Privacy Policy

Donations & Financial Records
If you make a donation or purchase, we may retain relevant transaction information as required for:

• Legal and regulatory compliance

• Tax reporting and financial record keeping

• Internal accounting and audit purposes

We do not store full payment details (such as complete credit card numbers); these are handled securely by our payment processors.

Community and Pod Participation

The Hive Method Foundation, Inc. provides a platform for connection between families and independent pod creators and educators.

We are not responsible for:

• The privacy practices of independent pod leaders

• Information shared within independent pods

• Agreements between families and educators

Members are encouraged to exercise discretion when sharing personal information within community spaces.

Community Visibility
Our platform includes community features where users can share posts, comments, and other content. Please be aware that any information you choose to share in these spaces may be visible to other members.

We encourage thoughtful sharing, especially when it involves personal or family-related information.

Independent Pod Communities
Individual pods and pod leaders operate as independent groups within the broader community. Information shared within pod-specific spaces may be accessed and managed by those groups.

Pod Creators and pod leaders are responsible for establishing and maintaining their own privacy practices within their pods and for complying with applicable laws related to the information they collect or share.

Children’s Privacy and Data Handling

We are committed to protecting the privacy and safety of children.

Our platform is designed for parents, educators, and pod creators. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without appropriate parental consent.

Age Considerations
We recognize applicable child privacy laws, including protections for children under 13 (such as those outlined in COPPA) and, where applicable, additional protections for minors under 16. Parents or legal guardians are responsible for overseeing their child’s participation and information sharing.

Parental Consent
If personal information about a child is collected, it is done only with verifiable parental or guardian consent. We take reasonable steps to:

• Obtain and verify consent before collecting a child’s personal information

• Maintain records of that consent

• Allow parents to revoke consent at any time

To revoke consent or request changes, parents may contact us using the information provided below.

Access, Updates, and Deletion Requests
Parents or legal guardians may request to review, update, or delete their child’s personal information at any time. Upon verified request, we will promptly delete the child’s data from our systems, unless retention is required for legal or operational purposes.

Community Guidelines for Child Information
To help protect children’s privacy, we strongly discourage sharing sensitive personal information about children (including full names, addresses, schedules, or identifying details) within community spaces.

We provide moderation tools and reporting mechanisms so members can flag content that may compromise a child’s privacy. We reserve the right to remove such content to maintain a safe environment.

Independent Pod Leaders
Pod Creators operate their own communities and may establish additional privacy practices within their pods. They are solely responsible for complying with applicable child privacy laws and ensuring appropriate handling of children’s information within their pod environments.

Data Sharing & Disclosures

We share personal information only as needed to operate our services, support our community, and fulfill legal and operational responsibilities.

Third-Party Platforms & Services

We use trusted third-party platforms and service providers to operate our website, deliver our services, and support our community experience.

Below are the primary third-party providers we currently use, along with links to their respective privacy policies:

• Payment Processing: Stripe — https://stripe.com/privacy

• Email & Communications: FloDesk — https://flodesk.com/legal/privacy-policy

• Community Platform: Mighty Networks — https://www.mightynetworks.com/privacy-policy

• Website Hosting: Squarespace — https://www.squarespace.com/privacy

• Analytics: Google Analytics — https://policies.google.com/privacy

Reviewing Third-Party Privacy Practices
When you click on a third-party link or choose to interact with an external service, you are leaving our platform or engaging with a service not operated by us. We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of those third parties before providing any personal information, as their practices may differ from ours.

Embedded & Integrated Services
Some features on our platform may be powered by third-party providers (such as payment tools, video content, or community integrations). When you interact with these embedded or integrated services, any information you provide may be collected and processed directly by those providers.

These interactions are governed by the privacy policies of the third-party providers operating those services—not this Privacy Policy.

Information Shared with Providers
Depending on the service, we may share limited personal information such as your name, email address, account activity, or transaction details, strictly as needed for these providers to perform their services.

Independent Privacy Practices
Each third-party provider operates under its own privacy policy and is responsible for its own data handling practices. We encourage you to review their policies to understand how your information is collected, used, and protected.

Our Approach to Provider Selection
We take reasonable steps to work with reputable providers that prioritize data security and privacy. Where appropriate, we implement contractual safeguards to help ensure your information is handled responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws.

Embedded & Integrated Services
Our website and community may include embedded or integrated services (such as payment tools, external links, or third-party content). These services may collect data directly from you and are governed by the privacy policies of the third-party providers that operate them.

Purpose of Sharing
We share information with these providers to:

• Process payments and donations

• Communicate with you about your account, purchases, or community updates

• Improve platform functionality and user experience

• Maintain secure and reliable operations

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your experience, understand how our platform is used, and support core functionality.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Functional Cookies
  These cookies are essential for the operation of our website and community. They enable features such as logging into your account, navigating between pages, and maintaining your session.

• Analytics Cookies
  These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website—such as which pages are visited, how long users stay, and how users interact with content. This information helps us improve performance and user experience.

• Personalization Cookies
  These cookies allow us to remember your preferences (such as settings or past interactions) to provide a more customized experience.

How We Use Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep our platform functioning properly

• Understand usage patterns and improve our services

• Remember your preferences and settings

• Support communication and content delivery

Managing Cookies
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View what cookies are stored

• Delete existing cookies

• Block or restrict cookies from specific websites

Please note that disabling certain cookies—especially functional cookies—may affect the performance of our website and limit your ability to use some features.

Preference Controls
Where available, we may provide tools or settings that allow you to manage your cookie preferences directly within our platform.

Email Communications

We may communicate with you for both service-related and marketing purposes. We aim to keep these communications clear, relevant, and respectful of your preferences.

If you subscribe to our email list or create an account, we may send you:

• Service Related Communications

  • These are necessary communications related to your account or use of our services. They may include:

    • Account confirmations or updates

    • Transaction receipts (including purchases or donations)

    • Important notices about your account, security, or policy changes

    • Community or platform-related updates that are essential to your participation

    Because these communications are necessary for providing our services, you may not be able to opt out of receiving them while maintaining an active account.

• Marketing Communications
  We may also send you optional communications such as:

  • News, updates, and announcements

  • Educational content, resources, or community highlights

  • Promotions, offers, or new product releases

You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link included in our emails

• Adjusting your communication preferences (where available)

• Contacting us directly using the information provided below

Please note that opting out of marketing communications will not affect your ability to receive necessary service-related communications.

Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect it.

Security Measures
We use a combination of safeguards designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse, including:

• Access controls that limit sensitive data to authorized individuals only

• Encryption in transit to protect data as it is transmitted

• Secure systems and platforms for storing and managing information

• Ongoing monitoring and best practices to maintain data security

Limited Access to Sensitive Information
Access to personal information is restricted to those who need it to operate our services, support our community, or fulfill legal and operational responsibilities. We take steps to ensure that anyone with access to this information understands the importance of confidentiality and security.

Payment Security
All payment and donation transactions are processed through secure third-party payment providers. We do not store full payment details (such as complete credit card numbers) on our systems.

Incident Response
While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we maintain practices designed to detect, respond to, and address potential security incidents. If a data breach or security issue occurs, we will take appropriate steps to investigate, mitigate impact, and notify affected users as required by applicable law.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Categories of Data & Retention Practices

• Account Information
  We retain account information (such as your name, email address, and profile details) for as long as your account is active. If you choose to close your account, we will delete or anonymize your information within a reasonable timeframe, unless retention is required for legal or operational purposes.

• Donations & Transaction Data
  We retain records of purchases and donations for as long as necessary to comply with legal, tax, and financial reporting obligations. This may include maintaining records for several years as required by applicable laws.

• Communications
  We may retain communications (such as emails, support requests, or messages) for as long as needed to provide support, resolve disputes, and improve our services.

• Community Content
  Content shared within our community spaces (such as posts, comments, and messages) may remain visible as long as your account is active or as needed to maintain the integrity of the community experience. You may request deletion of your content, subject to reasonable limitations.

Deletion Triggers

We may delete or anonymize your personal information when:

• You request deletion of your data

• You close your account

• Your account remains inactive for an extended period

• The information is no longer necessary for the purposes it was collected

Exceptions & Legal Requirements

In certain cases, we may retain information for longer periods if necessary to:

• Comply with legal or regulatory obligations

• Meet tax and accounting requirements

• Resolve disputes or enforce our agreements

• Protect the security and integrity of our platform

Where applicable, retained data may be securely archived and restricted from active use.

Our Privacy Rights

We respect your right to understand, access, and manage your personal information.

Submitting a Request
You may submit a request to access, update, correct, or delete your personal information by contacting us using the information provided below. To help protect your privacy, we may require you to verify your identity before fulfilling your request. Verification may include confirming information associated with your account or other reasonable steps to ensure the request is legitimate.

Response Timing
We aim to respond to all verified requests within the timeframes required by applicable law. In most cases, this means responding within 30–45 days. If additional time is needed, we will notify you and explain the reason for the delay.

Limitations & Legal Obligations
In certain situations, we may be unable to fulfill a request in full. For example, we may retain certain information as required to:

• Comply with legal obligations

• Resolve disputes

• Enforce our agreements

• Maintain security and prevent fraud

If we are unable to complete your request, we will explain the reason to the extent permitted by law.

Rights of California Residents
If you are a California resident, you may have specific rights under applicable privacy laws, including the right to request access to the personal information we collect, request deletion, and understand how your data is used and shared.

Users Outside of California
If you are located outside of California, you may still submit similar requests. We will review and respond in accordance with applicable laws in your jurisdiction.

Non-Discrimination
We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights. This means we will not deny you access to our services, charge different prices, or provide a different level of service solely because you have made a privacy-related request.

External Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal obligations. When we make material changes, we may:

• Post a notice on our website or community platform

• Notify users through email or other appropriate communication channels

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or would like to submit a privacy-related request, you may contact us at:

The Hive Method Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 326
San Marcos, CA 92070
info@thehivemethod.com

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable laws.