PRIVACY POLICY

Rescue for Life International/Christian Ministry Corporation

(Operating under the registered trade name "Rescue for Life International™")

A Maryland Non-Stock, Nonprofit Corporation

Effective Date: 04/13/2026

Last Updated: 06/28/2026

Prambule

Rescue for Life International/Christian Ministry Corporation ("Organization," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity organized under the laws of the State of Maryland. The Organization operates under its official legal name filed with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), utilizing its registered trade name Rescue for Life International™ and its proprietary mission tagline Love • Rescue • Hope™.

We are fully committed to protecting your privacy, securing your data, and handling your personal information responsibly and transparently in accordance with all applicable State and Federal regulations.

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy applies universally to all individuals who interact with our ministry, including donors, volunteers, prayer partners, website visitors, and ministry participants. This document outlines the specific rules, guidelines, and mechanisms we use to collect, store, and safeguard your personal data when you visit our website www.rescueforlifeinternational.org (the "Website"), make financial donations, submit inquiries, volunteer, or otherwise utilize our Services.

We practice data minimization—collecting only what is reasonably necessary and proportionate to provide our requested services. Any references to "personal information" or "personal data" in this document mean details that identify, relate to, describe, or are reasonably capable of being associated with you. By accessing or using the Website, you consent to the practices described across these sections, which are incorporated into and governed by our Terms and Conditions.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We may collect the following categories of information when you voluntarily choose to provide it:

Identifiers: Full name, email address, physical mailing address, and phone number.
Communications Content: Messages, inquiries, or testimonials you submit directly through our contact fields.
Volunteer & Ministry Information: Operational data from your application, including your skills, scheduling availability, and background check details.
Donation Information: Your legal billing name and associated address required to process transactions (see Section 2.2).
Other Information: Any other personal information you voluntarily provide through forms, emails, or direct communications.

2.2 Payment and Donation Security

When you make a financial donation or payment, we collect the baseline billing details (e.g., name, address) necessary to complete the transaction. All financial data is processed securely via Zeffy, a third-party Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant platform. Because we partner with Zeffy, 100% of your contribution directly funds our local ministry work with zero credit card processing fees deducted from your intended gift. We never store full credit card numbers, expiration dates, or CVV codes on our internal organization servers.

2.3 Automatically Collected Information

When navigating the Website, our network infrastructure or analytics partners may automatically capture fundamental technical usage data, including:

Your IP address and broad geographic area (restricted to city or country level);
Browser variations, device types, and operating system specifications;
Exact pages visited, duration of stay, sequential clickstream data, and referral URLs;
Interaction tracking metrics deployed via standard cookies, web beacons, or similar tracking technologies.

2.4 Sensitive Information & Explicit Consent

In accordance with the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA), we do not knowingly collect or process sensitive personal data—including precise health information, genetic data, or specific religious beliefs—without your explicit, affirmative opt-in consent. If you choose to share spiritual prayer requests, personal healing testimonials, or crisis background data within text boxes or organizational communications, we treat that data with heightened confidentiality and utilize it solely for the purpose for which it was provided.

2.5 Institutional Donor Protection Promise

We are fully committed to protecting the privacy of our financial supporters and service participants. The Organization will not sell, trade, rent, or lease your personal information—including names, email addresses, and physical contact details—to any commercial third party, nor will we send donor mailings on behalf of outside organizations. This institutional safeguard ensures compliance with federal grant oversight rules (including 2 CFR 200) regarding the secure management, confidentiality, and technical protection of all participant and organizational data.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (Where Applicable)

For individuals in jurisdictions that require a legal basis for processing (e.g., the European Economic Area), we rely on:

Consent: For marketing communications, certain cookies, and voluntary submissions of sensitive information.
Contractual Necessity: To process donations or fulfill volunteer commitments.
Legitimate Interests: Operating a nonprofit ministry, improving services, stewarding donor relationships, and maintaining security.
Legal Obligations: Compliance with tax, audit, state (e.g., State of Maryland), and Federal regulatory requirements.

You may withdraw consent at any time where it is the basis for processing, subject to legal limitations.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following business and operational purposes:

Organizational Operations: Operate and improve the Website and our outreach services.
Donation Processing: Process donations, issue tax acknowledgments, and maintain accurate donor records.
Communications: Send updates, newsletters, community opportunities, event invitations, and organizational news. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.
Response and Engagement: Respond to inquiries, volunteer applications, and other submissions.
Analytics and Improvement: Analyze website usage to enhance user experience, functionality, and security.
Legal and Compliance: Comply with legal obligations, prevent fraud, enforce our Terms and Conditions, and protect our rights.
Ministry Storytelling: Share impactful stories with supporter consent, while respecting privacy and confidentiality.

We limit collection to what is reasonably necessary for these purposes.

5. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

We may share information with:

Service Providers: Trusted vendors (e.g., website hosting, email platforms, payment processors, analytics tools) who are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for authorized purposes.
Professional Advisors: Accountants, legal counsel, and auditors when necessary.
Legal and Regulatory Authorities: Law enforcement, regulators, or courts when required by law, legal process, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
Corporate Transactions: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or asset sale (with appropriate confidentiality protections).

All third parties receiving personal information must maintain confidentiality and security standards consistent with this Policy.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance functionality, analyze traffic, and improve user experience.

Essential Cookies: Required for Website operation (e.g., security, session management).
Analytics/Performance Cookies: Used to understand usage patterns and improve services (e.g., Google Analytics).

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect Website functionality.

We do not use cookies for targeted advertising that sells personal data.

For more details, you may contact us at the information in Section 15 (Contact Information).

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, comply with legal and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.

Donor Records: Retained for tax and audit purposes as required by law (generally 7 years or more).
Volunteer Records: Retained for the duration of the relationship and as long as necessary for administrative purposes.
Website Usage Data: Retained for a reasonable period for analytics and security purposes.

You may request deletion of your information where permitted, subject to our legitimate needs and legal requirements.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information, including:

Secure servers and encryption for sensitive transmissions;
Access controls limited to authorized personnel;
Regular security assessments and staff training.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you transmit information at your own risk. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your physical location and applicable local laws, you may exercise the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: Request a copy of the specific categories of personal information we hold about you.
Correction: Request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal records.
Deletion: Request the structural deletion of your data, subject to necessary legal, tax, or grant audit retention exceptions.
Objection & Restriction: Object to or restrict certain data processing activities bound to our exempt operations.
Data Portability: Receive a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable, and commonly used format (where technically feasible).
Opt-Out: Opt out of informational or marketing communications at any time via our unsubscribe links or by contacting us directly.

9.1 Maryland Residents and MODPA Compliance

The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA) establishes strict consumer protection frameworks for state residents. As a Maryland-incorporated organization, we are fully committed to MODPA’s strict data minimization mandates—collecting and processing data only when reasonably necessary and proportionate to deliver our requested community or ministry services. If you are a Maryland consumer and wish to exercise your statutory rights to access, correct, or delete your personal information under this framework, please contact our administrative team.

9.2 California Residents’ Privacy Rights

If you reside in California, you are granted specific rights regarding your personal data under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended. As a matter of operational transparency, data integrity, and best practice, we extend these data choices to our California supporters:

Right to Know & Access: You can request a summary of the personal information we have collected, utilized, or stored about you.
Right to Correction: You may ask us to fix inaccurate or incomplete personal records.
Right to Deletion: You can request that we permanently delete your personal information from our active databases, subject to standard legal, IRS, or federal grant tracking exceptions (such as matching historical donation logs).
Right to Opt-Out: We do not sell, rent, trade, or lease donor information to third parties. You may limit or opt out of our internal sharing at any time.
Right to Equal Non-Discrimination: We will never discriminate against you, alter your engagement, or deny you access to any grant-funded community benefits, charitable initiatives, or ministry services for exercising your privacy choices.

To submit a formal rights request, please contact us using the physical address or administrative email provided in Section 15. We will verify your identity using standard administrative protocols before processing your request and will respond within the statutory timelines required by law.

10. Children’s Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

The public Website is designed for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect, track, or solicit personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental or legal guardian consent, consistent with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Furthermore, in strict compliance with the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA), we do not knowingly process, track, or profile the personal information of minors under 16 years of age for secondary or commercial purposes without affirmative, explicit opt-in consent.

If we discover we have accidentally collected personal information from a minor under these statutory ages without proper parental consent, we will take immediate administrative action to promptly and securely delete it from our active servers and backup databases. Parents or legal guardians may contact us at any time to review, correct, or request the permanent deletion of their child’s information.

11. Third-Party Links

The Website may contain links to external sites and digital applications, including social media platforms, community resource networks, or partner organizations. Please be advised that the Organization does not own, control, or operate these external domains. Consequently, we are not responsible for the privacy practices, data security measures, or content of those third parties.

Once you leave our Website via an external link, our data protection protocols are no longer in effect. We strongly encourage you to review the individual privacy policies of any external website or third-party platform before providing any personal information.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operational practices, digital technology, or evolving State and Federal legal requirements. The “Effective Date” at the top and bottom of this document will be revised accordingly.

We will notify you of any material changes at least thirty days prior to the implementation of the revisions by:

Posting the updated Policy on the Website with a prominent and conspicuous digital notice;
Where appropriate, sending a direct email notification to the active addresses we have on file.

Your continued use of the Website after the official effective date of the changes constitutes your acknowledged acceptance of the revised Policy. However, if modifications involve a material change in how we process previously collected sensitive personal data, we will seek your affirmative, explicit opt-in consent before executing those specific changes. We encourage the periodic review of this page to stay informed about our ongoing data protection measures.

13. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy and all matters arising out of or relating to our data safety practices are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, United States, without regard to conflict of laws principles.

Any legal actions, claims, or disputes arising under or related to this Policy shall be resolved in strict accordance with the dispute resolution and arbitration mechanisms established within our Terms and Conditions. By interacting with our Services, you hereby consent to the exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located within the State of Maryland for the adjudication of any such non-administrative disputes, subject to applicable state regulatory enforcement frameworks

14. Cross-Border Data Transfers

The Organization is headquartered and operated within the United States, and your personal information may be transferred to, processed, and stored in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to and processed in a jurisdiction that may have different data protection laws than your home country.

By using the Website or voluntarily providing your information, you consent to this international transfer, storage, and processing. To protect your data during these trans-border movements, we implement appropriate administrative and technical security safeguards designed to maintain a level of protection consistent with the data minimization and confidentiality standards outlined across this Policy.

15. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, complaints, or formal requests regarding this Privacy Policy, your data privacy rights, or the processing of your personal information, please reach out to our administrative team directly:

Legal Entity Name: Rescue for Life International/Christian Ministry Corporation (RLI-CMC)
Corporate Status: IRS Registered 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Public Charity
Employer Identification Number (EIN): 39-4645494
Mailing Address: 3701 Court House Drive, Ste 4, Ellicott City, MD 21043, USA
Administrative Phone: Toll-Free: 877-436-8625
Official Email: info@rescueforlifeinternational.org
Official Website: www.rescueforlifeinternational.org

We will evaluate and respond to your data privacy inquiries as promptly as possible, and strictly within the thirty day statutory timeline mandated by the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA) and applicable state frameworks.

Thank you for partnering with us and trusting our organization with your information as we serve our mission together.