Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 23, 2026

The Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM) is a research initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information through this website. We also follow the University of Pennsylvania Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

Contact Forms

When you submit a contact form (media inquiry, analysis request, or general contact), we collect the information you provide, which may include:

  • Name, email address, phone number
  • Organization or affiliation
  • Message content and subject
  • File attachment metadata (name, size, type)

Certificate Program Forms

When you request information about or apply to our certificate program, we collect:

  • Name, email address(es), current position, and organization
  • Education and employment details (applications only)
  • A goals statement and resume/CV file (applications only)

Newsletter Subscriptions

If you opt in to our newsletter through a form on this site or subscribe via our newsletter page, we collect your email address and newsletter preferences. Newsletter delivery is managed through Mailchimp (see Third-Party Services below).

Automatically Collected Information

This site does not use analytics cookies, tracking pixels, or advertising trackers. We store only:

  • Theme preference (light/dark mode) in your browser's local storage — this is a functional preference, not a cookie, and is never transmitted to our servers.

How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

  • Respond to your inquiries and contact requests
  • Process certificate program applications
  • Send newsletter updates if you have opted in
  • Protect against spam and abuse (via CAPTCHA verification)

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate this site:

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For visitors in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal data under the following legal bases:

  • Consent — When you submit a form or opt in to our newsletter, you provide consent for us to process the data you supply for the stated purpose.
  • Legitimate interest — Anti-spam measures (CAPTCHA) to protect the integrity of our services.

Your Rights

Under the GDPR and other applicable data protection laws, you have the right to:

  • Access your personal data that we hold
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Delete your personal data
  • Withdraw consent at any time (e.g., unsubscribe from newsletters)
  • Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interest

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information below. We will respond within 30 days.

Data Retention

Contact form submissions and certificate applications are retained for as long as necessary to fulfill their purpose. Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe. You may request deletion of your data at any time.

Children's Privacy

This site is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at budgetmodel@wharton.upenn.edu.

For questions about privacy at the University of Pennsylvania, contact privacy@pobox.upenn.edu or call 1-888-BEN-TIPS (1-888-236-8477).