Privacy Policy

Soul Deeds is operated by Cool Deeds Inc., a United States-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (“Soul Deeds,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information. We operate primarily in the United States and are governed by United States law, and we also serve members in other countries. This Policy is intended to comply with applicable United States privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, the “CCPA”), and other applicable state privacy laws. By using Soul Deeds, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

• Identifiers and contact information: your name, email address, phone number, and similar identifiers.
• Identity verification information: identification and documentation you provide to verify your identity, and information gathered during our verification process (such as a verification call). Verification is required to participate in our projects, meetups, and events.
• Demographic and profile information: gender, age, preferences, and other details you provide. Some of this may be considered “sensitive personal information” under the CCPA.
• Community service and event participation: information about your involvement in community activities, along with registration, ticket, and attendance details for our meetups and events.
• Usage data: how you interact with the platform, including pages you visit, projects you join, and communications with other members.
• Device and location information: device details such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, and device ID. With your consent, we also collect location data to suggest nearby community service projects and potential matches.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Verify your identity and keep our community safe, including screening and, where necessary, removing or restricting members;
• Provide our services, facilitating community service projects and connecting you with others who share your values;
• Personalize your experience by suggesting relevant community activities, services, and matches;
• Improve the platform, using aggregated and de-identified data to enhance its functionality;
• Communicate with you about updates, events, invitations, and information relevant to the platform;
• Comply with our legal obligations and enforce our Terms.

3. How We Share and Disclose Your Information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not “share” it for cross-context behavioral advertising (as those terms are defined under the CCPA). We may disclose your personal information only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: trusted third parties who process personal information on our behalf to help us operate the platform (for example, hosting, email, forms, payment processing, and identity verification tools), under obligations to protect it.
• Legal and safety purposes: where required by law, subpoena, court order, or legal process, or where we believe it is necessary to protect the safety, rights, or property of Soul Deeds, our members, or others.
• Business transfers: if Soul Deeds is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
• Within the community: your visibility to other members is limited according to our platform settings; your details are not shared with other members except as necessary for participation.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide our services, maintain the safety and integrity of our community (including records relating to members who have been removed or restricted), and comply with our legal obligations. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify it.

5. How We Protect Your Information

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information, including encryption of sensitive data in transit and access controls limiting personal information to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence (for example, California, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws), you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to know / access: to request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to delete: to request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to legal exceptions (for example, records we retain for safety or where the law requires).
• Right to correct: to request that we correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to opt out of sale or sharing: although, as stated above, we do not sell or share your personal information.
• Right to limit the use of sensitive personal information to what is necessary to provide our services.
• Right to non-discrimination: we will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hibak@souldeeds.org. We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before responding, and you may use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf where permitted by law. You may also opt out of marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe link in our emails.

7. Cookies, Tracking, and Do Not Track

If you use our website, we may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, remember your preferences, and understand how it is used. You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Because there is no common industry standard for “Do Not Track” signals, our website does not currently respond to them.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals 18 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

9. International Users

Soul Deeds is based in the United States, and our services are operated and our data is stored and processed in the United States. If you access Soul Deeds from outside the United States, you understand that your personal information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country. By using our services, you consent to this transfer and processing. Where applicable law grants you additional privacy rights, we will honor those rights as required by law.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you through the app or by email, and we will update the “Effective Date” above. The most recent version will always be available on our website.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us: