Privacy Policy

Quietly Working Foundation
Updated: February 2026

Introduction

Quietly Working Foundation ("QWF," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to protecting your privacy and providing a safe online experience. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information across all QWF programs and services.

Our Mission: QWF supports military families through direct charitable services and trains the next generation through real-world experience in our fundraising programs. Every program we operate serves this dual purpose.

By using any QWF website, application, or service, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. Please read it carefully, along with our Terms of Service.

Programs and Services Covered

This Privacy Policy applies to all Quietly Working Foundation programs and services:

Fundraising Programs (with Student Training)

Quietly Writing (QWR) — AI-powered content creation platform at quietlywriting.org
Locals 4 Good (L4G) — Direct mail postcard fundraising program
War on Hopelessness (WOH) — Lifestyle brand and volunteer coordination hub
Quietly Working Creative (QWC) — Creative services program

Charitable Services and Registries

International Youth Service Registry (IYSR) — Registry connecting Youth Service Organizations at iysr.org
Americas Children of Fallen Heroes (ACFH) — Direct support for military families

Websites

QuietlyWorking.org — Foundation website
QuietlyWriting.org — Quietly Writing application
IYSR.org — International Youth Service Registry

All fundraising proceeds support QWF's charitable mission. Programs also provide essential real-world training for Missing Pixel students learning professional skills.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

Account Information

Name, email address, and password (or third-party sign-in credentials)
Company/organization name and website URL
Billing information (processed by Stripe; we do not store complete payment card numbers)

Program-Specific Information

Program	Information Collected
Quietly Writing	Brand information, voice samples (URLs you provide for analysis), Wisdom Library sources, content preferences, generated articles
Locals 4 Good	Business contact information, mailing preferences, postcard content
War on Hopelessness	Volunteer interests, event preferences, merchandise orders
IYSR	Organization details, services offered, demographics served, representative contact information, event registrations
Donations	Donor name, contact information, donation amounts, payment information

Communications

Emails, chat messages, and support requests you send us
Survey responses and feedback

Information Collected Automatically

When you use our websites and applications, we automatically collect:

Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device identifiers
Usage Information: Pages visited, features used, time spent, click patterns
Network Information: IP address, approximate location (city/region level)
Cookies and Similar Technologies: See "Cookies" section below

Information from Third Parties

Authentication Providers

When you sign in using Google, Apple, or other third-party providers, we receive only:

Your name
Your email address
Profile picture (if available)

We do NOT access your contacts, calendar, drive, email content, or other account data from these providers.

Payment Processors

Stripe provides us with transaction confirmations and basic billing information, but not your complete payment card numbers.

How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

Provide and Improve Services

Create and manage your accounts
Process transactions and subscriptions
Deliver requested services (articles, postcards, registrations, etc.)
Respond to support requests
Improve our programs based on usage patterns

Artificial Intelligence Processing (Quietly Writing)

Quietly Writing uses AI to:

Analyze URLs you provide to understand your brand voice and industry
Generate article drafts based on your voice profile and preferences
Provide content recommendations from your Wisdom Library

Important: Your content may be processed by third-party AI providers (such as Anthropic/Claude). We do not use your content to train AI models, and we require our AI providers to maintain confidentiality.

Ezer AI Assistant

Ezer ("Ez") is QWF's conversational AI assistant, available across our websites via chat widgets, terminal.quietlyworking.org, SMS, and Discord. Ez uses a privacy-first, progressive trust model where you control what data is collected.

How It Works:

Trust Tier	Status	What's Collected	Your Action
Tier 0	Anonymous (default)	Nothing — conversations are in-memory only	No action needed
Tier 1	Device Recognized	Device identifier, conversation history, preferences	You click "Remember me"
Tier 2	Named	Tier 1 + your self-provided name	You tell Ez your name
Tier 3	Verified	Tier 2 + email address (encrypted)	You verify via magic link

Key Privacy Features:

You start anonymous. No data is collected or stored until you explicitly opt in.
Conversations are ephemeral by default. Tier 0 conversations exist only in memory and are deleted when your session ends.
Cross-site recognition is opt-in. If you choose "Remember me," Ez can recognize you across all QWF websites (see Cookies section below).
You can always say "forget me." This immediately deletes all your Ezer data and resets you to anonymous.
Preferences are managed via magic links — no password required. Ask Ez to "manage my preferences" or use links in email footers.

What Ez Remembers (Tier 1+):

Recent conversation history (rolling window, 90-day retention)
Your preferences (theme, notification settings)
Topics you've discussed (for continuity)
Any commitments or reminders you've asked Ez to track

AI Processing:

Your conversations with Ez are processed by third-party AI providers (Anthropic/Claude) to generate responses. We do not use your conversations to train AI models.

Terminal Sessions (terminal.quietlyworking.org):

If you use the Ez Terminal, we may also collect:

Session metadata (duration, outcomes)
Puzzle attempts and completions (if you play)
Engagement patterns for improving the experience

Communications

Send service-related notifications (account updates, subscription changes)
Share program updates and newsletters (with your consent)
Respond to your inquiries

Mission Support

Track program impact for grant reporting and transparency
Coordinate student training opportunities
Improve services for military families

Legal and Safety

Comply with legal obligations
Protect against fraud and abuse
Enforce our Terms of Service

Service Providers

We share information with trusted providers who help us operate:

Provider	Purpose	Data Shared
Supabase	Database and authentication	Account data, content
Stripe	Payment processing	Billing information
Anthropic	AI content generation (QWR, Ezer)	Content for processing
Vercel/Lovable	Application hosting	Usage data
Email providers	Transactional emails	Email addresses, names

All service providers are contractually required to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

Within QWF Programs

Your information may be shared between QWF programs when relevant to your participation. For example, if you're a QWR supporter and also register an organization with IYSR, we may recognize you across programs.

Youth Service Organizations (IYSR)

If you register a Youth Service Organization with IYSR, your organization's public profile (name, services, contact information) is shared with other registered YSOs and event participants to fulfill IYSR's mission of connecting organizations.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, legal process, or government request, or when necessary to:

Protect the safety of any person
Investigate potential violations of our policies
Protect QWF's rights and property

We may share information in other circumstances with your explicit consent.

What We Do NOT Do

We do NOT sell your personal information
We do NOT share your information with third parties for their marketing purposes
We do NOT use your content to train AI models

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help websites function and remember your preferences.

How We Use Cookies

Type	Purpose	Examples
Essential	Required for basic functionality	Authentication, security, preferences
Analytics	Understand how services are used	Page views, feature usage
Preferences	Remember your choices	Theme settings, language
Ezer Recognition	Remember you across QWF sites (opt-in only)	Device identifier cookie

If you choose "Remember me" when chatting with Ez, we set a cookie called ezer_device_id on the .quietlyworking.org domain. This cookie:

Contains: A randomly generated device identifier (no personal information)
Expires: 1 year (self-renewing on use)
Scope: Accessible to all QWF subdomains (e.g., terminal.quietlyworking.org)
Purpose: Allows Ez to recognize you and maintain conversation continuity across QWF sites

For external QWF domains (locals4good.org, heroeskids.org, waronhopelessness.org, iysr.org), we use a secure "identity bridge" that allows Ez to access your device identifier via encrypted cross-domain messaging. This enables the same personalized experience across all QWF properties.

You can delete this cookie at any time by telling Ez "forget me" or by clearing your browser cookies. This resets you to anonymous (Tier 0).

Your Choices

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect functionality, but our services remain usable.

We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking for marketing purposes. The Ezer recognition cookie is used solely to provide you with a personalized experience across QWF sites.

Data Retention

Active Accounts

Your data is retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterward to:

Allow you to reactivate your account
Comply with legal obligations
Resolve disputes

After Account Deletion

Personal data: Deleted within 30 days of account deletion request
Generated content: Deleted with your account (or exported at your request)
Anonymized analytics: May be retained indefinitely
Backup copies: Purged within 90 days

Inactive Accounts

Trial accounts: Data deleted 90 days after trial expiration if not converted
Paid accounts: Retained until you request deletion
IYSR registrations: Retained until organization requests removal

Ezer AI Assistant Data

Anonymous conversations (Tier 0): Deleted when session ends (not stored)
Remembered conversations (Tier 1+): 90-day retention, rolling window
Device recognition cookie: 1-year expiry, self-renewing
Verified user data (Tier 3): Retained until you request deletion
"Forget me" command: Immediate deletion of all Ezer data

Legal Holds

We may retain data longer if required for legal proceedings or compliance.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

Access Your Data

Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Export Your Content

Download your generated articles, voice profile, and Wisdom Library data through Settings or by contacting us.

Correct Your Data

Update inaccurate information through your account settings or by contacting us.

Delete Your Account

Request deletion of your account and associated data. Some information may be retained as described above.

Opt Out of Communications

Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any email, or adjust preferences in your account settings. You cannot opt out of essential service communications.

Data Portability

Request your data in a machine-readable format.

Ezer AI Assistant Controls

You have additional controls for Ezer:

"Forget me": Tell Ez "forget me" to immediately delete all your Ezer data and reset to anonymous
Preference Center: Ask Ez "manage my preferences" to receive a magic link for managing notification settings
Tier downgrade: You can request to be "forgotten" at any time without affecting other QWF accounts

To exercise these rights, contact: [email protected]

We will respond to requests within 30 days.

Security

We implement industry-standard security measures:

Encryption: Data encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest
Access Controls: Limited employee access on a need-to-know basis
Infrastructure: Secure cloud hosting with regular security updates
Monitoring: Automated alerts for suspicious activity

No system is perfectly secure. If you discover a vulnerability, please report it to [email protected].

Children's Privacy

Current Policy

Our services are designed for adults (18+) and organizations. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

IYSR Events

Dare to Dream and other IYSR events may involve youth attendees. At such events:

Youth are connected with registered Youth Service Organizations
Personal information of minors is collected only with parental/guardian consent
Youth data is handled according to COPPA requirements

Future Student Programs

QWF's Missing Pixel program currently enrolls adults (18+). When we expand to include minors:

We will update this policy with specific protections
Parental consent will be required
Age-appropriate privacy controls will be implemented
All staff will receive training on youth data protection

If You're a Parent

If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at [email protected] and we will delete it.

International Users

Data Location

Our services are based in the United States. Your data is stored and processed in the United States.

International Transfers

If you access our services from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to the United States. By using our services, you consent to this transfer.

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights:

Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
Right to withdraw consent at any time
Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests

Our legal bases for processing your data:

Contract: To provide services you've requested
Consent: For optional communications and cookies
Legitimate Interest: For security, fraud prevention, and service improvement

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights:

Right to Know

You may request disclosure of:

Categories of personal information collected
Sources of information
Business purposes for collection
Categories of third parties with whom we share data
Specific pieces of information we hold about you

Right to Delete

You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.

Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

No Sale of Personal Information

We do not sell personal information. We have not sold personal information in the preceding 12 months.

To exercise California rights, contact [email protected] or call (773) 234-KIDS (5437).

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date.

For material changes, we will:

Notify registered users by email
Display a prominent notice on our websites
Provide at least 30 days' notice before changes take effect

Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

For Privacy Questions:

The Quietly Working Foundation
8 Via Sonrisa
Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (773) 234-KIDS (5437)

For General Inquiries:
Email: [email protected]

This Privacy Policy was last updated February 2026.