Effective date: July 7, 2026 | Last updated: July 7, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how The Sylas Project, Inc. ("The Sylas Project," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, protects, and shares information when you visit thesylasproject.org (the "Site"), apply for a Survival Swim Scholarship, or make a donation. Please read it together with our Terms of Use.
Contents: Who we are Information we collect How we use it How we share it Children's privacy How long we keep it How we protect it Your rights and choices Cookies and analytics Changes Contact us
The Sylas Project, Inc. is a Florida nonprofit corporation and a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN 85-2194333). Our mission is to prevent accidental drowning in children by funding survival swim lessons and sharing water-safety education. This Site is operated from the United States, and the information we collect is stored and processed in the United States.
a. Scholarship application information. When you apply for a Survival Swim Scholarship, we collect the information you provide on the application form, which includes: the parent or guardian's first and last name, date of birth, home address, phone number, and email address; a photo of the parent or guardian's driver's license or government-issued identification; a written description of why you need financial assistance; and, for each child to be enrolled, the child's legal first and last name and date of birth, whether there is a body of water near the child's home, and whether the lessons are a new or refresher course. To verify financial need, you may also upload supporting documents such as pay stubs, tax forms (for example, IRS Form 1040), or proof of benefits. This information is used only to review and administer your scholarship request.
b. Donation information. When you donate online, payment is handled by a third-party payment service such as PayPal, Venmo, or Stripe; you may also donate by check. We do not collect or store your full card or bank-account numbers on our servers. We may receive limited confirmation information such as your name, email address, donation amount, and date, so we can acknowledge your gift and keep required financial records.
c. Messages you send us. If you email us or use a contact link, we receive the information you choose to share, such as your name, email address, and the contents of your message.
d. Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we and our analytics providers may automatically collect limited technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, pages viewed, and the date and time of your visit. See Cookies and analytics below.
We use the information we collect to: review, verify, and administer Survival Swim Scholarship applications; confirm eligibility and prevent fraud or misuse of scholarship funds; process and acknowledge donations and maintain required financial and tax records; respond to your questions and messages; operate, maintain, and improve the Site; and comply with our legal, tax, and reporting obligations. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
We share personal information only as needed to run our programs, and only with the following:
Our staff. Scholarship application information is reviewed only by authorized Sylas Project staff, so we can confirm eligibility and administer awards. We do not share your application, its documents, or your child's information with swim instructors. If your application is approved, you contact and arrange the lessons directly with an instructor yourself.
Service providers. We use trusted third parties to run the Site and our programs, including our donation processors (such as PayPal, Venmo, and Stripe), our email and hosting providers (to receive, send, and store applications securely), and our website analytics provider. These providers may access information only to perform services for us and are expected to protect it.
Legal and safety reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of a child, of you, of the public, or of The Sylas Project.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone for their own marketing.
Protecting children is central to our mission. This Site is intended for use by adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13. Scholarship applications ask for information about a child, but that information must be submitted by the child's parent or legal guardian, who provides it and consents to our use of it on the child's behalf. We use children's information only to review the scholarship request and arrange lessons, and we share it only as described in this Policy. If you believe a child has provided us information without a parent or guardian's involvement, please contact us at andrea@thesylasproject.org and we will delete it.
We keep scholarship application information, including any driver's license or identification images, only as long as needed to review the application, administer awarded lessons, and meet our legal, tax, and recordkeeping obligations. Unless a longer period is required by law, we aim to delete or securely destroy driver's license and identification images within 90 days after a decision is made, and to delete other application records within 24 months. Donation and financial records are retained as required for tax and audit purposes. You may ask us to delete your information sooner, as described below.
We take the security of your information seriously and use reasonable administrative and technical measures to protect it, including limiting access to authorized staff, transmitting the Site over encrypted (HTTPS) connections, and storing uploaded documents so they are not publicly accessible. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You share information with us at your own discretion.
You may ask us to access, correct, update, or delete the personal information we hold about you or your child. To make a request, email andrea@thesylasproject.org. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request, and some information may be retained where the law requires it.
California residents. If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it, the right to request deletion, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your rights. We do not sell personal information. You may exercise these rights using the contact information below.
The Site may use cookies and similar technologies, and a third-party website-analytics service, to understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it. This may include collecting your IP address and general usage data. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent; some parts of the Site may not function properly if you do. We do not use this information to build advertising profiles.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page, and significant changes will be posted here. Your continued use of the Site after an update means you accept the revised Policy.
If you have questions about this Policy or how we handle your information, contact us at:
The Sylas Project, Inc.
Email: andrea@thesylasproject.org
Mailing address: 16920 SW 5th Street, Weston, FL 33326
