Effective date: November 3, 2026
AI for Ecology ("AIforE," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 42-2272946). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through AIforE.org (the "Site"), how we use and protect it, and the choices available to you. Section 5 explains how the open-source software we publish as Project Stardust handles data. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here.
Information you provide directly:
Name and email address, when you sign up for our newsletter, become a member, or contact us by email.
Donation information, when you give through Zeffy. Payment details (card numbers, bank information, etc.) are entered directly with our payment processors and are never collected or stored on our own servers — see Section 4.
Any other information you choose to include in an email or message to us — for example, when reaching out about volunteering, partnerships, or press inquiries.
Information collected automatically:
Like most websites, our hosting provider may automatically log standard technical information when you visit the Site — such as IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, and referring URLs. We use this only in aggregate, to understand how the Site is used and to keep it running reliably; we do not use it to identify individual visitors.
We use the information we collect to:
Send newsletter updates and respond to inquiries you've sent us.
Process and acknowledge donations, and issue tax receipts.
Understand Site usage so we can improve it.
Meet legal, accounting, and regulatory requirements applicable to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.
The Site may use a small number of cookies or similar local-storage technologies required for basic functionality (for example, remembering that a menu is open). If we add analytics or marketing cookies in the future, this policy will be updated to name the specific tools in use and, where required, we will request your consent before they're set.
We work with a small number of third-party services to operate the Site and process donations. Each handles data under its own privacy policy:
Zeffy — processes donations made through our Zeffy donation form, and memberships and mailing-list sign-ups made through our Zeffy forms. Zeffy stores members' and subscribers' names and email addresses for us, and sends our newsletter emails. See Zeffy's Privacy Policy →
Sanity — hosts the content for our news site. The Site's homepage loads the latest published insight directly from Sanity's servers, so your browser contacts Sanity when you visit it. See Sanity's Privacy Policy →
Vercel — hosts the Site. See Vercel's Privacy Policy →
We do not control these providers' data practices and encourage you to review their policies directly.
AIforE publishes Project Stardust, an open-source AI sustainability operating system in four parts: a telemetry standard, a benchmark harness, an Efficiency Control Plane and sustainability ecosystem connections. The code is public on GitHub, so anyone can check how it handles data.
Measuring usage, not content. Stardust is designed to measure how much AI you use, never what you say to it. The telemetry standard, RFC 0001, forbids conforming systems from storing prompt text or prompt embeddings.
Browser extension. Nothing is measured until you turn measurement on for a specific chat site. When it's on, the extension sends only character counts and, where the site shows it, the model name, never the text of your messages or the replies. It keeps a running character total for each conversation in your browser, and creates a random identifier on your device to group your usage. The version published in the Chrome and Edge stores sends this data, with an anonymous install ID, to the Stardust Core that AIforE runs at core.aifore.org. You can point it at your own Stardust Core instead, and then nothing goes to AIforE. The extension has its own privacy policy, which covers what AIforE's server stores, how long it keeps it and how to have it deleted.
Developer SDKs. The SDKs send token counts, model, region and time to the Stardust Core address the developer configures. They never send prompts or responses.
Stardust Core. Core stores usage events on whatever system its operator installs it on. The operator can erase a user's events and set how long events are kept. When you run Stardust yourself, its data stays on systems you or your organization control, and AIforE does not receive it. When you use the Core AIforE runs at core.aifore.org, the Stardust extension privacy policy applies.
The benchmark harness, Efficiency Control Plane and carbon marketplace are still being built. Before any of them collects personal information, we will update this policy to describe it.
We do not share your personal information except:
With the service providers listed in Section 4, solely to operate the Site and process donations on our behalf.
If required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of AIforE, our supporters, or the public.
In connection with a merger, reorganization, or transfer of substantially all of our assets — in which case we'll make reasonable efforts to ensure your information remains subject to a comparable privacy policy.
We retain donor and newsletter contact information for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes described in this policy — including recordkeeping required for a tax-exempt nonprofit — or until you ask us to delete it, whichever comes first.
You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the link in any email we send.
You can ask us to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you by emailing hello@aifore.org. We'll respond within a reasonable time.
If you are located in a jurisdiction with specific data-protection rights (such as the EU/UK GDPR or California's CCPA/CPRA), those rights apply to the extent required by law, and you may contact us to exercise them.
The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
We take reasonable measures to protect the information we hold, including relying on reputable, security-conscious third-party providers for payment processing and hosting. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we can't guarantee absolute security.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Effective date" above reflects the last revision. Material changes will be posted on this page.
Questions about this policy or your information can be sent to hello@aifore.org, or by mail to:
AI for Ecology
13815 184th Ave NE
Woodinville, WA 98072