Your information stays with us.

Information we collect

We collect only the information you choose to give us. Depending on which form you use, that may include:

• Help request form: your name, contact information, household details, and a description of the support you are seeking (meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, household essentials, or scholarship assistance).
• Volunteer interest form: your name, email address, phone number if you provide it, and the ways you would like to serve.
• Donate goods form: your name, contact information, and a description of the items you wish to donate.
• Contact form and email: your name, email address, subject, and message.
• Donations: the information required to process and acknowledge your gift, such as your name, contact information, and donation amount.

Our online forms are hosted by Jotform, a third-party form provider whose own privacy practices apply to the data you submit through them. We may also collect standard, non-identifying technical information such as browser type and pages visited, used only to keep the site working and to understand which pages are helpful.

How we use your information

We use the information you share for program services and communication only. Specifically, we use it to:

• Respond to your request and connect you with the right COTA program.
• Coordinate meal distribution, essentials days, mobile outreach, and pickups.
• Review and administer scholarship and family support applications.
• Schedule volunteers and arrange in-kind donation drop-off or pickup.
• Acknowledge donations, issue receipts, and meet our reporting obligations.
• Send occasional updates about our work, which you can opt out of at any time by replying to any message or emailing us.

We do not sell or rent your information

COTA Foundation does not sell, rent, trade, or lease your personal information to third parties for any purpose, including marketing. We share information only in these limited circumstances:

• With service providers who help us operate — such as our form host, email provider, and payment processor — and only to the extent needed to perform that service.
• With a partner organization better able to meet your need, and only with your permission.
• When required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of any person.

How donations are processed securely

COTA Foundation does not collect, view, or store credit card, debit card, or bank account numbers. All financial gifts are handled by established third-party payment processors that use industry-standard encryption and are PCI-DSS compliant. Payment details are transmitted directly to the processor over a secure connection; we receive only the confirmation and donor contact details needed to acknowledge your gift and issue a tax receipt.

COTA Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 39-2930549. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Confidentiality of program participants

We treat the details people share when requesting help as confidential. We do not publish the names, photographs, or stories of program participants without their written permission, and no one is ever required to share a personal story, attend a religious service, or state their beliefs in order to receive support.

Data retention and security

We keep your information only as long as needed to serve you and to meet legal, accounting, and grant-reporting requirements, after which it is deleted or anonymized. Access is limited to the volunteers and staff who need it to do their work. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so while we take reasonable safeguards, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children's privacy

This website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them online. Youth participate in our programs through a parent or guardian, who provides any information needed for enrollment and consent.

Your choices and rights

You may ask us at any time to see the information we hold about you, correct it, delete it, or stop contacting you. Email us and we will respond as promptly as we can. Requesting deletion may mean we can no longer provide certain program services.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our programs grow or as legal requirements change. The revised policy will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date.

Contact us about privacy

Questions about this policy or about your information can go directly to our team:

• Email: CotaFoundation9@gmail.com
• Phone: (772) 212-0788
• COTA Foundation, Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island, HI