Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 18, 2026

Behind the Smile is a Washington state nonprofit corporation. This policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose personal information through our website, course, forms, communications, donations, and community programs.

Health-related information is also covered by our separate Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy. If the two policies differ, that policy governs the consumer health data it covers.

1. Information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Contact and account information, such as your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and course registration details.

  • Program information, such as care-package eligibility, requested clothing size, information used to organize community groups, and the status of your request.

  • Donation information, such as your name, contact information, contribution amount, date, and transaction status.

  • Information you choose to send us, including questions, feedback, testimonials, photographs, and family experiences.

  • Technical information collected through our website and service providers, such as IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, referral information, and interactions with website features.

Please provide information about another person only when you are authorized to do so. We do not ask families to submit medical records to request a care package.

2. How we use information

We use personal information to:

  • Provide course access and respond to questions.

  • Manage care-package requests, confirm eligibility, communicate about availability, and arrange delivery.

  • Organize community groups requested by participants.

  • Process and acknowledge contributions and maintain financial records.

  • Send newsletters and other optional updates when you subscribe.

  • Maintain and protect our website and accounts, resolve technical issues, and understand how our resources are used.

  • Meet applicable legal obligations.

We may report program totals, such as the number of packages distributed, without identifying individual families.

We do not use a care-package request as permission to publish a family’s story or photographs.

3. Service providers and other disclosures

We use outside services to operate Behind the Smile. These include Squarespace for our website and related features, Zeffy and its payment providers for contributions, email and information-storage providers, shipping providers, and WhatsApp for participating community groups.

These providers receive the information needed for the functions they perform. For example, a shipping provider receives delivery information, and a donation service receives information entered into its payment form. Some providers also process information for their own purposes under their privacy policies.

Payments entered through Zeffy are handled by its payment providers. We receive donor and transaction information, but not your full payment-card number through Zeffy’s nonprofit dashboard.

We may disclose information when legally required or otherwise permitted by applicable law. Additional protections described in our Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy apply to health-related information.

We do not sell personal information or provide family contact lists to sponsors. We do not use identifiable health information for targeted advertising.

4. Cookies and website technology

Our website and embedded services use cookies and similar technologies for functions such as account access, security, preferences, and payment processing. Depending on the features and settings in use, they may also collect information for analytics.

You can control cookies through your browser and any privacy controls provided on the website or by the relevant service. Blocking some technologies may affect website features.

Third-party forms and other embedded services may collect information when they load or when you interact with them. Their own privacy policies also apply. A cookie choice on our website may not control every third-party technology.

5. Email choices

You can unsubscribe from optional emails using the unsubscribe link or by emailing us. We may still send messages needed to respond to your request, administer your account or program participation, or document your contribution.

6. Community groups

Participation in our WhatsApp groups is optional. Other group members may be able to see your phone number, profile information, and anything you share, depending on WhatsApp’s features and your settings.

Please share only what you are comfortable disclosing to the group. We ask members to respect confidentiality, but we cannot guarantee how another participant will use information they receive.

WhatsApp’s own terms and privacy policy govern its platform.

7. Photos and testimonials

We seek separate permission before publishing identifiable photographs, stories, or testimonials or sharing them with supporters. Receiving services is not conditional on providing publicity permission.

Contact us if you want to withdraw permission. We will stop future use and remove the relevant content from channels we control, subject to applicable law. We cannot guarantee removal of copies independently saved or shared by others.

8. Retention and security

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described here, including providing services and meeting applicable recordkeeping obligations. Retention depends on the type of information and its purpose.

We restrict access to people who need information to perform their responsibilities and use reasonable safeguards to protect it. No method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure.

Deletion requests involving consumer health data are handled under our Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy and applicable law.

9. Your choices and requests

You may contact us to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, or to ask about our privacy practices. Depending on applicable law, you may have additional rights.

We may need to verify your identity or your authority to act for someone else. Some records may need to be retained where legally required. We will explain any applicable limitation.

10. Children and international visitors

Our website is intended for parents and caregivers and is not directed to children under 13. We may receive information about children from their parents or authorized caregivers to provide requested services.

Behind the Smile operates in the United States. Our service providers may process information in the United States or other countries. Applicable privacy protections may differ by location.

11. Updates and contact

We may update this policy as our practices change. We will revise the date above and provide additional notice or obtain consent where required.

For privacy questions or requests, contact: marina@behindthesmile.org