup, and mentor/volunteer application are not directed at children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has submitted personal information to us, please contact us immediately at jay@phillyxl.org. We will locate and delete that information promptly.
For users aged 13 to 17: your information is used only as described above — to respond to you, send you our newsletter if you signed up, or review your application if you applied to volunteer or mentor.
7. Your Rights and Choices
Opt out of email communications: Every newsletter email contains an unsubscribe link. You can also email jay@phillyxl.org to request removal.
Request access to your data: Email us and we will respond within 30 days with what personal information we hold about you.
Request deletion of your data: We will honor deletion requests except where we are required to retain records by law (for example, donation records for IRS compliance).
Correct inaccurate data: If information we hold about you is wrong, let us know and we will correct it.
Pennsylvania residents: Pennsylvania does not currently have a comprehensive consumer data privacy statute. We treat all users fairly and consistently regardless of state.
California residents: PhillyXL does not meet the revenue and data-volume thresholds that trigger CCPA/CPRA obligations. As stated throughout this policy: we do not sell your personal information.
8. Security
Our website is served over HTTPS. Form submissions are handled by Netlify using industry-standard security practices. Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe, which maintains PCI DSS compliance. No method of internet transmission is 100% secure, but we take the protection of your information seriously.
9. Contact Information
For any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy:
PhillyXL
Email: jay@phillyxl.org
Website: phillyxl.org
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. If we make significant changes, we will let our newsletter subscribers know by email.