Privacy Policy

Last updated October 7, 2026.

Yak Back Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We build free AAC templates for nonspeaking and speech-limited people. This page explains, in plain language, what we collect, why, and who helps us run the site.

Downloading a template requires nothing

Every template downloads with a single click. No account, no email address, no form. We count downloads so we know which templates families use, but we never store your IP address: our download counter turns it into a one-way code that can’t be turned back into the address. The counter records which template, when, and the page you came from.

What we collect, only if you offer it

  • Your name and email, if you subscribe to new-template announcements. Our email list runs on MailPoet (Automattic). MailPoet records whether our emails are opened and which links are clicked, so we know what’s useful. Every email has a one-click unsubscribe.
  • What you type into a form: template requests, the contact and volunteer forms, and the school and district form. Requests include your name, email, the AAC app you use, and a description of the words you want. We use them only to reply to you and to build what you asked for.

Website statistics and cookies

  • Google Analytics shows us which pages are visited, roughly where visitors come from (city level), and which templates are downloaded. It uses cookies. We don’t use Google’s advertising features, Google signals, or remarketing, and we don’t send Google your name or email.
  • Google Ad Grants: as a nonprofit, we receive free Google search ads. Google Analytics tells us whether a visit from one of those ads led to a download. That’s all.
  • Jetpack Stats (Automattic) gives us anonymous page counts.
  • A “where did you find us” cookie: when you arrive from a link we shared (for example on Facebook or Pinterest), we set a cookie named yb_src for 30 days that remembers that source, so we can count which places help families find us. It holds no personal information.
  • Videos: some pages embed videos from YouTube, which may set its own cookies.
  • Technical logs: our host and our security and caching tools keep short-lived logs so the site can run and stay safe. If you log in or leave a comment, WordPress sets cookies to remember you.

What we never collect

  • Nothing that identifies your child. Please don’t include a child’s full name, school or diagnosis in a request. If you do, we use it only to answer you and we don’t add it to any list.
  • No payment details. Donations are processed entirely by PayPal Giving Fund. Card and bank details never reach this website.

We do not sell, rent, trade or share your information with anyone, for any amount, ever. We do not show advertising on this site.

Schools and districts

We never request or accept student names, IEP documents or other education records. For a custom build, school staff describe a student’s interests and vocabulary goals without identifying the student. When we sign a student data privacy agreement with a district, we follow its terms, including deleting data on request and notifying the district promptly if there is ever a security incident.

Who helps us run the site

We use trusted service providers in the United States for website hosting and backups, email, website statistics, our email list, and AI-assisted tools that help us build templates. They handle data only to provide those services to us, under terms that limit how they use it. Email us for the current list. PayPal Giving Fund and YouTube are independent services with their own privacy policies.

Children

This site is written for the adults who support a communicator: parents, caregivers, therapists and teachers. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, email us and we will delete it.

Getting your data removed

Email info@yakback.org and ask. We will tell you what we hold, correct it, or delete it. You don’t need to give a reason, and there is no form to fill in. To stop emails immediately, use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of them.

Changes to this page

If we start collecting something new, we will update this page and the date at the top.

Contact

Yak Back Foundation
Email: info@yakback.org
A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (IRS determination letter).