Privacy policy.

The Backpack Project, Inc.

Effective date: October 2, 2026

Last updated: October 2, 2026

Who we are

The Backpack Project, Inc. (“TBP,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 47-4511944). We pack and hand-deliver backpacks of essentials to people experiencing homelessness and support related chapter and volunteer programs.

Public contact

• Email: info@thebackpackproject.org
• Mail: PO Box 1281, Athens, GA 30603
• Legal address: PO Box 1281
  Athens, GA 30603

We do not publish a public phone number.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information when you visit thebackpackproject.org, related chapter or event pages we control, or contact us online (together, the “Site”).

Information we collect

Information you give us

Depending on how you use the Site, you may provide:

• Contact details — name, email address, mailing address, organization/school, and message content when you use a contact, volunteer, chapter-interest, sponsorship, or career/application form.
• Donation information — when you give online, donation amount and your contact details are processed by our payment/fundraising provider (currently GiveButter). We do not store full payment card numbers on our servers. See GiveButter’s privacy policy for how they handle payment data.
• Event / RSVP details — name, email, company or school, headcount, and related logistics for Homeless Heroes Day or other events (including via the RSVP form on this site or linked forms if used).
• Volunteer / chapter form answers — availability, campus, interests, and similar information you choose to submit.
• Email list sign-ups — email address and optional name if you join a newsletter or updates list.
• In-kind / supply coordination — details you email to info@thebackpackproject.org about donated goods (we ask that supply donations be arranged in advance).

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, we or our hosting/analytics providers may collect:

• IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, and approximate timestamps.
• Cookies or similar technologies used for basic site function, security, and (if enabled) aggregate analytics.

The tools we use may change; we will update this policy if our practices change in a material way.

Information from partners and public sources

We may receive limited information from corporate sponsors, campus partners, or publicly available sources (for example, a company contact named in a sponsorship email) when needed to run an event or packing.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive categories of personal data about people we serve through backpack deliveries for marketing use on the Site.

How we use information

We use personal information to:

• Respond to inquiries and coordinate volunteering, chapters, sponsorships, and events.
• Process and acknowledge donations (via GiveButter and related tools).
• Send operational email about events you signed up for, or newsletters if you opted in.
• Operate, secure, and improve the Site.
• Comply with law, protect safety, and prevent fraud or misuse.
• Maintain nonprofit records required for tax, audit, and board oversight.

We do not sell your personal information.

How we share information

We may share information with:

• Service providers that help us run the Site and programs (for example: website host, email tools, Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 for nonprofit mail, GiveButter, form tools, analytics). They are instructed to use data only to provide services to us.
• Chapter volunteers and student leaders when needed to respond to a local request you made (for example, a Durham volunteer inquiry).
• Event partners (venue, corporate packing hosts, delivery nonprofits) only as needed for that event.
• Professional advisors (accountants, attorneys) and, when required, government authorities.
• A successor organization in a merger, asset transfer, or similar reorganization, subject to this policy’s spirit.

We may share aggregated or de-identified statistics (for example, backpacks packed) publicly.

Cookies and analytics

The Site may use cookies or similar technologies for:

• Essential operation (security, load balancing, form sessions).
• Optional analytics to understand aggregate traffic.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may limit Site features.

If we embed third-party content (GiveButter, maps, video, social embeds), those parties may set their own cookies under their policies.

Donations and payment processors

Online donations are processed by GiveButter (and its payment partners). Card data is entered on their systems, not stored by TBP as full card numbers. For donor privacy practices, see GiveButter’s published privacy policy. Gift acknowledgments may come from GiveButter and/or from info@thebackpackproject.org.

Tax receipts and deductibility depend on applicable law; we do not provide tax advice. Our EIN is 47-4511944.

Children

The Site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site. Volunteers under 18 may participate in programs with a parent/guardian when a venue or chapter requires it; those arrangements are usually handled offline or by chapter leads, not as child-targeted website marketing.

If you believe a child under 13 provided personal information through the Site, email info@thebackpackproject.org and we will delete it where appropriate.

Data retention

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above, including legal, tax, and accounting retention (donation and sponsorship records often kept for several years). Contact-form mail may be retained in our nonprofit email systems according to normal mailbox practice. You may ask us to delete or correct information as described below, subject to legal retention needs.

Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical measures appropriate to a small nonprofit (access-limited inboxes, reputable hosts and processors). No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. Please use care when sending sensitive information by email.

Your choices and requests

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, or a copy of personal information we hold about you, or to opt out of certain processing.

To make a request or unsubscribe from optional marketing email, contact info@thebackpackproject.org. We will respond within a reasonable time. Transactional messages about an event or donation you initiated may still be sent when needed.

We do not currently respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals in a standardized way because there is no consistent industry standard; cookie controls remain available in your browser.

International visitors

We operate in the United States. If you access the Site from outside the U.S., you understand information may be processed in the U.S., where privacy laws may differ from those in your country.

Third-party sites

Links to Instagram, GiveButter, partner sites, or chapter pages we do not control are governed by those sites’ policies. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the Site after an update means you accept the revised policy. For material changes, we may also post a notice on the Site or email a primary contact address we have on file.

Contact

Privacy questions: info@thebackpackproject.org

Mail: The Backpack Project, Inc., PO Box 1281, Athens, GA 30603