Privacy Policy

Introduction

Life in Darkness ("LID," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 33-1336378) committed to protecting the privacy and security of every individual who interacts with our organization. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, participate in our programs, use our community forums, make donations, or otherwise engage with us.

We understand that the people we serve are often in vulnerable situations. That understanding is at the core of how we handle your data. We treat your information with the same care and respect we bring to our programs.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with Life in Darkness, we may collect information that you voluntarily provide, including:

• Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you contact us, sign up for our newsletter, or register for a program
• Donation information including payment details processed securely through third-party payment processors
• Volunteer or partnership application details including professional background and areas of interest
• Self-assessment responses completed through our Emotional Portfolio Check-In tool
• Forum posts, discussion threads, and comments you submit to our online community
• Any other information you choose to share through forms, emails, or direct communication

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

• Browser type, operating system, and device information
• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies used to improve site functionality

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To deliver, administer, and improve our programs and services
• To process donations and provide tax receipts
• To communicate with you about programs, events, and organizational updates
• To respond to your inquiries and provide support
• To maintain and moderate our community forums
• To analyze website usage and improve user experience
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Self-Assessment & Forum Privacy

We want to be especially clear about two sensitive areas:

Emotional Portfolio Check-In

Self-assessment responses are processed entirely in your browser. Your answers and results are not transmitted to our servers, stored in any database, or shared with anyone. The assessment is a private reflection tool and your results belong solely to you.

Community Forums

Content you post in our community forums is visible to other forum participants. You may post anonymously. We moderate forums to maintain a safe environment but we do not share individual post data with third parties. Forum moderators are trained volunteers bound by confidentiality agreements. If a post suggests imminent risk of self-harm, we reserve the right to take appropriate action to connect the individual with crisis resources.

Donor Privacy

Life in Darkness respects the privacy of our donors. We commit to the following:

• We will not share or sell donor personal information with any third party not directly supporting our operations
• We will not send mailings on behalf of other organizations
• Donation amounts are confidential unless the donor explicitly authorizes public recognition
• Payment information is processed by secure, PCI-compliant third-party payment processors and is never stored on our servers
• Donors may request to be anonymous at any time

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), secure hosting infrastructure, access controls, and regular security reviews.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Third-Party Services

We may use third-party services to support our operations, including:

• Payment processing (for donations)
• Email communication platforms (for newsletters and updates)
• Website hosting and analytics
• Social media platforms

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing how they handle your data. We encourage you to review those policies. We only partner with services that maintain reasonable data protection standards.

Cookies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how you use our site. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain site functionality but will not prevent you from accessing our content.

Children's Privacy

Life in Darkness does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• The right to access the personal information we hold about you
• The right to request correction of inaccurate information
• The right to request deletion of your information
• The right to opt out of marketing communications at any time
• The right to withdraw consent for data processing

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

California Residents

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. Life in Darkness does not sell personal information.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website and services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

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