Privacy Policy
Effective October 6, 2026
People for Relief is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We help people through disaster and hardship and stand behind the organizations that help them, all year round. To do that work, we keep a small amount of information about the people, organizations and businesses who support us or apply to become partners. This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, how we protect it and what choices you have.
Information we collect
From supporters
- Name and email address, so we can send your receipts, confirm your gifts and let you sign in to your account.
- ZIP code, if you give it to us, so we can tell you when a disaster hits near you and understand where our support comes from.
- Gift history, including the date, amount, campaign and whether a gift is one-time or monthly. We need this to issue receipts and meet our legal record-keeping duties.
- Email list preferences, if you choose to join our list.
From partners
When a relief organization applies to our Partner Program, we collect the details in the application. That includes the organization's name, the name and email address of the person applying, a description of its relief work, its local presence, the people it serves, its plan, the support it is asking for and its website if it has one. Supported partners also send us reports on how support was used.
When a business applies, we collect the business name, the name and email address of the person applying and the details of the matching gift, giving drive or sponsorship it proposes.
Information we do not collect
When you give from your bank account, we collect the name on the account, your routing number, your account number and the account type, plus a record of your authorization (the time and the device you used). Your account number is stored encrypted, used only to debit the gifts you authorized and never shown in full again. We share these details only with People for Relief's bank to process your gifts.
We never ask for or store your bank login details, and we debit only the gifts you authorized. If anyone asks for your bank login details in our name, do not share them, and tell us through the site.
How we use your information
- To match your bank transfer to your gift and send you a receipt for your tax records.
- To match each transfer in your monthly gift and keep your gift history current.
- To let you sign in with a one-time code sent to your email address.
- To send campaign updates and reports on how gifts were used, if you joined our email list.
- To review partner applications, make partnership decisions and follow how support is used.
- To meet our legal, tax and audit obligations and to prevent fraud.
We do not sell your data
We do not sell, rent or trade personal information. We do not share supporter lists with other charities or with marketers. We share information only with service providers who help us run the organization, such as our bank and email delivery service, and only what they need for that job. They are required to protect it and may not use it for their own purposes. We may also disclose information when the law requires it.
Email preferences and unsubscribing
Joining our email list is optional. Every list message includes an unsubscribe link, and you can change preferences from your account page. If you unsubscribe, you will still receive receipts for your gifts and notices about your monthly gift, because those relate to transactions you made.
How long we keep information
We keep gift records for at least seven years, because tax and audit rules require it. We keep partner applications and reports for the life of the partnership plus seven years. If you close your account, we remove your sign-in access and email list membership but keep the gift records the law requires. Information we no longer need is deleted or anonymized.
How we protect information
Information moves between your device and our site over an encrypted connection. Access to supporter and partner records is limited to the few people who need it to do their work, and every sign-in requires a one-time code. Gifts arrive by bank transfer that you send from your own bank, so we never hold your bank login details. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect what you share, and we notify affected people of a breach when the law requires it.
Children
Our site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has given us information, write to us through the site and we will delete it.
Your choices and rights
You can see your gift history and update your name, email address and preferences from your account page at any time. You can also ask us to:
- Send you a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct information that is wrong.
- Delete your information, except records we must keep by law.
To make a request, use the contact form on our site. We confirm the request comes from the account holder before acting, and we aim to respond within 30 days.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will post the new version on this page with a new effective date. If a change materially affects information you already gave us, we will say so on this page before it takes effect.
Questions
If you have a question about this policy or how we handle your information, write to us through the site.