Privacy Policy

1. Organization Information

Joining Hands Foundation is a California-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with Employer Identification Number (EIN) 94-3710295 and California Secretary of State registration number C4182037. Our principal office is located at 2150 River Park Drive, Suite 180, Sacramento, CA 95833. For privacy-related inquiries, contact our Volunteer Services Director at [email protected] or (916) 555-0342.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information necessary to operate our volunteer programs safely and effectively. The categories of information we collect include:

• Volunteer Registration Data: Full name, date of birth, mailing address, email address, phone number, emergency contact information, and program preferences submitted through our volunteer intake form.
• Background Screening Data: For programs requiring DOJ/FBI LiveScan background checks, we process Social Security numbers, government-issued identification, and fingerprint records through our authorized LiveScan vendor (IdentoGO by IDEMIA). We receive screening results indicating clearance status only and do not retain raw fingerprint data.
• Service Hour Records: Volunteer sign-in and sign-out times, program assignments, service locations, supervisor confirmations, and cumulative hour totals maintained in our volunteer management database.
• Program Participant Data: For programs serving minors and vulnerable adults, we collect participant names, emergency contacts, relevant medical or dietary information, and parental or guardian consent documentation as required by program protocols.
• Donor Information: Names, mailing addresses, email addresses, donation amounts, payment method details (processed through our PCI-compliant payment processor), and employer matching gift information for tax receipt and acknowledgment purposes.
• Website Usage Data: Our website collects standard server log data including IP addresses, browser type, referring pages, and pages visited. We do not use third-party tracking cookies, behavioral advertising pixels, or cross-site tracking technologies.

3. How We Use Your Information

Personal information collected by Joining Hands Foundation is used exclusively for the following purposes: processing volunteer applications and program placements; conducting required background screening for child and vulnerable adult safety compliance; tracking and verifying volunteer service hours; communicating program schedules, training opportunities, and organizational updates; processing and acknowledging charitable donations; generating aggregate impact reports that do not identify individual volunteers or participants; complying with applicable federal, state, and local legal and regulatory requirements; and responding to inquiries submitted through our contact forms. We do not use personal information for commercial marketing, political communications, or any purpose unrelated to our nonprofit mission.

4. Information Sharing & Disclosure

Joining Hands Foundation does not sell, rent, lease, trade, or otherwise commercially distribute personal information to any third party under any circumstances. We share personal information only in the following limited contexts:

• Background Check Processing: Volunteer identification data is transmitted to IdentoGO by IDEMIA for DOJ/FBI LiveScan processing under a data processing agreement that restricts secondary use.
• Partner Program Coordination: When volunteers are placed at partner locations (schools, community centers, senior living facilities), we share the volunteer’s name, contact information, background check clearance status, and program assignment with the partner site coordinator for scheduling and safety verification purposes.
• Insurance Provider: In the event of an incident or injury claim, relevant volunteer and incident information may be shared with our liability insurance carrier (Philadelphia Insurance Companies) for claims processing.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, subpoena, or government investigation, or when necessary to protect the safety of a child, vulnerable adult, volunteer, or staff member in accordance with mandatory reporting obligations.
• Aggregate Reporting: We share de-identified, aggregate data with funders, grant agencies, and the public through our annual impact reports. These reports never identify individual volunteers, participants, or donors.

5. Data Retention

Active volunteer records are maintained for the duration of the volunteer’s service and for 36 months following their last recorded service activity. Background check clearance records are retained for 24 months from the date of issuance and are re-processed if the volunteer remains active beyond that period. Donor financial records are retained for seven years in accordance with IRS requirements for tax-exempt organizations. Program participant records involving minors are retained for three years following the participant’s last program enrollment. Website server logs are retained for 90 days and then automatically purged. Upon expiration of the applicable retention period, personal information is securely destroyed using industry-standard data sanitization methods.

6. Minor Consent & Child Data Protection

Joining Hands Foundation complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and California law regarding the personal information of minors. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 through our website. For our Youth Tutoring & Mentorship program, which serves K-12 students, all participant registration is completed by a parent or legal guardian. Parental consent forms are collected in person at the program site, not online. Volunteer tutors under the age of 18 require written parental or guardian consent submitted at orientation. Student participant data is stored in a separate, access-restricted database with encryption at rest and is accessible only to authorized program coordinators and the Volunteer Services Director. We do not photograph or publish images of minor program participants without specific written parental consent for each intended use.

7. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Compliance

While nonprofit organizations are currently exempt from certain provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), Joining Hands Foundation voluntarily adopts the following CCPA-aligned practices as a demonstration of our commitment to data privacy: California residents have the right to request disclosure of the specific categories and pieces of personal information we have collected about them; to request deletion of their personal information, subject to applicable legal retention requirements; and to opt out of any future sale of personal information, though we affirm that we have never sold and will never sell personal information. To exercise any of these rights, submit a written request to [email protected]. We will verify your identity and respond within 45 calendar days of receipt.

8. Data Security

Joining Hands Foundation implements administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include role-based access controls limiting data access to authorized staff with a documented need; encryption of sensitive data in transit using TLS 1.3 and at rest using AES-256; multi-factor authentication for all staff accounts accessing volunteer management systems; regular security awareness training for staff and program coordinators; physical access controls including locked file cabinets for paper records containing personal information; and annual security assessments conducted by our IT services provider. While we employ industry-standard protections, no data transmission or storage system can guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting personal information, we will notify affected individuals and applicable regulatory authorities within the timeframes required by California Civil Code Section 1798.82.

9. Changes to This Policy

Joining Hands Foundation reserves the right to update this privacy policy as necessary to reflect changes in our data practices, applicable laws, or organizational operations. Material changes will be communicated through our website and, for active volunteers, through email notification. The “Last updated” date at the top of this policy indicates when the most recent revision took effect. Continued participation in our programs or use of our website following a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

10. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or requests related to this privacy policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact: