UPSTREAM AQUATIC INSTITUTE, INC. Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 25, 2026 Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Upstream Aquatic Institute, Inc. ("we," "us," or "our") is a nonprofit organization committed to transparency and responsible stewardship of the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through our website (the "Site"), how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights as a user.

By using our Site and submitting any form, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect only the information you voluntarily provide to us through the Site.

a. Bumper Sticker Request Form

When you request a free bumper sticker, we collect:

  • First and last name

  • Email address

  • Mailing address (street, city, state, ZIP code)

b. Email Newsletter

If you check the optional opt-in box, we also collect your email address for the purpose of sending you our campaign newsletter. Providing this consent is entirely voluntary and separate from the bumper sticker request.

c. Legislator/Commissioner Contact Feature

For users in certain states (including Colorado and Delaware), you may be presented with a one-click option to send a prepopulated email to relevant state officials or legislators. If you use this feature:

  • The email is sent by you, on your behalf, using the button mechanism provided.

  • We do not retain a copy of the email you send, nor the identity of the official you contact, on your behalf.

  • This action constitutes your own personal political speech. We do not control or direct the content once it is sent.

d. Automatically Collected Information

Our Site is hosted on Squarespace. Squarespace automatically collects certain technical data when you visit the Site, including IP address, browser type and version, pages visited and time spent, and referring URLs. This data is collected by Squarespace for analytics and site performance purposes. Please refer to Squarespace's Privacy Policy at squarespace.com for details.

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use the personal information you provide solely for the following purposes:

  • To fulfill your bumper sticker request and ship it to your mailing address

  • To send you our email newsletter, if you have opted in

  • To facilitate the one-click legislator contact feature, where applicable

  • To maintain records of our outreach for internal campaign purposes

  • To comply with applicable legal obligations

We do not use your information for commercial advertising, automated profiling, or any purpose unrelated to the mission of Upstream Aquatic Institute, Inc.

WHAT WE DO NOT DO

We want to be explicit about practices we do not engage in:

  • We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

  • We do not use your data for targeted advertising.

  • We do not share your data with data brokers.

  • We do not use your mailing address for any purpose other than fulfilling your bumper sticker request.

HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

a. Service Providers

We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate the Site and fulfill requests. These include Squarespace, Inc. (website hosting and form processing) and email service providers such as Mailchimp (for newsletter distribution, if applicable). These providers are contractually required to use your data only to perform services on our behalf and may not use it for their own purposes.

b. Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

c. Organizational Transfers

In the event of a merger, reorganization, or dissolution of Upstream Aquatic Institute, Inc., your information may be transferred to a successor organization, subject to the same privacy protections described in this Policy.

EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS (CAN-SPAM COMPLIANCE)

If you opt in to our newsletter, all emails we send will comply with the federal CAN-SPAM Act:

  • Every email will include our physical mailing address.

  • Every email will include a clear and functional unsubscribe link.

  • We will honor all unsubscribe requests within 10 business days.

  • We will never use deceptive subject lines or sender information.

You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any of our emails or by contacting us at contact@upstreampolicies.org.

COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

Our Site uses cookies. Squarespace automatically places cookies on your device when you visit the Site for analytics and site performance purposes. We do not place any additional advertising or tracking cookies ourselves.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Disabling cookies may affect certain features of the Site. For more information on the cookies used by Squarespace, please visit support.squarespace.com.

We do not engage in cross-context behavioral advertising, and we do not sell or share data derived from cookies with third parties for advertising purposes.

YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on the state in which you reside, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. The following rights apply under applicable US state privacy laws, including the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) and the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act (DPDPA):

  • Right to Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

  • Right to Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information.

  • Right to Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.

  • Right to Opt Out: You may opt out of any sale of your personal information or its use for targeted advertising. Note: we do not sell your personal information or use it for targeted advertising.

  • Right to Data Portability: Where technically feasible, you may request your data in a portable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@upstreampolicies.org. We will respond to verified requests within 45 days, with one 45-day extension if reasonably necessary. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.

DATA RETENTION

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy:

  • Fulfillment records (name and mailing address for bumper sticker requests): retained for up to 12 months after shipment.

  • Email newsletter list: retained until you unsubscribe. Upon unsubscription, your email will be removed from active lists within 10 business days.

  • Analytics data collected by Squarespace: subject to Squarespace's own retention policies.

CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Our Site and services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please contact us at contact@upstreampolicies.org and we will promptly delete it.

SECURITY

We take reasonable administrative and technical measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or loss. Our Site is hosted on Squarespace, which maintains industry-standard security practices including data encryption in transit (HTTPS). No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

THIRD-PARTY LINKS

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, including state government websites used in the legislator contact feature. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before submitting any personal information.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Policy. Your continued use of the Site after a revised Policy is posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

Upstream Aquatic Institute, Inc. Email: contact@upstreampolicies.org

We will make reasonable efforts to respond to all legitimate privacy inquiries within 30 days.