Effective Date: July 30, 2026
Last Updated: July 30, 2026
HillClimbers LLC (“HillClimbers,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) provides career exploration, workforce intelligence, salary information, career pathway analysis, and job-listing services related to employment in the United States Congress.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when individuals visit HillClimbers.org, create an account, use our services, communicate with us, or receive access through an educational institution or other organization.
We may collect:
An educational institution may provide limited information needed to establish and administer access, such as:
HillClimbers does not require institutions to provide grades, transcripts, advising notes, disciplinary records, Social Security numbers, medical or disability information, financial-aid information, or other unrelated education records.
Institutions and users should not submit sensitive education records unless HillClimbers has expressly agreed in writing to receive and process that information.
Payments may be processed by third-party payment or invoicing providers. HillClimbers may receive billing contact information, invoice information, payment status, and transaction identifiers.
HillClimbers does not directly store complete credit-card or bank-account information.
When users access the Website, we may automatically collect:
We may collect information users provide when requesting support, responding to surveys, submitting feedback, applying for access, or otherwise communicating with HillClimbers.
We use personal information to:
For purposes of this Privacy Policy, “Institution Data” means personal information provided to HillClimbers by an educational institution, or collected by HillClimbers on the institution’s behalf, to establish or administer institutional access.
The educational institution retains all right, title, and interest in its Institution Data. HillClimbers processes Institution Data only to provide, administer, secure, support, and improve the services authorized under the applicable agreement and the institution’s documented instructions.
HillClimbers retains ownership of its Website, software, analytical methods, congressional workforce data, intellectual property, and aggregate or deidentified information that does not reasonably identify an individual.
HillClimbers is designed to support educational institutions in meeting their obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”).
When Institution Data includes personally identifiable information from education records protected by FERPA, and an institution relies upon the FERPA school-official exception:
An educational institution determines whether FERPA applies to particular information and whether HillClimbers qualifies as a school official under the institution’s policies and applicable agreement.
We may disclose personal information to:
We use third-party providers to host and operate the Website, manage accounts, process payments, deliver communications, provide analytics, and support security.
These providers may process personal information only as necessary to perform services for HillClimbers and are subject to applicable contractual or legal obligations.
Providers may include, as applicable:
For institution-sponsored accounts, we may provide authorized institutional administrators with information needed to administer the subscription, including account rosters, access status, seat usage, and aggregate usage information.
We do not provide institutions with detailed records of an individual user’s browsing activity unless disclosure is necessary to administer the service, investigate security or misuse, comply with law, or follow the institution’s lawful instructions.
We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to:
Information may be transferred as part of a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or part of HillClimbers, subject to applicable law and existing contractual restrictions.
No Sale of Personal Information
HillClimbers does not sell or rent personal information.
HillClimbers does not use Institution Data or personally identifiable information from education records for targeted advertising or to create commercial profiles unrelated to the services requested by the institution or user.
HillClimbers may use:
Users may control cookies through their browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent certain features from functioning properly.
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:
Institution Data will be returned or deleted following an institution’s written request or termination of the applicable agreement, as specified in that agreement.
Information stored in routine backup systems may remain until overwritten through normal backup-retention cycles. Backup information will not be restored for ordinary business use after a valid deletion request unless necessary for security, disaster recovery, or legal compliance.
Deidentified or aggregate information that does not reasonably identify an individual may be retained for analytical and service-improvement purposes.
HillClimbers uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information processed. These measures may include access restrictions, account authentication, secure transmission, service-provider controls, and procedures intended to prevent unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure.
No Internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Depending on applicable law, users may have the right to:
HillClimbers may verify a requester’s identity before completing a request. Certain information may be retained where required by law, necessary to complete a transaction, or permitted for security, fraud-prevention, contractual, or legal purposes.
Requests concerning Institution Data or education records may be referred to the applicable educational institution so that the institution can authenticate and administer the request.
HillClimbers is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Users under 18 may access HillClimbers through an authorized educational institution or with the permission of a parent or legal guardian where required.
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will post the revised policy with an updated effective date.
We will provide reasonable notice to institutional customers of material changes affecting the collection, use, disclosure, ownership, or retention of Institution Data. A change to this public policy will not override conflicting protections contained in an active written institutional agreement unless required by law or agreed to in writing.
Questions, privacy requests, and institutional data requests may be directed to:
HillClimbers LLC
support@hillclimbers.org
Effective Date: July 30, 2026
Last Updated: July 30, 2026
These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern access to and use of HillClimbers.org and the services provided by HillClimbers LLC (“HillClimbers,” “we,” “our,” or “us”).
By accessing or using the Website, creating an account, purchasing a subscription, or accepting access through an educational institution or other organization, you agree to these Terms.
When you use the Website on behalf of an institution or organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization where applicable. A separate service agreement, order form, or statement of work governs institutional subscriptions. If that agreement conflicts with these Terms, the institutional agreement controls.
The Website is not intended for children under 13.
Users under 18 may access the Website through an authorized educational institution or with the permission of a parent or legal guardian where required.
You must provide accurate account information and use the Website only in accordance with applicable laws and these Terms.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for activity conducted through your account.
You may not share an individual account with another person or permit unauthorized access.
You must notify HillClimbers promptly if you believe your account has been accessed or used without authorization.
Institution-sponsored access may be limited to eligible students, alumni, faculty, staff, advisers, or other authorized users.
Institutional administrators may assign, remove, or reassign access according to the applicable subscription agreement.
Users may not transfer institution-sponsored access to an unauthorized person.
Subject to these Terms and any applicable institutional agreement, HillClimbers grants authorized users a limited, revocable, nonexclusive, nontransferable license to access and use the Website for personal career exploration, educational activities, internal advising, and other expressly authorized purposes.
This license does not transfer ownership of any HillClimbers content, software, analysis, or intellectual property.
You may not:
Unless expressly authorized in writing, subscriptions do not permit users to use HillClimbers data, analysis, visualizations, classifications, or other content for:
Researchers, publishers, journalists, and organizations seeking these rights must obtain written permission or an appropriate data license from HillClimbers.
Competitors may not copy, repurpose, benchmark, reproduce, or use HillClimbers content to develop, market, or operate a competing product or service without prior written authorization.
Where HillClimbers grants permission to reproduce or publish its content, the user must comply with all conditions of that permission, including applicable attribution and linking requirements.
The Website and HillClimbers’ original content are owned by HillClimbers LLC or its licensors and are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.
Protected materials include, as applicable:
Some information displayed by HillClimbers is derived from public records, government publications, job bulletins, employer submissions, or other third-party sources.
HillClimbers does not claim ownership of underlying public records or third-party materials. HillClimbers retains its rights in the selection, organization, classification, transformation, analysis, presentation, and compilation of that information to the extent permitted by law.
Job and internship listings may originate from congressional offices, government job bulletins, employers, or other external sources.
HillClimbers does not control and does not guarantee:
Users should verify important information directly with the relevant employer before relying on a listing or submitting sensitive information.
The HillClimbers name, logo, graphics, product names, and related branding are trademarks or other protected identifiers of HillClimbers LLC.
They may not be used in a manner that suggests endorsement, affiliation, or authorization without prior written permission.
Where individual paid subscriptions are offered, the price, billing period, renewal terms, and included services will be disclosed before purchase.
Payments may be processed through third-party payment and account-management providers.
Institutional subscriptions are governed by the applicable proposal, invoice, order form, service agreement, or statement of work.
Institutional access may include a specified number of managed accounts or seats. Additional users, services, integrations, data rights, or research rights require separate authorization where applicable.
A subscription renews automatically only when automatic renewal is disclosed before purchase or included in the applicable agreement.
Individual users may cancel recurring subscriptions through the applicable account or payment-management process.
Institutional cancellation and renewal rights are governed by the applicable written agreement.
Fees are nonrefundable after access has been activated, except where a refund is required by applicable law or expressly provided in a written agreement.
Cancellation prevents future renewal charges but does not ordinarily result in a prorated refund for an active subscription period.
Users and institutional customers are responsible for applicable taxes, duties, or governmental charges unless valid exemption documentation has been provided or the applicable agreement states otherwise.
HillClimbers may add, remove, revise, suspend, or discontinue Website features, data, content, or services.
We do not guarantee that the Website will operate without interruptions, delays, security incidents, or errors.
Material changes affecting an institutional customer’s purchased services will be handled in accordance with the applicable institutional agreement.
HillClimbers strives to provide useful and accurate information, but its data and analysis may contain errors, omissions, delays, or interpretive judgments.
Information may be derived from external sources, including government records and employer-provided materials, that contain incomplete, inconsistent, outdated, or inaccurate information.
Congressional job titles may be abbreviated, truncated, inconsistent, or classified differently by different offices. HillClimbers may standardize or classify positions using analytical rules and professional judgment.
HillClimbers ordinarily preserves underlying source records rather than independently correcting every possible source error.
Users should independently verify information before making employment, compensation, research, financial, legal, or other significant decisions.
HillClimbers provides informational and educational resources.
Nothing on the Website constitutes legal, financial, tax, employment, human-resources, academic, or professional advice. Use of the Website does not create an advisory, fiduciary, employment, or attorney-client relationship.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Website and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.
HillClimbers disclaims warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, noninfringement, accuracy, completeness, availability, and uninterrupted operation.
Some jurisdictions do not permit the exclusion of certain warranties, so portions of this disclaimer may not apply to every user.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, HillClimbers and its owners, employees, contractors, and affiliates will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost opportunities, lost data, business interruption, or employment-related outcomes.
Unless a written institutional agreement provides otherwise, HillClimbers’ total liability arising from the Website or these Terms will not exceed the amount paid by the claimant to HillClimbers during the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
For users who paid no fees, HillClimbers’ total liability will not exceed $100.
These limitations apply only to the extent permitted by applicable law.
The Website may interact with or link to third-party platforms, payment providers, membership providers, government websites, employers, and other external services.
HillClimbers does not control and is not responsible for the availability, content, security, privacy practices, accuracy, or conduct of third-party services.
A link does not constitute an endorsement.
HillClimbers may suspend or terminate access when reasonably necessary to:
Where practicable, HillClimbers will provide notice and an opportunity to correct a curable violation.
Institutional suspension and termination rights are governed by the applicable written agreement.
To the extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless HillClimbers LLC and its owners, employees, contractors, and affiliates from claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and reasonable expenses arising from:
This provision does not apply where prohibited by law or superseded by a written institutional agreement.
HillClimbers may update these Terms periodically. Updated Terms will be posted with a revised effective date.
HillClimbers will provide reasonable notice to institutional customers of material changes affecting their rights, obligations, purchased services, or data-handling terms.
Changes to these public Terms will not override a conflicting provision in an active written institutional agreement unless required by law or agreed to in writing.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Before filing a legal action, the parties will attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally.
Unless an applicable written agreement provides otherwise, disputes arising from these Terms or the Website will be subject to the jurisdiction of the state or federal courts located in Virginia.
If a provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect.
A failure by HillClimbers to enforce a provision does not waive the right to enforce that provision later.
You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without HillClimbers’ written permission.
HillClimbers may assign its rights and obligations as part of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, financing, or sale of all or part of its business.
These Terms, the Privacy Policy, the Cookies Policy, and any applicable subscription or institutional agreement constitute the agreement governing your use of the Website.
Questions about these Terms may be directed to:
HillClimbers LLC
support@hillclimbers.org
Effective Date: July 30, 2026
Last Updated: July 30, 2026
Cookies are small files or identifiers placed on or associated with a browser or device. They help websites operate, remember settings, maintain account sessions, understand usage, and support security.
HillClimbers may also use related technologies, such as local storage, pixels, tags, scripts, and software-development tools.
Essential technologies support functions necessary to operate the Website, including:
Disabling essential cookies may prevent portions of the Website from functioning.
These technologies may remember choices such as account preferences, display settings, or previously selected options.
They are used to make the Website easier and more consistent to use.
HillClimbers may use analytics technologies to understand:
Analytics information may include browser, device, approximate location, IP address, referring page, session information, and Website activity.
Third-party providers may place or access cookies when their services are used on the Website.
Depending on the page or feature, these providers may include:
Third parties process information according to their own privacy policies and their agreements with HillClimbers.
Most browsers allow users to view, block, or delete cookies through browser settings.
Blocking cookies may affect account authentication, saved preferences, payment functionality, or other Website features.
Where HillClimbers presents a cookie-preference tool, users may use that tool to manage the categories made available through it.
Browser controls and cookie-preference tools may not remove information previously collected. Users may need to delete existing cookies separately through their browser.
Some browsers or extensions transmit privacy signals, such as Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signals.
HillClimbers will respond to legally recognized signals where required by applicable law and technically supported. The Website may not respond to every browser signal or setting.
HillClimbers may update this Cookies Policy as its Website, service providers, or data practices change.
The revised policy will be posted with an updated effective date.
Questions about the use of cookies may be directed to:
HillClimbers LLC
support@hillclimbers.org
HillClimbers is committed to making its Website and services reasonably accessible to users with disabilities.
We work to improve navigation, readability, compatibility, and access to Website content. Because technology, content, and accessibility needs change, some barriers may still occur.
Users who experience an accessibility problem or need information in an alternative format should contact support@hillclimbers.org and identify:
HillClimbers will review the request and make reasonable efforts to provide access or an appropriate alternative.
HillClimbers uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information it processes.
These measures may include:
No Internet transmission, Website, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Users are responsible for protecting their account credentials and devices.
HillClimbers will address security incidents and provide notices as required by applicable law or an applicable institutional agreement.
Residents of certain jurisdictions may have privacy rights under applicable law.
Depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances, these rights may include the right to:
HillClimbers may verify a requester’s identity before completing a request.
Requests concerning institution-provided information may be referred to the applicable institution so that it can authenticate and administer the request.
HillClimbers will not discriminate against a person for exercising a legally protected privacy right.
Privacy requests may be submitted to support@hillclimbers.org.
Where HillClimbers permits users, employers, or other parties to submit job listings, messages, documents, feedback, or other content, the submitting party represents that:
HillClimbers may review, reject, edit, restrict, or remove submitted content that violates these standards or creates legal, security, or operational risk.
Submission does not guarantee publication or continued availability.
HillClimbers retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:
Institution Data will be returned or deleted according to the applicable institutional agreement and the Privacy Policy.
Information maintained in routine backup systems may remain until overwritten through normal backup-retention cycles.
Aggregate or deidentified information that does not reasonably identify an individual may be retained for analytical, security, and service-improvement purposes.
HillClimbers welcomes feedback, ideas, and suggestions regarding its Website and services.
By voluntarily submitting feedback, you grant HillClimbers a perpetual, worldwide, nonexclusive, royalty-free right to use, reproduce, modify, incorporate, and otherwise use that feedback without restriction or compensation.
Do not submit confidential information or ideas that you expect HillClimbers to treat as proprietary unless a separate written agreement has been established.
These public policies apply generally to use of the Website.
When an active institutional service agreement, data-processing agreement, order form, or statement of work contains a provision that conflicts with these public policies, the written institutional agreement controls for that customer and its authorized users.
Questions about these statements and policies may be directed to:
HillClimbers LLC
support@hillclimbers.org
