Privacy Policy
Effective Date: December 31st, 2025
Organization: NorthEast Education Initiatives (“NEED Initiatives”)
Contact: privacy@needinitiatives.org
Mailing Address: PO Box 86, Wayne, PA 19087
Overview
NorthEast Education Initiatives (“NEED Initiatives,” “we,” “us,” “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and the choices you have.
We are a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit in formation focused on improving educational equity by supporting students and families through guidance, advocacy, and community partnerships.
2) Scope
This policy applies to information we collect through:
Our website and online forms
Email, phone, and other communications with families and community members
Event registrations, volunteer inquiries, and donation-related communications
This policy does not cover third-party websites or services you may access through links on our site.
3) Information We Collect
We collect information in three main ways: (a) information you provide, (b) information from your communications with us, and (c) limited website usage data.
A. Information you provide
Depending on what you submit, we may collect:
- Contact information: name, email, phone number, preferred contact method/times
- Student and school context (minimal): student first name and last initial (or similar), grade, school, district/LEA, state
- Support request details: the general reason you are reaching out and a brief description of your concerns
- Scheduling and process details: meeting dates, deadlines (if you choose to share them)
Important: Unless we specifically ask, please do not submit highly sensitive documents (e.g., full IEPs, evaluations, medical records) through basic web forms or email. If we need records, we will provide a secure upload method.
B. Information from your communications
If you email or call us, we may keep:
The content of your message
Our responses and internal notes needed to manage your request
Dates/times of communications
C. Website usage information (cookies/analytics)
Our website may collect limited technical data such as:
IP address (often approximate), device/browser type, pages visited, and general usage patterns
Cookies or similar technologies for site functionality and analytics (if enabled)
You can control cookies through your browser settings.
4) How We Use Your Information
We use information to:
Respond to inquiries and provide support
Conduct intake and follow-up to understand your request
Track and manage cases and communications internally
Provide resources, referrals, or coordination support when appropriate
Improve our services, forms, and website
Meet legal, accounting, or compliance obligations (when applicable)
5) How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information.
We share information only as needed and typically in these situations:
A. With service providers (to operate our work)
We may use trusted service providers (for example, for email, document storage, form processing, website hosting, or workflow automation). These providers process information on our behalf under their own security controls and contractual terms.
B. With your permission
If we need to coordinate with a school, provider, or other organization, we will seek appropriate permission and follow your direction where feasible. If you ask us to connect with someone on your behalf, we may share the information needed to do that.
C. For safety or legal reasons
We may disclose information if we believe it is necessary to:
Protect the safety of a child or another person
Respond to lawful requests (e.g., subpoenas or court orders)
Comply with applicable laws or regulations
6) Student Information and Sensitive Information
Because our work can involve student and family circumstances, we strive to follow a data minimization approach:
We collect only what we need to contact you and understand the request.
We limit access to case information to authorized personnel who need it for support.
We prefer secure upload links for documents rather than email attachments.
Note: NEED Initiatives is not a school district and is not the custodian of official education records under FERPA. However, we treat sensitive information you share with care and limit access internally.
7) Data Security
We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information, such as:
Access controls and account-based permissions
Limited sharing of case materials
Standard security features provided by our productivity and storage systems
No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you have concerns about the best way to share information with us, contact privacy@needinitiatives.org and we will provide options.
8) Data Retention
We keep information only as long as reasonably necessary for:
Providing support and maintaining continuity of service
Operational needs (e.g., documentation of communications)
Legal, accounting, or compliance obligations (if applicable)
When information is no longer needed, we take steps to delete or de-identify it consistent with our internal retention practices.
9) Your Choices and Requests
You may contact us to:
Request access to the information you’ve provided
Request corrections if something is inaccurate
Request deletion of information (where feasible and not required for legitimate operational or legal purposes)
Opt out of non-essential communications
Email privacy@needinitiatives.org with your request. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
10) Children’s Privacy
Our services are intended for parents/guardians and adult stakeholders. If a minor submits information directly, we may delete it and ask that a parent/guardian contact us instead.
11) Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on our website and update the Effective Date.
12) Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or privacy practices, contact: privacy@needinitiatives.org
Mailing Address: PO Box 86, Wayne, PA 19087