SPREADING LIGHT MINISTRY PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: August 28, 2026

Spreading Light Ministry (“Spreading Light Ministry,” “SLM,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) a 501(c)(3) Non-profit respects the privacy of the individuals, families, ministry participants, community members, donors, partners, and visitors who interact with us through SpreadingLight.org (the “Website”).

This Privacy Policy explains the types of information we may collect through the Website, how we may use and disclose that information, and the choices available to you.

  1. INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT

The information we collect depends upon how you interact with Spreading Light Ministry and the Website.

  1. Information You Provide to Us

We may collect information that you voluntarily provide, including:

  • Name;
  • Email address;
  • Telephone number;
  • Mailing address;
  • Contact-form submissions;
  • Prayer requests;
  • Ministry inquiries;
  • Foundation School or ministry registration information;
  • Youth or community-program inquiries;
  • Parent or guardian information;
  • Partnership or organizational application information;
  • Donation-related information;
  • Volunteer inquiries;
  • Event registrations;
  • Communications sent to Spreading Light Ministry; and
  • Other information you voluntarily provide.
  1. Youth Program Information

When a parent, legal guardian, school, partner organization, or other authorized person registers or inquires about services for a child or youth participant, we may collect information reasonably necessary to evaluate eligibility, communicate with the responsible adult, administer programming, maintain safety, satisfy funding or reporting obligations, and provide services.

Depending upon the program, this information may include:

  • Child’s or student’s name;
  • Age or date of birth;
  • School and grade;
  • Parent or guardian contact information;
  • Program participation information;
  • Attendance information;
  • Academic or program progress information;
  • Emergency contact information; and
  • Other information reasonably necessary for the applicable program.

Additional privacy notices, consent forms, enrollment agreements, program policies, grant requirements, or legal requirements may apply to particular youth programs.

  1. Donations and Payment Information

If donations or payments are accepted through the Website, payment information may be processed by an independent payment processor.

Spreading Light Ministry may receive information regarding the transaction, including donor name, contact information, donation amount, transaction date, and other information necessary for accounting, donor acknowledgment, tax reporting, fraud prevention, and recordkeeping.

Complete payment-card credentials may be collected and processed directly by the applicable payment provider rather than stored by Spreading Light Ministry.

  1. Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Website, certain information may be collected automatically through cookies, server logs, analytics technologies, security systems, or similar technologies.

This information may include:

  • Internet Protocol (IP) address;
  • Browser and device type;
  • Operating system;
  • Referring website;
  • Pages visited;
  • Date and time of access;
  • Approximate geographic information derived from an IP address; and
  • Website interaction and performance information.
  1. HOW WE USE INFORMATION

Spreading Light Ministry may use information collected through the Website to:

  • Respond to inquiries;
  • Respond to prayer requests;
  • Provide ministry information and spiritual resources;
  • Register individuals for ministry activities, classes, services, or events;
  • Administer Foundation School and other discipleship activities;
  • Communicate with participants;
  • Process donations;
  • Provide donation acknowledgments and maintain financial records;
  • Administer youth and community programs;
  • Communicate with parents and guardians;
  • Evaluate partnership inquiries and applications;
  • Administer organizational partnerships;
  • Manage volunteers;
  • Maintain program attendance and participation records;
  • Satisfy legitimate grant, funding, program, or reporting requirements;
  • Improve the Website and ministry programs;
  • Protect the security and integrity of the Website;
  • Prevent fraud or misuse;
  • Maintain records;
  • Comply with applicable legal obligations; and
  • Further the religious, charitable, educational, and community purposes of Spreading Light Ministry.
  1. PRAYER REQUESTS AND SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATIONS

Information submitted through a prayer-request, spiritual-inquiry, or ministry-contact form may contain personal or sensitive information.

Please submit only information that you are comfortable sharing with Spreading Light Ministry for the purpose requested.

Prayer requests may be shared with appropriate ministry leaders, pastors, staff members, or authorized prayer/intercession personnel when reasonably necessary to respond to the request.

We will not intentionally publish an identifiable prayer request publicly without permission, except where disclosure is required by law.

Prayer requests and spiritual communications do not create a professional counseling, medical, legal, or confidential professional relationship.

  1. CHILDREN AND YOUTH PRIVACY

Spreading Light Ministry serves children and youth through educational, enrichment, recreational, mentorship, and community programs.

However, children under 13 should not independently submit personal information through the Website without the involvement and permission of a parent or legal guardian.

Where information concerning a child is needed for program enrollment or participation, we generally seek to obtain that information from, or with the authorization of, a parent, legal guardian, school, authorized partner organization, or other person legally authorized to provide it.

We seek to collect only information reasonably necessary for the applicable program or purpose.

Parents or legal guardians may contact us regarding personal information submitted online concerning their child and may request access, correction, or deletion where appropriate and subject to applicable legal, contractual, grant, safety, or record-retention requirements.

We do not knowingly use children’s personal information for behavioral advertising.

  1. PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEO, AND MEDIA

Spreading Light Ministry may photograph or record ministry services, community activities, public events, and programs.

Where required or appropriate, particularly in connection with identifiable minors participating in organized youth programs, separate media releases, parental permissions, enrollment agreements, or program policies may govern the use of photographs, video, audio, or other media.

This Privacy Policy does not replace any separate consent or media-release form required for a particular program.

  1. PARTNERSHIP APPLICATIONS

Organizations or individuals applying to partner with Spreading Light Ministry may be asked to provide information necessary to evaluate eligibility, capacity, compliance, programming, facilities, staffing, experience, and other relevant qualifications.

Information submitted in connection with a partnership may be used for:

  • Application review;
  • Due diligence;
  • Program administration;
  • Contracting;
  • Compliance;
  • Monitoring;
  • Reporting;
  • Payment administration; and
  • Communication regarding current or potential partnerships.

Submitting a partnership application does not guarantee selection, funding, contracting, or approval.

  1. HOW WE MAY SHARE INFORMATION

Spreading Light Ministry does not sell personal information for monetary consideration.

We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to:

  • Service providers supporting Website operations;
  • Payment processors;
  • Email or communications providers;
  • Technology and hosting providers;
  • Program administrators;
  • Authorized staff, ministry leaders, volunteers, or contractors;
  • Partner organizations involved in delivering an applicable program;
  • Professional advisers;
  • Government agencies, funders, auditors, or program administrators where reporting is legally or contractually required; or
  • Law-enforcement or other authorities when required or permitted by law.

We seek to limit disclosure to information reasonably necessary for the applicable purpose.

  1. DONOR PRIVACY

We respect the privacy of our donors.

Donor information may be used to:

  • Process donations;
  • Provide receipts or acknowledgments;
  • Maintain financial and tax records;
  • Communicate regarding ministry activities;
  • Satisfy legal or accounting obligations; and
  • Maintain appropriate donor records.

We do not sell donor lists or donor personal information for monetary consideration.

Donor names or giving information will not intentionally be publicly disclosed without permission except where disclosure is required by law or applicable reporting obligations.

  1. EMAIL AND MINISTRY COMMUNICATIONS

Individuals who request ministry news, announcements, resources, partnership information, or other communications may receive electronic communications from us.

You may unsubscribe from promotional or general mailing-list communications through an available unsubscribe mechanism or by contacting us.

We may continue to send necessary transactional, program, safety, administrative, donation, or other non-promotional communications where appropriate.

  1. COOKIES AND ANALYTICS

The Website may use cookies and similar technologies to maintain functionality, improve security, understand Website traffic, measure performance, and improve visitor experience.

Your browser may permit you to limit or delete cookies.

Disabling certain technologies may affect Website functionality.

Where legally required, additional consent or choices regarding non-essential cookies will be provided.

  1. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND SERVICES

SpreadingLight.org may link to external websites, social-media platforms, donation providers, booksellers, partner organizations, or other independent services.

Those organizations operate under their own terms and privacy practices.

Spreading Light Ministry is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of independent third-party websites merely because the Website contains a link to them.

We encourage visitors to review the privacy policies of third-party services before providing personal information.

  1. INFORMATION SECURITY

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, misuse, alteration, loss, or disclosure.

No website, electronic transmission, database, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

  1. DATA RETENTION

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and for legitimate ministry, program, contractual, grant, accounting, tax, safety, legal, or recordkeeping purposes.

Different categories of information may be retained for different periods.

When information is no longer reasonably necessary, we may delete, anonymize, or securely dispose of it, subject to applicable requirements.

  1. YOUR PRIVACY REQUESTS

Subject to applicable law and legitimate record-retention requirements, individuals may contact us to request:

  • Access to certain personal information;
  • Correction of inaccurate information;
  • Deletion of certain information;
  • Removal from general marketing or mailing lists; or
  • Information regarding our handling of personal information.

We may need to verify the identity or authority of the person making the request before acting upon it.

Certain records may need to be retained because of legal, accounting, grant, child-safety, contractual, insurance, or other legitimate obligations.

  1. INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

Spreading Light Ministry’s ministry and Website may reach individuals outside the United States.

If you access the Website from another country, information submitted through the Website may be processed or stored in the United States or in other locations where our partners, service providers operate, subject to applicable law.

  1. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy as our Website, ministry activities, programs, technology, or legal obligations change.

When changes are made, the “Last Updated” date at the beginning of this Policy will be revised.

Material changes may be accompanied by additional notice where appropriate or legally required.

  1. CONTACT US

Questions, concerns, or privacy requests may be submitted through the contact information provided on SpreadingLight.org.

Spreading Light Ministry
Michigan, United States
SpreadingLight.org