The Rod Paige Scholars & Leaders Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Effective Date: June 17, 2026
Last Updated: June 17, 2026
1. Introduction
The Rod Paige Scholars & Leaders Foundation(“The Rod Paige Scholars & Leaders Foundation,” “we,” “us,” or “our“) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through https://rodpaigelegacy.org (the “Site“), through our donation tools, scholarship application processes, communications, and related services, how we use, disclose, and protect that information, and the choices and rights you may have.
This Policy applies to donors, scholarship applicants, parents and legal guardians, recipients, and any other visitor to the Site, as well as individuals who communicate with us offline or online in connection with our programs. By accessing or using the Site or submitting information to us, you acknowledge the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site or submit personal information to us.
Please read Section 6 (Children’s Privacy) carefully. Some scholarship applicants are high school students under the age of 18, and we have specific practices and requirements for collecting their information.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways.
2.1 Information you provide directly
When you donate, we may collect:
- Name, email address, mailing address, and phone number
- Payment information (processed by our third-party payment processor — see Section 4) , including billing details and transaction confirmation information
- Donation amount, frequency, and any dedication or comments you include
- Information needed to issue tax receipts
- Employer information and matching-gift information, if you provide it
- Any other information you choose to provide in connection with a donation or fundraising activity
When you apply for a scholarship, we (or the applicant) may collect:
- Name, date of birth, contact information, and mailing address
- Academic records, transcripts, GPA, test scores, and school information
- Essays, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and references
- Financial and household information used to assess need
- Demographic information (which may be voluntary)
- Parent or legal guardian name and contact information (required for applicants under 18 — see Section 6)
- Government-issued identifier information or student identification information, if needed to verify identity, eligibility, enrollment, or award administration
- Information regarding extracurricular activities, honors, employment, community service, disciplinary history, or other materials submitted as part of the application
- Banking, payment, tax, enrollment, or other information needed to distribute or administer scholarship awards
When you contact us or sign up for communications, we may collect:
- Name, email address, and the contents of your message
- Mailing address, phone number, communication preferences, and any other information you choose to provide
2.2 Information collected automatically
When you visit the Site, we may automatically collect:
- IP address, browser type, device information, and operating system
- Pages viewed, links clicked, and dates/times of visits
- Referring website and general location (city/region level)
- Unique device identifiers, approximate geolocation derived from IP address, session activity, and interactions with Site content, emails, or donation pages
We collect this through cookies and similar technologies. See Section 7.
2.3 Information from third parties
We may receive information from schools, recommenders, payment processors, or scholarship-administration platforms that help us operate our programs.
We may also receive information from analytics providers, social media platforms, fundraising platforms, background or identity verification providers, public databases, and other service providers or partners that support our operations, compliance, fraud prevention, or program administration.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Process and acknowledge donations and issue tax receipts
- Receive, evaluate, and administer scholarship applications and awards
- Verify eligibility and the accuracy of application materials
- Communicate with applicants, recipients, donors, parents, and guardians
- Send updates, newsletters, and program information (you may opt out)
- Operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site
- Comply with legal, tax, audit, and regulatory obligations
- Detect and prevent fraud and abuse
- Maintain our donor records, administer recurring donations, and respond to donor inquiries
- Review applications, select scholarship recipients, confirm enrollment, disburse funds, and monitor scholarship use and program outcomes
- Personalize user experience, analyze Site performance, troubleshoot errors, and improve accessibility and content
- Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims and enforce our terms, policies, and program rules
We do not sell your personal information . for money. We also do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of individuals under 16 for cross-context behavioral advertising.
4. How We Share Your Information
We share information only as described below:
- Service providers. We use trusted third parties to process payments, host the Site, manage applications, send email, and provide analytics. They may access information only to perform services for us and are required to protect it.
- Scholarship review. Application materials may be shared with selection committee members, reviewers, and volunteers bound by confidentiality obligations.
- Legal requirements. We may disclose information to comply with law, a subpoena, or legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of THE ROD PAIGE SCHOLARS & LEADERS FOUNDATION or others.
- Business or organizational changes. In connection with a merger, reorganization, or transfer of operations, information may be transferred consistent with this Policy.
- With consent. We may share information for other purposes when you (or a parent/guardian, where applicable) authorize it. We may recognize donors publicly only with consent.
- Schools, educational institutions, and verification parties. We may share applicant or recipient information with schools, educational institutions, scholarship administrators, verification providers, and financial institutions as needed to verify eligibility, confirm enrollment, process awards, prevent fraud, or administer scholarship funds.
- Professional advisors and regulators. We may share information with auditors, accountants, legal counsel, insurers, regulators, and government authorities as reasonably necessary for compliance, reporting, governance, or risk management purposes.
- Protection of minors and the public. We may disclose information where we believe disclosure is appropriate to protect the health, safety, or welfare of applicants, minors, parents, schools, THE ROD PAIGE SCHOLARS & LEADERS FOUNDATION personnel, or the public, consistent with applicable law.
5. Payment Processing
Donations are processed by third-party payment processors (for example, [Stripe / PayPal / other]). We do not store full payment card numbers on our systems. Your payment information is handled under the privacy policy and security standards of the relevant processor. Please review their policies before submitting payment.
If you make a donation through a third-party fundraising, event, or social media platform, your information may also be collected and processed by that platform under its own terms and privacy policy. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of unaffiliated third parties.
6. Children’s Privacy
Protecting the privacy of minors is important to us. Because some scholarship applicants are high school students under 18, please review this section carefully.
6.1 Applicants under 18
If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must review this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use and provide consent before you submit a scholarship application or other personal information. We require parent/guardian contact information as part of applications from minors and may contact the parent or guardian to confirm consent. Where permitted by law, we may collect limited information from a minor before full parental confirmation solely to initiate the application process, contact the parent or legal guardian, protect the security of the Site, or determine whether parental consent is required. We will not use that information for other purposes unless and until any required parent or guardian authorization is obtained.
6.2 Applicants under 13 (COPPA)
The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent as required by the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If a scholarship program involves applicants under 13, we will obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from the child.
If we rely on parental consent under COPPA, we may provide the parent or legal guardian with direct notice of our information practices, the specific information we seek to collect, how we will use and disclose that information, and how the parent may revoke consent.
6.3 Parental rights
A parent or legal guardian may, at any time, review the personal information we have collected from their child, request that we correct or delete it, and refuse to permit further collection or use. To exercise these rights, contact us using the information in Section 12.
We may take reasonable steps to verify the identity and authority of any person making a parental request before granting access to, correcting, or deleting a child’s information.
6.4 If we learn we collected information improperly
If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without the required parental consent, we will delete that information as promptly as possible. If you believe a child has provided us information without consent, please contact us.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember preferences, and understand how the Site is used. We may use analytics services (for example, [Google Analytics]) that collect usage information.
These technologies may include essential cookies, performance and analytics cookies, functionality cookies, and similar technologies such as pixels, tags, SDKs, and session replay or comparable tools, if used.
You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect Site functionality. Where required by law, we will request your consent before placing non-essential cookies. If your browser sends a “Do Not Track” signal, we currently respond as described in this Policy.
Because there is not yet a universally accepted standard for responding to Do Not Track signals, we currently do not respond to them unless required by applicable law. We may recognize browser-based opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, where required by law.
8. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security or that unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction will never occur.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any credentials you use to access our services and for notifying us promptly of any suspected unauthorized activity.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including to administer scholarships, recognize donors, and meet legal, tax, accounting, and audit requirements. We retain donation records as required for tax and reporting purposes. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or de-identify it.
Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the information, whether the information relates to a minor, the sensitivity of the information, legal hold obligations, dispute resolution needs, and applicable legal, tax, accounting, audit, or reporting requirements.
10. Your Choices and Rights
- Communications. You may opt out of marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link or contacting us. We may still send transactional messages (for example, donation receipts).
- Access and correction. You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information.
- Deletion. You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and recordkeeping obligations.
- Cookie controls. You may manage certain cookie preferences through your browser settings or any cookie management tools we make available.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or other state privacy laws. To exercise any rights, contact us using Section 12. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
Depending on applicable law, these additional rights may include the right to know or access categories or specific pieces of personal information we collect, use, disclose, or sell or share; the right to request correction; the right to request deletion; the right to limit the use of certain sensitive personal information where applicable; the right to opt out of certain targeted advertising, sales, or profiling; and the right to appeal our decision on your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request, and we may deny or limit requests as permitted by law.
11. Links to Other Sites
The Site may link to third-party websites we do not control. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, contact us at:
The Rod Paige Scholars & Leaders Foundation
Address: 1510 Eldridge Pkwy Suite 110-226 Houston, TX 77077
Email: foundation@rodpaigelegacy.org
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new “Last Updated” date and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Site after changes take effect means you accept the updated Policy.