Legal & policies
Privacy Policy
Connect-It 360, Inc. respects your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how long we keep it and how to get it removed.
On this page
Who we are
Connect-It 360, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Clearwater, Florida, recognized as tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, EIN 82-3756618. We operate the SharkMakers youth innovation program. This policy covers connectit360.org, thesharkmakers.com and any forms or portals we run.
Information we collect
- Contact information - name, email address, telephone number.
- Location information - city, state, county.
- Form submissions - student interest, mentor interest, sponsor interest, school or organization, and the role you select.
- Program data - for enrolled students, grade level and the milestones and project work managed inside the program portal.
- Donation data - handled by our payment processor. We receive confirmation and donor contact details; we do not store full card numbers.
- Technical data - the standard request information our web host records when a page is served, such as browser type, device type and IP address. We do not run analytics software on this site.
We collect the minimum needed to run the program. Where a student is under 18, see the youth and student privacy policy, which controls.
How we use it
- Respond to inquiries and process program applications.
- Communicate about events, deadlines and opportunities.
- Operate the program: team assignment, mentorship, milestone review, judging.
- Report aggregate outcomes to grant funders. Aggregate means totals and percentages, not identifiable individuals.
- Improve our website and outreach.
- Maintain the internal records a nonprofit is required to keep.
What we never do
We do not sell personal information, and we never hand student data to anyone else to market to. We do not place advertising or retargeting pixels on registration, student portal or donation pages. The service providers that host this site and deliver our email act only on our instructions - see “When we share information” below.
When we share information
We share personal information only with:
- Service providers that host the website, deliver email or process payments, and only so that they can do that job. Their own standard terms are what governs today; where a student is involved, the youth and student privacy policy sets out what we require of them and what we have not yet put in writing.
- Grant funders that require reporting - in aggregate form unless you have specifically consented otherwise.
- Program partners supporting operations, limited to what they need to run their part of the season.
- Mentors, judges and corporate sponsors, who see student project work through professional dashboards only. They do not receive students' private contact details.
- Where the law requires it.
Marketing consent
If you sign up for updates, you consent to receiving communications from us. Every email carries an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time by writing to sharkmaker@connectit360.org. We do not add people to marketing lists simply because they submitted a contact form.
How long we keep it
| Record | Retention |
|---|---|
| General inquiry form submissions | No fixed period set. Deleted on request. |
| Marketing list membership | Until you unsubscribe |
| Student program records | For the season, and afterward for grant and audit purposes |
| Parental consent and media releases | For as long as we rely on the permission given |
| Donation records | No fixed period set. Kept with our financial records. |
Our board has not yet adopted a formal retention schedule, so this table describes what we actually do rather than fixed periods we are not yet keeping to. That is why no row here gives you a number of years. You can ask us to delete your information at any time - see “Your rights” below.
Your rights
You may ask us to show you the personal information we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. Parents and adult students may request permanent deletion of a portal account and its data at any time. Write to sharkmaker@connectit360.org and we will respond within 30 days.
Security
We use HTTPS across both sites, restrict access to program data to the staff and coordinators who need it, and require our vendors to maintain reasonable security. No system is perfect; if we ever have a breach affecting personal information, we will notify affected people as required by Florida law.
Changes
If we change this policy materially we will update the date at the top of this page and, where the change affects how we handle student data, notify enrolled families directly.
Contact
Questions about this policy: sharkmaker@connectit360.org · (727) 742-7332 · Clearwater, Florida.
