Privacy Policy

Begin Within Foundation (“Begin Within Foundation,” “the Foundation,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating through emotional wellness, healing, and community empowerment. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains how we collect, use, and protect the personal information of visitors to our website, and of individuals who wish to get involved with our mission as volunteers, mentors, partners, advocates, event participants, or newsletter subscribers.

This Policy applies to everyone who visits www.beginwithinfoundation.org or engages with us through the site's Get Involved pathways. It does not apply to donors making a financial contribution; donor information is governed separately by our Donation and Donor Privacy Policy, available upon request or on our website.

Who this Policy Covers

This Policy applies to individuals who interact with our website in any of the following ways:

General visitors browsing www.beginwithinfoundation.org
Prospective and active Volunteers
Prospective and active Mentors
Organizations and individuals seeking to Partner With Us
Advocates who share or promote our mission
Newsletter and email subscribers, and individuals who submit inquiries through our “Get Involved” or contact forms

Throughout this Policy, we refer to these individuals collectively as “participants.”

Information We Collect

When you complete a form on our website (such as the Volunteer, Become a Mentor, Become a Partner, Advocate & Share, or newsletter sign-up forms) or otherwise contact us to get involved, we may collect:

Full name
Email address
Phone number, if provided
Mailing address, if provided (for example, for mailed volunteer materials)
Areas of interest you select (e.g., Emotional Wellness, Youth Programs, Volunteer Opportunities, Events & Workshops)
Organization name and role, for partnership inquiries
Any additional information you choose to share in an open-text field or message to us

How We Use Your Information

Begin Within Foundation uses the information collected through our website to:

Respond to your inquiry and follow up on your interest in volunteering, mentoring, partnering, or advocating for the Foundation
Coordinate volunteer, mentorship, and partnership opportunities, including background checks or onboarding steps where applicable to a specific program
Send you newsletters, program updates, event invitations, and impact stories, if you have opted in to receive them
Maintain internal records of our volunteer, mentor, partner, and advocate community
Improve our website, programs, and community outreach
Comply with applicable legal, safety, or reporting obligations

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Volunteer and Mentor Screening

Certain roles, particularly those involving direct work with youth or vulnerable individuals, may require additional steps such as an application, interview, reference check, or background check. If a background check is required, we will inform you and obtain any consent required by law before proceeding. Information gathered through screening is used solely to evaluate suitability for the role and is kept confidential, shared only with those who need it to make placement decisions.

Partner Organizations

When an organization submits a partnership inquiry, we collect information about the organization and the individual submitting the request in order to evaluate potential collaboration. Any information shared about a partner organization's programs or offerings will be used only for the purpose of exploring or administering the partnership, and will not be disclosed publicly without the organization's consent, except as needed to describe active partnerships in our communications or annual reporting.

Sharing of Information

We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following circumstances:

With service providers who help us operate our website, process forms, or send communications, who are contractually obligated to protect your information
When required by law, legal process, or to protect the safety of our participants, staff, or the public
With your explicit consent, such as when you agree to be featured in a testimonial, newsletter, or on our website

We take reasonable measures to protect the personal information you provide through our website from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or misuse. Our website uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for data transmission. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Begin Within Foundation reserves the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on our website at www.beginwithinfoundation.org, with the effective date updated accordingly. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Policy, or would like to get involved as a volunteer, mentor, partner, or advocate, please contact us:

Begin Within Foundation

Columbus, Ohio

Email: hello@beginwithinfoundation.org

Phone: 614-421-7508

Website: www.beginwithinfoundation.org

Begin Within Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This Policy applies to website visitors, volunteers, mentors, partners, advocates, and subscribers of Begin Within Foundation and is approved by the Board of Directors, subject to periodic review. It works alongside, and does not replace, our separate Donation and Donor Privacy Policy.

Data Security

Changes to This Policy

2.1. Information You Provide Directly

2.2. Information Collected Automatical1y

When you browse our website, our hosting platform and any analytics tools we use may automatically collect standard technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and referring website. This information helps us understand how visitors use our site and improve its content and functionality.

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies for basic site functionality and analytics. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling cookies may affect certain website features.

Children's Privacy

Communications and Opt Out

Retention of Information

Your Rights

Third-Party Links

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental or guardian consent. Some of our programs serve youth participants; in those cases, information is collected directly through program intake processes with appropriate parental or guardian involvement, not through general website forms.

If you provide your email address or subscribe to our newsletter, you may receive periodic updates about our programs, volunteer opportunities, events, and impact. You may opt out of these communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in any email, or by contacting us directly at hello@beginwithinfoundation.org.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms and partner organizations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external site you visit.

You have the right to:

Request access to the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of your personal data, subject to any legal or program-related obligations that require us to retain certain records
Withdraw consent for communications or participation at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@beginwithinfoundation.org.

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including maintaining an ongoing relationship with active volunteers, mentors, and partners, or as required by law. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to securely delete or anonymize it.