Privacy Policy

HOPEmatch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Charlotte, North Carolina. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the information you share with us. This policy explains what we collect when you use our website and programs, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have.

It applies to everyone who interacts with us online — donors and family sponsors, people who nominate a family in need, and volunteers.

We collect only the information we need to run our programs. Depending on how you use the site, that may include:

• Account information. To donate or sponsor a family you create an account. We collect your name, email address, and a password, which are managed securely through Firebase Authentication (a Google service). We never see or store your password in plain text.
• Donation & payment information. When you give, our payment processor (Stripe) collects your card or bank details to complete the transaction. HOPEmatch does not receive or store your full card number — we keep a record of the gift (such as the amount, date, and a receipt) so we can thank you and issue tax statements.
• Sponsorship information. When you sponsor a family or student, we collect the contact details needed to coordinate shopping and drop-off, and we record which items you have claimed.
• Family nomination information. If you nominate a family in need, we collect the details you submit about that family so our team can review the request.
• Volunteer information. If you sign up to volunteer, we collect the information on the volunteer form, such as your contact details, availability, interests, and any background you choose to share.
• Communications. If you email, call, or message us, we keep that correspondence and your contact preferences, including whether you have opted in or out of email and text messages.
• Technical information. Like most websites, our servers automatically log basic technical data (such as your browser type, device, and a timestamp) to keep the site secure and working properly.

We use your information to:

• create and manage your account and keep it secure;
• process your donations and send receipts and year-end tax statements;
• coordinate family sponsorships, including shopping lists and drop-off logistics;
• review family nominations and volunteer sign-ups;
• send you transactional and program messages by email and, if you have opted in, by text — for example confirmations, reminders, and account or nomination updates;
• respond to your questions and provide support; and
• operate, maintain, and improve our website and programs, and comply with the law.

Online donations are processed by Stripe, a leading PCI-compliant payment processor. Your card details are submitted directly to Stripe over an encrypted connection and are handled under Stripe’s own security standards; HOPEmatch never stores your full card number. You can read how Stripe handles payment data in the Stripe Privacy Policy.

We use your contact information to send you messages related to your activity with HOPEmatch, such as donation receipts, sponsorship confirmations, event and drop-off reminders, and occasional updates and appeals.

You are always in control. You can unsubscribe from our emails at any time using the link at the bottom of any message, and you can stop our text messages at any time by replying STOP (reply HELP for help). Message and data rates may apply to texts. We do not sell or rent your email address or mobile number, and we do not share them with anyone for their own marketing. See our Terms & Conditions for the full text-message program terms.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information, and we do not share it with outside organizations for their own marketing. We share information only in these limited situations:

• Service providers who run the platform for us. We rely on a small set of trusted vendors that process data on our behalf to operate the site — for example Stripe (payment processing), Google Firebase / Google Cloud (secure hosting and sign-in), and our email and text-message delivery providers. They may only use your information to provide their service to HOPEmatch.
• Sponsorship coordination. Limited details are used internally to match sponsors with families and arrange drop-offs. Family identities are kept confidential.
• Legal reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, to protect the safety or rights of others, or in connection with a legal request.

We use only the cookies necessary to make the site work — for example to keep you signed in and to protect your session. We do not run advertising networks, behavioral remarketing, or third-party ad tracking, and we do not use your activity on our site to target you with ads elsewhere. You can control cookies through your browser settings; turning off essential cookies may stop you from signing in.

We take reasonable measures to protect your information. Data is transmitted over encrypted (HTTPS) connections, payment processing is handled by Stripe, and access to personal information is limited to authorized HOPEmatch staff who need it to do their work. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we work to safeguard your data and to keep it only as long as we need it.

You can review or update your account information when you are signed in, unsubscribe from email, and reply STOP to text messages at any time. If you would like us to correct or delete your personal information, or have questions about how it is used, contact us using the details below and we will do our best to help.

Our accounts and online giving are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children. Information about children in families we serve is provided by the adults who nominate them or by our staff, and is treated as confidential.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date shown at the top of this page. Your continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised policy.

If you have questions or requests about this Privacy Policy, please email us at info@hopematch.org or call (704) 271-4636.