Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: June 26, 2026

One Step Closer Non-Profit Organization ("we," "our," or "us") is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to empowering youth and anchoring families. We understand that your privacy is of the utmost importance, particularly for the families, caregivers, and youth navigating sensitive life situations.

This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, protect, and disclose information when you visit our website, submit an online intake form, or make a tax-deductible donation.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us. We collect information in the following ways:

 A. Confidential Intake & Support Requests

When a caregiver or community member requests assistance through our online forms, we collect sensitive information necessary to deploy services. This includes:

• Contact information (Name, phone number, email address, physical address).

 Family context (Your relationship to the child, school enrollment issues, or legal documentation needs).

• Communication preferences (Whether it is safe to text or leave a voicemail at your provided number).

B. Donor & Financial Transaction Data

When you make a donation or become a monthly partner, we collect information required to process your payment and issue tax receipts. This includes:

• Donor details (Name, billing address, email address).

• Financial data (Credit card numbers, bank routing information). *Note: All financial transactions are encrypted and securely processed by PCI-compliant third-party payment gateways. One Step Closer does not store raw credit card numbers on our servers.

C. Youth Initiative Registrations

When enrolling a young person in our Financial Literacy, Conflict Resolution, or Leadership development programs, we collect:

• Parent/Guardian consent forms, the youth’s name, age/grade, and emergency contact details.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely to fulfill our charitable mission:

• To connect families with specialized resources, legal navigation folders, or the Digital Connection Lab.

• To generate and email official 501(c)(3) donation tax receipts.

• To send organizational updates, impact reports, or event invitations (you can opt-out of marketing communications at any time).

• To comply with state and federal financial reporting requirements for non-profit organizations.

3. Strict Confidentiality & Third-Party Sharing

One Step Closer has a zero-tolerance policy regarding the commercialization of data. We do not sell, rent, trade, or lease our mailing lists, donor databases, or confidential intake records to any third party.

A. The Kinship Anchor Project Safe Space Guarantee

We are not an agency of the Department of Human Resources (DHR) or law enforcement. Information shared regarding familial incarceration or temporary caregiving arrangements is held in strict professional confidence. We will only share case management details with trusted, pre-vetted pro-bono legal partners (such as Legal Services Alabama) *with your explicit, written consent* to fast-track your paperwork.

B. Legal Compliance Exceptions

We will only disclose personal information if required by law, such as to comply with a valid legal subpoena, or in urgent situations involving mandated reporting guidelines to protect the physical safety of a minor.

4. Children’s Privacy Under COPPA

We are fully committed to protecting the privacy of young people. While our Youth Initiatives empower children, our online enrollment and intake forms are intended strictly for adults, parents, and legal relative guardians. We do not knowingly collect personal information online directly from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental/guardian consent.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard physical, technical, and administrative security measures to protect your data. Online intake portals use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption to safeguard your data during transmission. Access to sensitive case files is restricted strictly to authorized staff members on a need-to-know basis.

6. Your Rights & Data Control

You retain full control over your personal data. At any time, you may contact us to:

• Review the personal information we have on file for you.

• Request corrections to misspelled names, updated phone numbers, or addresses.

• Request the permanent deletion of your contact information or digital intake files.

• Opt-out of receiving future emails, newsletters, or mailings.

7. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy as our programs grow or as legal regulations evolve. Any changes will be posted directly to this page with an updated "Effective Date."

8. Contact Our Compliance Team

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your data, or the secure nature of our intake forms, please reach out to us:

• One Step Closer Non-Profit Organization

Attn: Data Privacy & Compliance

Email:patd@pressure23.com 

Mailing Address: 616 Red Lane Road Birmingham, AL 35215