FISHNETS FOUNDATION
Privacy Policy & Grant Applicant Data Protection Disclosure
Effective Date: October 6, 2026
Fishnets Foundation (“Fishnets Foundation,” “Foundation,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects the privacy of individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs, and other organizations that interact with us or apply for funding.
We recognize that a grant application may contain sensitive personal, organizational, financial, business, proprietary, and confidential information. We take our responsibility to protect that information seriously.
This Privacy Policy and Grant Applicant Data Protection Disclosure explains the information Fishnets Foundation may collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and our commitments regarding the confidentiality of information submitted through our website and grant application process.
This policy is intended to apply to applicants and website visitors in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and elsewhere in the United States, to the extent applicable law requires.
1. Information We May Collect
Fishnets Foundation may collect information that applicants voluntarily provide through our website, grant application, email communications, or other authorized interactions.
Depending upon the grant program, this may include:
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Organization or business name;
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Applicant name;
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Mailing and physical address;
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Email address;
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Telephone number, if voluntarily provided;
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Names and positions of officers, directors, owners, founders, or other organizational leaders;
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Organizational structure and background;
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Nonprofit or business information;
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Business plans and organizational plans;
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Grant proposals;
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Program descriptions;
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Community impact information;
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Proposed use of grant funds;
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Financial information reasonably necessary to evaluate an application;
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Supporting documentation;
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Information necessary to conduct appropriate grant-related due diligence; and
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Other information reasonably necessary to administer and evaluate the Foundation's grant programs.
Fishnets Foundation will seek to collect information that is adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy and applicable grant application materials.
Applicants should not submit Social Security numbers, passwords, banking credentials, credit-card numbers, or other highly sensitive personal information unless Fishnets Foundation specifically requests such information through an authorized and appropriate process.
2. Why We Collect Information
Fishnets Foundation may use information submitted by an applicant to:
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Review and evaluate grant applications;
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Determine eligibility;
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Evaluate proposed projects, programs, businesses, or initiatives;
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Conduct appropriate due diligence;
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Communicate with applicants regarding their applications;
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Make grant decisions;
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Administer grants and grant agreements;
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Verify information when reasonably necessary;
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Maintain appropriate records;
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Comply with applicable tax, accounting, legal, regulatory, and reporting requirements; and
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Operate and administer the Foundation and its philanthropic programs.
We will not use information submitted through a grant application for unrelated commercial purposes.
3. We Do Not Sell Applicant Information
Fishnets Foundation does not sell, rent, lease, or trade applicant information or personal information.
We will not sell grant applications, applicant contact information, business plans, organizational information, financial information, proprietary information, or other information submitted to us for commercial purposes.
4. Confidentiality and Sharing of Applicant Information
Fishnets Foundation's policy is to keep grant application information within the Foundation and to limit access to individuals who have a legitimate need to access the information for Foundation purposes.
We will not share applicant information with outside organizations, businesses, marketers, or other parties for their independent commercial use.
Information may be disclosed outside the Foundation only when reasonably necessary for a legitimate Foundation purpose or when required or permitted by applicable law.
Examples may include:
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Compliance with a subpoena, court order, or other legal requirement;
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Compliance with applicable tax, accounting, regulatory, or governmental requirements;
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Protection of the rights, safety, property, or security of Fishnets Foundation or another person;
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Investigation or prevention of fraud, abuse, or unlawful activity; or
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A service provider that processes information strictly on behalf of Fishnets Foundation and is contractually or otherwise appropriately obligated to protect that information and use it only for the services being provided.
Fishnets Foundation will not authorize a third party to use applicant information for its own unrelated marketing, advertising, or commercial purposes.
5. Protection of Business Plans, Trade Secrets, and Proprietary Information
Fishnets Foundation understands that applicants may need to provide information about a business or organization that is confidential or commercially sensitive.
This may include:
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Business plans;
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Business strategies;
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New product or service concepts;
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Financial models;
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Marketing strategies;
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Customer or market information;
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Technology;
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Creative concepts;
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Intellectual property;
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Proprietary processes;
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Trade secrets; and
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Other confidential business information.
Fishnets Foundation will not intentionally use, appropriate, reproduce, commercialize, or co-opt an applicant's business idea, trade secret, proprietary strategy, or business concept for the Foundation's own commercial benefit or for the benefit of another applicant.
Information submitted through the grant process will be used to evaluate and administer the Foundation's philanthropic activities and not as a source of business opportunities or ideas for Fishnets Foundation.
Nothing in this policy transfers ownership of an applicant's intellectual property to Fishnets Foundation.
Applicants retain ownership of their intellectual property, business concepts, trade secrets, and proprietary information, except where a separate written agreement expressly provides otherwise.
Applicants are encouraged to identify information they believe is particularly confidential or proprietary.
6. No Unpermitted Telephone Calls or Text Messages
Fishnets Foundation will not contact a grant applicant by telephone or text message without the applicant's permission, except where communication is otherwise expressly permitted by applicable law or necessary to respond to a communication initiated by the applicant.
Providing a telephone number on a grant application does not, by itself, constitute permission for unsolicited marketing calls or text messages.
Our normal method of communicating with grant applicants will be email.
Applicants may contact Fishnets Foundation by telephone if a telephone number is published on the official Foundation website or otherwise provided by the Foundation.
7. Official Fishnets Foundation Communications
Fishnets Foundation will use its official Foundation email system for communications regarding grant applications and Foundation business.
Applicants should be cautious of any person or organization claiming to represent Fishnets Foundation through an unofficial email address.
Fishnets Foundation will not unexpectedly contact an applicant requesting a Social Security number, bank-account information, online banking credentials, passwords, credit-card information, payment information, or other highly sensitive personal information.
If additional information is legitimately required for grant administration, Fishnets Foundation will explain why the information is needed and provide an authorized method for submitting it.
If you receive a suspicious request that appears to come from Fishnets Foundation, do not provide sensitive information. Verify the request using the official contact information published on the Fishnets Foundation website.
8. Email Communications
Fishnets Foundation may use email to communicate with applicants concerning grant applications, grant decisions, deadlines, Foundation programs, and other legitimate Foundation-related matters.
We will not sell or provide applicant email addresses to third parties for their independent marketing purposes.
Where applicable, Fishnets Foundation will comply with federal and state requirements governing electronic communications and applicable opt-out requirements.
Federal law imposes requirements on certain commercial email communications, including accurate sender information and mechanisms for opting out of future commercial messages.
9. Website Information and Cookies
When you visit the Fishnets Foundation website, certain technical information may automatically be collected by our website hosting, security, analytics, or other website technologies.
Depending upon the services used by the Foundation, this may include:
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IP address;
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Browser type;
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Device type;
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Operating system;
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Date and time of website access;
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Pages visited;
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Referring website;
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Website interaction information; and
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Information used for website security, fraud prevention, and technical administration.
If Fishnets Foundation uses cookies, analytics services, advertising technologies, or similar technologies that collect or share information about website visitors, those practices will be described in this policy or an applicable supplemental notice.
Fishnets Foundation does not sell applicant information or personal information collected through its website.
10. Data Security
Fishnets Foundation will maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the information it maintains.
These safeguards may include:
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Limiting access to authorized personnel;
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Password and account protections;
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Access controls;
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Secure storage;
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Reasonable technical security measures;
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Appropriate procedures for handling confidential information;
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Security practices relating to electronic transmission and storage; and
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Secure disposal of information when appropriate.
Fishnets Foundation will take reasonable measures to reduce the risk of unauthorized access, acquisition, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of information.
No electronic transmission, website, computer system, cloud-storage system, or method of electronic communication can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, applicants should avoid submitting unnecessary sensitive information.
11. Data Retention
Fishnets Foundation may retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to:
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Evaluate and administer grant applications;
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Administer grants;
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Maintain appropriate organizational and financial records;
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Document the Foundation's philanthropic activities;
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Meet legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements;
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Resolve disputes; and
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Protect the rights and interests of the Foundation and others.
When information is no longer reasonably necessary for these purposes, Fishnets Foundation may securely delete, destroy, anonymize, or otherwise dispose of the information in accordance with applicable law and our internal data-retention practices.
12. Data Breach and Security Incidents
If Fishnets Foundation experiences a security incident involving personal information, the Foundation will investigate the incident and take reasonable steps appropriate to the circumstances.
Where applicable law requires notification of affected individuals, regulators, law enforcement, or other parties, Fishnets Foundation will provide such notification in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
For example, Wisconsin law requires covered entities to provide notice in certain circumstances when an unauthorized person acquires covered personal information belonging to Wisconsin residents.
Fishnets Foundation will not use this policy to limit any rights or protections provided to individuals under applicable data-breach or privacy laws.
13. Minnesota Privacy Rights
Fishnets Foundation recognizes that Minnesota law provides privacy protections applicable to certain organizations and circumstances.
The Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act requires covered controllers to limit personal-data collection to what is adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary for disclosed purposes and requires reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security practices. Certain sensitive-data processing also requires consent under the statute.
The Minnesota law applies based on specified thresholds and contains various exemptions. Fishnets Foundation will comply with applicable Minnesota privacy requirements to the extent they apply to the Foundation and the information being processed.
Nothing in this policy is intended to waive or limit rights provided under Minnesota law.
14. Wisconsin Privacy Protections
Fishnets Foundation will comply with applicable Wisconsin privacy, data-security, data-breach, and consumer-protection requirements.
Wisconsin law includes requirements concerning the protection and destruction of certain personal information and notification when covered personal information is acquired by an unauthorized person.
Fishnets Foundation will also honor applicable restrictions concerning telephone and text communications. Wisconsin's telemarketing rules address calls and text messages to Wisconsin residents, including requirements relating to the Wisconsin Do Not Call Registry and consumer permission.
Nothing in this policy is intended to waive or limit rights provided under Wisconsin law.
15. Federal Privacy and Consumer Protection Laws
Fishnets Foundation will comply with applicable federal laws governing privacy, information security, electronic communications, consumer protection, and data breaches.
Depending upon the nature of information collected and the Foundation's activities, applicable federal requirements may include federal consumer-protection, electronic-communications, data-security, identity-theft, and other privacy laws.
Fishnets Foundation will not make privacy or confidentiality commitments that it does not intend to honor.
The Federal Trade Commission has made clear that organizations may be held accountable for privacy and security promises they make to consumers and applicants.
16. Children's Information
Fishnets Foundation's grant application process is intended for organizations, businesses, nonprofit entities, entrepreneurs, and adults responsible for submitting applications.
Applicants should not submit information about children or minors unless the information is reasonably necessary for the grant application and is lawfully collected and submitted.
If a grant program is ever specifically directed toward children or minors, Fishnets Foundation will implement additional safeguards and consent procedures where required by applicable law.
17. Applicant Rights and Privacy Questions
Applicants may contact Fishnets Foundation regarding:
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Questions about this Privacy Policy;
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Questions about information submitted through a grant application;
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Concerns regarding confidentiality;
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Requests concerning personal information, where applicable;
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Suspected unauthorized use or disclosure of information; or
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Suspected fraudulent communications claiming to represent Fishnets Foundation.
Requests should be submitted using the official Fishnets Foundation contact information published on our website.
18. Changes to This Privacy Policy
Fishnets Foundation may update this Privacy Policy when our grant programs, website, technology, data practices, or applicable laws change.
The most current version will be posted on the Fishnets Foundation website with the effective date.
If changes materially affect how we use or disclose information, Fishnets Foundation will provide any additional notice or obtain any consent required by applicable law.
19. Our Commitment to Grant Applicants
Fishnets Foundation believes that organizations and entrepreneurs should be able to seek philanthropic support without unnecessarily exposing their private or proprietary information.
Accordingly, Fishnets Foundation is committed to:
• Not selling applicant data.
• Not renting or trading applicant information.
• Not using applicant business ideas for our own commercial benefit.
• Not intentionally co-opting applicant business concepts or trade secrets.
• Limiting access to applicant information to legitimate Foundation purposes.
• Not making unsolicited telephone calls or sending text messages to applicants without permission, except where otherwise permitted by applicable law.
• Not unexpectedly requesting Social Security numbers, banking credentials, passwords, or other highly sensitive information.
• Using official Fishnets Foundation communications for Foundation business.
• Maintaining reasonable safeguards designed to protect information entrusted to us.
• Complying with applicable Minnesota, Wisconsin, federal, and other applicable privacy and data-protection requirements.
Fishnets Foundation appreciates the trust placed in us by organizations, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who share their work and ideas with the Foundation.