Fungal Diversity Survey, Inc. (FUNDIS)
Last Updated: October 19, 2026

Fungal Diversity Survey, Inc. (“FUNDIS,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you visit fundis.org, communicate with us, subscribe to our communications, make a donation, or participate in our programs and activities.

By using our website, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. Where applicable law requires consent for particular data practices, we will seek that consent separately.

1. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with FUNDIS.

Information you provide directly

We may collect personal information you voluntarily provide, including:

• Name and contact information, such as your email address, mailing address, or telephone number.

• Information submitted through contact forms, inquiries, surveys, or event registrations.

• Email address and subscription preferences when you sign up for newsletters or other communications.

• Donation-related information, such as the amount and date of a contribution and any designation you select.

• Information you provide when expressing interest in volunteering, research collaborations, partnerships, sponsorships, or other FUNDIS programs.

• Photographs, observations, research contributions, and other information submitted through community science activities, where applicable.

Please do not submit confidential, sensitive, or personally identifying information about yourself or another person unless it is necessary for the relevant activity.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website platform or service providers. Depending on the services enabled, this may include your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, referring website, and information about how you interact with our website.

We may use cookies or similar technologies to support website functionality, understand website traffic, and improve the visitor experience, subject to applicable consent requirements.

2. How We Use Your Information

FUNDIS may use the information we collect to:

• Operate, maintain, and improve our website.

• Respond to questions, requests, and communications.

• Process donations and provide donation acknowledgments or receipts.

• Send newsletters, research updates, event announcements, and other communications you request or have agreed to receive.

• Administer community science programs, research initiatives, events, and volunteer activities.

• Coordinate collaborations with researchers, conservation organizations, institutions, and other partners.

• Analyze website performance and understand engagement with our programs.

• Maintain organizational, financial, and administrative records.

• Protect the security and integrity of our website and services.

• Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, accounting, and reporting obligations.

We will use personal information for purposes consistent with the reason it was collected, as permitted by applicable law.

3. Donations and Payment Information

Donations help FUNDIS advance fungal biodiversity research and conservation. When you make a donation through our website, your transaction may be processed by a third-party donation or payment service.

The information collected and processed during a transaction depends on the provider and the payment method you select. Payment providers may collect information such as your name, billing details, payment information, and transaction records.

FUNDIS may receive information about your contribution to process the donation, maintain financial records, issue acknowledgments, and meet applicable reporting requirements.

Payment information may be handled directly by the third-party payment processor rather than stored on FUNDIS's website. Please review the payment provider's privacy policy for information about its data practices.

4. Newsletters and Email Communications

If you subscribe to FUNDIS newsletters or other communications, we may use your email address to send organizational updates, research news, event announcements, fundraising appeals, and information about opportunities to participate in our work.

You may unsubscribe from promotional or newsletter communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in the message, where available.

Unsubscribing from newsletters does not necessarily stop essential administrative communications, such as donation receipts or responses to a request you have made.

We may retain limited information about your subscription and unsubscribe preferences to honor your choices and maintain appropriate records.

5. Cookies and Website Analytics

FUNDIS's website may use cookies and similar technologies through our website platform or third-party services.

These technologies may be used to:

• Enable essential website functions.

• Remember certain preferences.

• Understand how visitors navigate and use the website.

• Measure website traffic and the effectiveness of content.

• Help identify technical issues and improve website performance.

The types of cookies and tracking technologies in use depend on the services enabled on our website.

You may be able to manage cookies through your browser settings or through a cookie preference tool if one is provided. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Where required by law, we will obtain consent before using nonessential cookies or similar tracking technologies.

6. Community Science, Research Data, and Location Information

FUNDIS supports fungal biodiversity research through community science, field documentation, research collaborations, and related activities.

Depending on the project or platform, participants may submit observations, photographs, specimen information, collection dates, habitat descriptions, geographic coordinates, and other scientific metadata.

Such information may be used to document fungal diversity, support species identification, inform scientific research, validate biodiversity records, and advance conservation.

Some scientific observations or associated records may be shared with researchers, research institutions, conservation partners, scientific databases, or the public. The information shared depends on the project, the applicable submission guidelines, and any relevant agreements or permissions.

Location information deserves particular care. Precise coordinates can be scientifically valuable, but public disclosure of locations for rare or sensitive species may create conservation risks. FUNDIS may follow project-specific practices to restrict, generalize, or otherwise protect sensitive location information where appropriate.

Before contributing information to a particular research project or external platform, participants should review the relevant submission guidelines and the privacy practices of that platform.

7. How We Share Information

FUNDIS does not sell personal information in exchange for money. We may disclose information in the following circumstances, as permitted by applicable law:

Service providers: We may share information with service providers that help us operate our website, process donations, distribute newsletters, manage registrations, maintain records, or analyze website performance.

Research and conservation partners: We may share relevant research information with collaborators, institutions, conservation organizations, or scientific databases to advance our mission, subject to applicable project terms and privacy protections.

Legal and regulatory obligations: We may disclose information when required by law, legal process, regulation, or a valid request from an authorized governmental authority.

Security and protection: We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to investigate suspected fraud, protect our rights or property, safeguard individuals, or protect the security of our website and services.

Organizational transactions: If FUNDIS undergoes a reorganization or similar organizational transaction, information may be transferred where legally permitted and subject to appropriate safeguards.

We do not authorize service providers to use personal information entrusted to them for purposes outside their authorized services, except as permitted by law or applicable agreements.

8. Public Information and Financial Transparency

FUNDIS is a nonprofit charitable organization committed to accountability and transparency.

Certain organizational records, including applicable federal tax filings, may be publicly available through the Internal Revenue Service or other authorized sources. Annual reports and other organizational materials may also be published on our website.

Information that is publicly disclosed through official filings, published reports, scientific databases, or other public resources may be accessible to others independently of FUNDIS's website.

We handle personal information in organizational records in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

9. Data Retention

FUNDIS retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including providing services, maintaining organizational and scientific records, managing donations, administering programs, resolving disputes, and complying with legal obligations.

Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected.

Certain financial, donation, administrative, or scientific records may need to be retained for longer periods to meet legal, accounting, research, or preservation requirements.

When information is no longer needed, we will take reasonable steps to delete it, de-identify it, or otherwise dispose of it securely, where appropriate and permitted by law.

10. Information Security

FUNDIS takes reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no website, electronic transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted to or maintained by us.

If you believe your information has been compromised in connection with our website or services, please contact us.

11. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live and which laws apply, you may have rights concerning your personal information. These rights may include the ability to request access to, correction of, or deletion of certain information; withdraw consent where processing relies on consent; or object to or restrict certain processing activities.

You may also unsubscribe from our newsletters and other optional communications as described above.

Certain exceptions may apply, including when information must be retained for legal obligations, financial records, research integrity, or other lawful purposes.

To make a privacy-related request, please contact FUNDIS using the contact information below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

We will review and respond to requests in accordance with applicable law.

12. Children's Privacy

FUNDIS's website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through our website without appropriate authorization where required by law.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to FUNDIS in a manner that violates applicable law, please contact us so we can review the matter and take appropriate action.

Certain FUNDIS educational, research, or community science activities may involve younger participants under appropriate supervision and program-specific safeguards.

13. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, scientific databases, donation platforms, newsletters, social media services, and other external resources.

These third-party services operate under their own privacy policies and practices. FUNDIS does not control the privacy practices or content of external websites and is not responsible for their independent data collection or use.

We encourage visitors to review the privacy policies of any external service they use.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

FUNDIS may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our website, programs, service providers, data practices, or applicable legal requirements.

When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent for material changes.

We encourage visitors to review this page periodically.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or would like to make a privacy-related request, please contact:

Fungal Diversity Survey, Inc. (FUNDIS)

424 Woodward Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49007

General inquiries: jaci@fundis.org
Newsletter and media inquiries: communications@fundis.org

Website: https://www.fundis.org

FUNDIS is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Our commitment: We value the trust of our donors, community scientists, researchers, partners, and supporters. We strive to handle personal information responsibly while advancing our mission to understand and protect fungal biodiversity and the habitats fungi depend on.