Privacy Policy

The Future Now Institute, which operates The States Forum and this website, respects your privacy and personal information and the need for secure handling of such information.

This policy describes the types of information The Future Now Institute (“we”/“us”) may collect from you or that you may provide when you use or interact with this website or our online resources (the “Web Services”), our practices for collecting, using, protecting and disclosing that information, and how you may contact us to access, delete or modify your information or unsubscribe from our services or newsletters. By using this website and other web-based services provided by The Future Now Institute or The States Forum, you consent to the processing of your information as set forth in this Privacy Policy, now and as amended by us.

How do we use your information?

We and our affiliates may use the information we collect from or about you through the Web Services for a number of purposes, including, but not limited to:

providing you with products, services, or information you request
processing any transactions you have authorized
following up on services or information we provided to you
contacting you about fundraising campaigns or aspects of our work
delivering targeted advertisements and other marketing communications
conducting research
processing employment, internship, or volunteer applications
providing required notices or information about the Web Services
improving the Web Services and tailoring content
generating and analyzing usage statistics
detecting and preventing fraud, IP infringement, or misuse of the Web Services

We also may combine or aggregate information we collect for any of these purposes.

Examples:

If you make a donation, your info goes into our supporter database and you may get updates or fundraising appeals.
If you sign up for info or contact us by email, you’ll get news and announcements, and we may add you to supporter lists.
If you view certain content, you might later see related ads on other sites.
If you apply for a position, your resume may be shared with our affiliates seeking candidates.

Under what circumstances do we disclose your information?

We may disclose information we collect:

to our affiliates
to service providers who keep it confidential and use it only to perform services for us
to co-branding partners for joint communications
in donor list exchanges facilitated by service providers
as required by law (subpoena, court order, etc.)
to protect our rights, the Web Services’ integrity, or user safety
to advisors or third parties in connection with mergers, acquisitions, or asset sales

We may also share de-identified stats about user demographics and traffic with researchers. Third-party links on our site aren’t governed by this policy—check their privacy statements.

What information do we collect?

Information You Provide when you:

create an account
make a donation
contribute content (comments, posts)
use interactive features (forms, chat)
make a purchase
apply for jobs or internships
sign up for updates
enter contests or promotions
participate in surveys
contact us with questions or requests

That info can include your name, contact details, account credentials, demographics, transaction info, application materials, or any data you submit.

Information Automatically Collected such as IP address, location, browser type, OS, pages viewed, referrer URLs, and search terms. We use cookies and Google Analytics User ID to recognize you and personalize your experience. You can opt out of Google Analytics with their browser add-on.

Online advertisements

Our ad partners may use cookies and similar tech to track click-stream data. Their practices aren’t governed by us—review their privacy policies.

Where is this information processed?

Processed in the United States under US law. We may transfer it to affiliates or service providers in other countries—your use implies consent to this transfer.

How is your information secured?

We maintain reasonable safeguards but can’t guarantee absolute security. Don’t send sensitive info if you’re worried.

Your choices

You can reject cookies via your browser settings, but the Web Services may not work properly. You can also clear browser history and contact us to review, update, or delete your data. To opt out of Google Analytics, install their opt-out add-on.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

If we update this policy, we’ll post a new version here. Material changes to how we handle previously collected info will require your consent before we apply them.

Children Under 13

We don’t knowingly collect info from children under 13. If we learn we have, we’ll delete it.

Choice/Opt-out

You can unsubscribe from newsletters via the link in each email or by emailing fni@futurenow.org.

Accessing, Updating or Removing Your Data

Email fni@futurenow.org to correct, update, delete, or request a copy of your personal info (once per year or as state law allows).

If you have questions about this policy or our data practices, contact:

The Future Now Institute
PO BOX 15845
WASHINGTON, DC 20003
Email: fni@futurenow.org

This Privacy Policy was last updated on June 26, 2025.