Privacy Policy

Last updated: [Month Day, Year]

The L.J. Bridge Foundation (“L.J. Bridge Foundation,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website located at [bridgeforveterans.org] (the “Site”), which supports veterans, service members, and their families through emergency financial aid, community events, scholarships, and related services. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information.

By using the Site or providing information to us, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

Information you provide directly
- Contact details, such as your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address (for example, when you contact us, subscribe to our newsletter, or sign up for events).
- Application information, such as service history, eligibility details, financial information you choose to share, and any documents you upload when applying for emergency aid, scholarships, or other support.
- Donation information, such as the amount, frequency, and designation of your gift, as well as limited payment details as processed by our third-party payment processors.
- Volunteer or partnership information, such as your interests, availability, and organization or employer details.
Information collected automatically
- Usage data, such as pages visited, links clicked, referring/exit pages, and the date and time of your visit.
- Technical data, such as IP address, browser type, device identifiers, and operating system.
- This information is typically collected through cookies, pixels, and similar technologies.
Information from third parties
- We may receive limited information from service providers (e.g., payment processors, email service platforms, event registration tools) necessary to process donations, manage communications, or administer programs.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To operate, maintain, and improve the Site and our services.
To review and process applications for emergency financial assistance, scholarships, and related support.
To communicate with you, including responding to inquiries, sending confirmations, and sharing updates about our programs, events, and impact.
To process and acknowledge donations, issue receipts, and maintain appropriate donor records in line with our document retention policies.
To manage volunteer engagement, partnerships, and event participation.
To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and reporting obligations, including those related to nonprofit governance and tax-exempt organizations.
To protect the security and integrity of our systems, prevent fraud, and enforce our Terms of Use.

We may aggregate or de-identify information so that it no longer identifies you; we may use such information for research, reporting, or improving our services.

3. Legal Bases for Processing (If Applicable)

Where required by applicable law, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases to process your personal information:

Your consent.
Our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Site and providing services to veterans and their families.
Compliance with legal obligations and nonprofit governance requirements.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service providers. We may share information with trusted vendors and service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, web hosting, email delivery, data analysis, and form processing. They are permitted to use your information only as necessary to provide these services.
Program partners and referrals. With your consent, we may share limited information with partner organizations to help connect you with additional resources or services.
Legal and safety. We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or government request; to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Foundation, our beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, or others; or to detect and prevent fraud or security issues.
Organizational changes. In the event of a merger, restructuring, or other organizational change, your information may be transferred consistent with our nonprofit mission and applicable law.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal and reporting requirements, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Our Document Retention and Destruction Policy sets out general retention periods, such as:

Certain corporate governance and legal documents: retained permanently.
Financial and donor records: typically retained for at least seven years.
Client/beneficiary and program records: typically retained for at least three years after services end, subject to legal and operational needs.

When information is no longer required, we securely destroy or de-identify it in accordance with our policies and applicable law.

6. Your Choices

You have the following choices:

Email communications. You may opt out of promotional emails at any time by using the “unsubscribe” link in our messages or contacting us directly. You may still receive essential administrative or service-related messages.
Cookies and tracking. Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. If you disable cookies, some features of the Site may not function properly.
Access and updates. Where required by law, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of certain personal information by contacting us using the details below. We may need to retain certain information for legal, accounting, or recordkeeping purposes.

7. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no system can be guaranteed 100% secure, and you use the Site at your own risk.

If we become aware of a data security incident that affects your personal information, we will take steps consistent with applicable law and our internal policies, which may include notifying you and relevant authorities.

8. Children’s Privacy

The Site is not intended to be used by children under the age of 13 without the involvement of a parent or guardian. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected such information without appropriate consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

9. Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to external websites, resources, or services that we do not operate or control, including government sites and other veteran-support organizations. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third parties, and we are not responsible for their content, practices, or policies. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

10. International Visitors

The Site is operated from the United States and is intended primarily for individuals and organizations in the United States. If you access the Site from outside the U.S., you understand that your information may be processed and stored in the United States or other locations where our service providers are located, which may have different data protection laws than your country.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, when required, provide additional notice.

Your continued use of the Site after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us:

The L.J. Bridge Foundation
[Mailing Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]

You may also reach us through the Contact page on our website.