Privacy Policy

1. Who This Policy Covers

This policy applies to:

• Visitors to yalemodelau.org
• Conference delegates, advisors/chaperones, and school/organization delegation representatives who register
• Financial aid applicants
• Sponsors, partners, and donors
• Ambassadors and volunteers
• Anyone who contacts us via email or a form on the Site

YMAU welcomes delegates ages 16–25, including minors under 18. Section 8 explains how we handle information about minors.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you provide directly

• Registration information: name, date of birth/age, email, phone number, school/university or organization, country/region, delegate type (individual, delegation, advisor/chaperone), committee preferences
• Financial aid application materials: letters of recommendation, academic transcripts, short-answer responses, and other supporting documentation you submit
• Payment information: processed directly by our payment processor, Stripe. We do not store full credit card numbers on our own systems – see Section 5.
• Communications: anything you send us via email, contact forms, or social media (e.g., questions to programs@, president@, or committee-specific addresses)
• Sponsor/partner information: contact details, organizational information, and communications shared in the course of sponsorship discussions

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Standard web analytics (e.g., IP address, browser type, pages visited, referring URL, device information) when you browse the Site
• Cookies or similar technologies

2.3 Information from third parties

• Confirmation of payment status from Stripe (not full payment card details)
• Information from schools or delegation leaders submitted on behalf of individual delegates

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process conference registrations and manage delegate accounts
• Evaluate financial aid applications and administer aid decisions (fee waivers, accommodation, transport, flight/visa stipends)
• Communicate with delegates, advisors, sponsors, and partners about the conference (logistics, committee assignments, schedule updates, visa invitation letters, etc.)
• Process payments and manage refund/transfer policies
• Coordinate with airlines, hotels, and local partners on travel and accommodation for aid recipients
• Maintain donor and sponsor relationship records for ongoing partnership management
• Improve the Site and our programming
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Legal Bases for Processing (if applicable to you)

Where applicable data protection law requires a legal basis (e.g., for delegates or partners in the EU/EEA, UK, or other jurisdictions with similar requirements), we process personal data on the basis of: your consent (e.g., when you register), performance of a contract (processing your registration or aid application), and our legitimate interests in running the conference and maintaining partner relationships.

5. Payment Processing

All conference fees are processed through Stripe. When you pay, your payment card details are transmitted directly to Stripe and are not stored on YMAU's own servers. Stripe's use of your information is governed by Stripe's Privacy Policy. Per our registration policies, payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.

6. Who We Share Information With

We share information only as needed to run the conference:

• Service providers: Stripe (payments), our registration platform provider, email/communications tools, and Google Workspace (for internal donor/sponsor tracking)
• Local partners: for YMAU VI, our co-organizer MAU-Ethiopia, and local vendors (hotels, transport providers) for delegates receiving accommodation or transport aid
• Airlines: for delegates receiving flight aid, limited information necessary to book travel (e.g., name, passport details if required by the airline)
• Schools/delegation leaders: relevant registration or aid status information about their own delegates
• Advisors/chaperones: limited information about the minor delegates they are responsible for
• Government or immigration authorities: where required to support visa invitation letters, at your request
• Legal or regulatory bodies: where required by law

We do not share financial aid application materials (transcripts, recommendation letters, short answers) outside the aid review committee and Secretariat leads involved in decision-making.

7. Data Retention

We retain registration and financial aid records for as long as needed to administer the current conference cycle and for a reasonable period afterward for record-keeping, alumni engagement, and historical/benchmarking purposes (e.g., comparing future conferences to past ones). Donor and sponsor records are retained as part of our ongoing relationship-management system. You may request deletion of your personal information at any time, subject to Section 8 protections for minors and any legal retention obligations.

8. Minors' Information

YMAU delegates may be as young as 16, and delegates under 18 are required to register with an advisor/chaperone who provides proof-of-age documentation. We are committed to handling minors' information responsibly:

• We collect only the information necessary to process registration, financial aid, and travel/accommodation logistics for minor delegates.
• Advisors/chaperones are the responsible point of contact for minor delegates and receive relevant information about their delegates' registration and logistics.
• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16, and the Site is not directed at children under 16.
• Parents/guardians of a minor delegate may contact us at admin@yalemodelau.org to review, correct, or request deletion of their child's information, subject to our need to retain records for the current conference cycle.

9. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict the use of your personal information, or to object to certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at admin@yalemodelau.org. We will respond within a reasonable time.

You can also:

• Opt out of non-essential email communications via the unsubscribe link (where provided)
• Ask us what information we hold about you and request a copy

10. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect your information, including relying on reputable third-party providers (e.g., Stripe for payments, Google Workspace for internal records) that maintain their own security standards. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Data Transfers

YMAU conferences bring together delegates, sponsors, and partners from many countries, and our team and service providers may be located in different countries (including the United States and Ethiopia). By using the Site or registering, you acknowledge that your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, which may have different data protection laws.

12. Cookies

The Site may use cookies or similar technologies for basic functionality and analytics. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling cookies may affect some Site functionality.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page with a new "Last Updated" date. Material changes affecting registered delegates or aid applicants will be communicated by email where practical.

14. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information can be sent to:

• General/admin inquiries: admin@yalemodelau.org / president@yalemodelau.org
• Registration/financial aid: programs@yalemodelau.org / reg.recruitment@yalemodelau.org
• Programming/committees: committees@yalemodelau.org / conference@yalemodelau.org