DIGNITY BRIDGE — PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: December 17, 2025

Website: https://dignitybridge.org

Contact: privacy@dignitybridge.org / hello@dignitybridge.org

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how Dignity Bridge ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information when you visit our website, donate, contact us, or apply for assistance. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly.

2. Data Controller / Responsible Entity

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Donors

When you make a donation, we collect:

• Contact details: name, email address, phone number (if provided)
• Donation details: amount, frequency (one-time or recurring), currency, transaction metadata
• Optional information: dedication messages or special instructions you submit

Important: Payment card details are processed exclusively by our payment processor (Stripe). We do not store, access, or retain full payment card numbers, CVV codes, or complete card information on our servers.

3.2 Applicants for Aid (Families)

When you apply for assistance, we collect:

• Contact details: full name, email address or phone number, city/region
• Household information: number of adults and children, age ranges, single-parent status, presence of elderly or disabled members
• Situation details: description of current hardship, type of assistance needed (food, utilities, rent, medicine, etc.)
• Financial information: income range, income source (for verification purposes only)
• Verification documents: proof of situation such as unpaid bills, rent notices, pharmacy receipts, or unemployment confirmation (where required for review)

We ask applicants to avoid submitting highly sensitive data unless necessary. Where possible, you may redact irrelevant sensitive details from documents while maintaining the essential information needed for verification.

3.3 Website Usage Data

We automatically collect certain technical information when you visit our website:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Device type, browser type, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
• Basic server logs for security and performance monitoring
• Cookies or similar technologies (see Section 9)

4. How We Use Information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

• Processing donations: To process your donation, send receipts and confirmations, and maintain donation records
• Communication: To communicate with donors, respond to inquiries, and provide updates about our work
• Application management: To review and evaluate aid applications, verify need, and deliver assistance to approved families
• Fraud prevention: To detect, prevent, and investigate fraudulent activity, abuse, and security incidents
• Record keeping: To maintain accurate records for accounting, tax compliance, and regulatory reporting (data is anonymized where possible)
• Service improvement: To analyze website usage, improve reliability, and enhance user experience
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

5. Legal Bases (GDPR / EU)

Where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we process personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Consent: When you explicitly opt into certain communications or data processing activities
• Contract/Steps before contract: To process your donation, review your application, or take steps at your request before entering into a contract
• Legitimate interests: For fraud prevention, website security, service improvement, and direct marketing (where permitted)
• Legal obligation: To comply with accounting, tax, and other legal requirements

6. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not rent, trade, or otherwise monetize your data.

We may share information with the following parties:

• Payment processors: Stripe processes all donations. They receive necessary transaction information but do not share your full payment details with us.
• Service providers: Hosting providers, cloud storage services, and email service providers that help us operate the website and send communications
• Analytics providers: If analytics are enabled, we may share anonymized usage data to understand how visitors use our website
• Professional advisors: Accountants, lawyers, and other professional advisors when necessary for legal, accounting, or compliance purposes
• Legal authorities: When required by law, court order, legal process, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of others

For aid applicants: We share applicant information only with authorized personnel and service providers involved in reviewing cases and delivering support, under strict confidentiality agreements where practical.

7. International Transfers

Some of our service providers may process data outside your country of residence. When we transfer personal data internationally, we use appropriate safeguards consistent with applicable law, including:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by data protection authorities
• Certification schemes such as the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework (where applicable)
• Other legal mechanisms recognized by applicable data protection laws

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Donation records: Retained for 7 years for accounting, tax compliance, and regulatory requirements, or as required by applicable law
• Applications: Retained for 3 years after case closure to manage ongoing cases, prevent duplicate applications, and support auditability. After this period, data is anonymized or deleted.
• Verification documents: Retained only as long as necessary for case review (typically 90 days after case closure), then securely deleted or anonymized where feasible
• Website usage data: Retained for up to 12 months for security and analytics purposes

9. Cookies & Similar Technologies

We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies for the following purposes:

• Essential functionality: Cookies necessary for the website to function properly (e.g., session management)
• Security: To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Analytics: Optional analytics cookies to understand how visitors use our website (only if you consent)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable cookies, some features of the website may not function properly.

10. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect personal information, including:

• Access controls and authentication measures
• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest where feasible
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a security incident occurs that affects your personal data, we will take appropriate steps to address it and notify you and relevant authorities as required by law.

11. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 18 years of age to donate or submit personal information. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal data to us without appropriate parental or guardian consent, please contact us immediately at privacy@dignitybridge.org, and we will take steps to address the situation.

12. Your Rights (GDPR / Applicable Law)

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to data portability: Request transfer of your data to another service provider
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Right to lodge a complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@dignitybridge.org. We will respond to your request within 30 days, or as required by applicable law.

13. Communications Preferences

You can opt out of non-essential communications at any time by:

• Using the unsubscribe link provided in email communications (if available)
• Contacting us at hello@dignitybridge.org
• Updating your preferences in your account settings (if applicable)

Please note that we may still send essential transactional messages, such as donation confirmations, receipts, and important updates about your application, even if you opt out of marketing communications.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other reasons. The "Effective Date" at the top of this policy will reflect the date of the most recent version. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you by:

• Posting a prominent notice on our website
• Sending an email to the address we have on file (if applicable)
• Other methods as required by applicable law

15. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: