Your info. Treated like a neighbor's.
Plain-English answers about what we collect, why, and what we'll never do with it.
This policy covers heartroots.org and the ways you reach HeartRoots, a registered nonprofit in Iowa based in Traer ("HeartRoots," "we," "us"). By using this site, you agree to this policy.
01What we collect
We only collect what you choose to give us, and we try to collect as little as possible.
| When you… | What we get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Use a form on this site | Whatever you type: usually a name, a phone number or email, and a message. | To answer you. Our forms open your own email app with the message filled in, so nothing is stored on this website. It arrives in our inbox like any other email. |
| Email, call, or text us | Your email address or phone number and what you tell us. | To reply and help. |
| Donate | Your name, contact details, gift amount, and billing details, collected by Givebutter. | To process your gift, send a receipt, and say thank you. We never see or store your full card or bank number. |
| Sign up to volunteer, mentor, host, or foster | Contact info, availability, and anything you share about your interests. | To match you with the right role and keep you in the loop. |
| Ask for help | Only what you choose to share. A first name is enough. | To help you. We don't ask for proof of income or ID to visit the pantry. |
Collected automatically
Like most websites, our host and the services we use may automatically record basic technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and the time of your visit. This is used to keep the site running, secure, and working on every device.
02How we use it
- To answer your questions and requests for help.
- To process donations, send receipts, and keep giving records our nonprofit is required to keep.
- To coordinate volunteers, mentors, host businesses, and fosters.
- To send updates, but only if you've asked for them or given to us, and you can opt out anytime.
- To keep the site secure and working.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your information. Ever. And we never share the names of people who receive help.
05Kids and students
This website is meant for adults and is not directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect information from children online.
Some of our programs, like summer breakfast, mentoring, the student work program, and youth outdoor programs, serve kids and teens. For those programs, we collect information from a parent or guardian, with their permission, and use it only to run the program safely. If you think a child has sent us information through this site, contact us and we'll delete it.
06How we protect and keep it
We keep information only as long as we need it to help you, run our programs, or meet legal and tax recordkeeping rules. Access is limited to the people who need it, and we use reasonable safeguards to protect it. No system is perfectly secure, so please don't send sensitive details like Social Security or bank numbers by email or text.
07Your choices
- See, fix, or delete: ask us what we have about you, correct it, or ask us to delete it. We'll do it unless we're required to keep it, like donation records.
- Stop updates: click "unsubscribe" in any email, reply STOP to a text, or just tell us.
- Give anonymously: you can choose to hide your name from public donor lists on our giving form.
08Other websites
Our site links to other websites, like Givebutter and our partners. Their privacy practices are their own, so check their policies when you visit.
09Changes to this policy
We'll update this page if our practices change and change the "last updated" date at the top. If it's a big change, we'll put a note on our homepage.
10Contact us
Questions, requests, or concerns about your privacy? Talk to a real person:
HeartRoots
Traer, Iowa