Privacy Notice & Terms
Your trust is the foundation of everything we build.
At KindnessGuild, we believe technology should bring people closer together—not compromise their privacy or exploit their participation. We're here to help you grow, connect, and make a difference. That's it.
This document explains how we protect your trust while helping you participate meaningfully in our community and programs.
Our Privacy Approach
We're privacy nerds, and it's personal to us. Here's what that means:
- We collect only what we need. If we don't need information to provide our services or keep our community safe, we won't ask for it.
- We never sell your data. Your personal information belongs to you. We don't sell it to advertisers or third parties—ever.
- You're in control. You can access, update, or delete your information anytime.
Privacy Notice
This Privacy Notice applies to KindnessGuild.com, our community platform, volunteer programs, online challenges, in-person events, and any other services we offer (collectively, "KindnessGuild").
America Smiles, is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on kindness, community, and connection.
By using KindnessGuild, you're accepting the practices described here. If you have questions, we're happy to help just reach out through the contact form below.
Information We Collect
Depending on how you use KindnessGuild, we may collect:
- Account information — Your name, email, postal address, phone number, and profile details
- Content you share — Projects, discussion posts, photos from events, videos, or other contributions
- Event participation — Information collected if you attend or register for in-person or online events
- Device information — Your browser type, operating system, device ID, and IP address
- Usage data — How you interact with our platform (which pages you visit, how long you stay, what features you use)
- Identification documents — Only when required for specific programs or legal compliance
A note about public participation: Some of KindnessGuild is designed to be social. When you share a project, post in our forum, or participate in a challenge, others in our community may see that activity. We encourage you to be thoughtful about what you share publicly.
How We Collect Information
When you tell us: You provide information when you create an account, register for events, upload projects, or participate in discussions.
When you use our services: We automatically collect certain information using cookies and similar technologies. This helps us remember your preferences, understand what's working, and improve your experience.
From events: When we host in-person events, we may photograph or record them for educational purposes. These materials help us document our work and share what's happening in our community.
How We Use Your Information
We use what you share to:
- Provide our services — Run programs, manage accounts, and deliver the experiences you sign up for
- Improve KindnessGuild — Understand how people use our platform so we can make it better
- Keep everyone safe — Prevent fraud, detect abuse, and enforce our Code of Conduct
- Connect with you — Send updates about programs, events, or important information (you can opt out anytime)
- Meet legal obligations — Comply with laws and respond to lawful requests from authorities
- Track your progress — Help you see your achievements in programs, and volunteer work
How We Share Your Information
We only share your information when we need to:
Service providers — We work with trusted partners (payment processors, hosting companies, communication platforms) to help us operate. They access only the information needed for their specific job.
Safety and legal — We may disclose information to protect our community, prevent fraud, or respond to legal requests from authorities.
Third-party services — If you connect your KindnessGuild account to another service (like GitHub or our Community platform), you're authorizing us to share information needed to make that connection work.
Extensions and integrations — If you use third-party tools or integrations with KindnessGuild, those services have their own privacy policies. We're not responsible for them.
Analytics partners — We work with partners who help us understand platform usage. They may set cookies to measure how people interact with KindnessGuild, but we don't sell your personal information to them.
Keeping Your Information Safe
We take security seriously. We use industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your data. While no system is perfect, we continuously improve our infrastructure and practices to keep your information safe.
If you ever believe your information has been compromised, please let us know immediately.
Your Choices
You have control over your information:
Access and update — See what we have about you and correct any inaccurate information.
Delete your data — Request removal of your personal information (we may retain what's necessary for legal compliance).
Close your account — Opt out of KindnessGuild services entirely.
Limit tracking — Some browsers support "Do Not Track" signals. We're monitoring this space and will honor these signals as standards develop.
Unsubscribe from emails — You can opt out of program updates and communications anytime.
Privacy Updates
We may update this Privacy Notice as KindnessGuild evolves or laws change. We'll always post changes here and won't make our practices less protective without your consent.
Terms & Conditions
These terms apply to all KindnessGuild programs, challenges, events, and volunteer opportunities (collectively, "KindnessGuild"). By participating, you agree to these terms.
Participating in KindnessGuild
When you join KindnessGuild, you're agreeing to follow our Code of Conduct. This applies whether you're volunteering, attending an event, or participating online.
Community Expectations
Our community platform is a place for connection and learning. Everyone agrees to:
- Treat others with kindness and respect
- Follow our Code of Conduct
- Respect community guidelines about what's appropriate
If you're banned from our community by a moderator, you agree to stop using it—including not creating alternate accounts. If you need to communicate about a ban, please don't use the community platform to do it.
Recognition & Rewards
Some challenges include potential rewards, experiences, or recognition. Here's the important part:
We intend to follow through, but we reserve the right not to. We may modify or cancel rewards, change challenge requirements, or adjust participation eligibility. This is entirely at our discretion.
If a specific reward becomes unavailable, we'll try to substitute something of similar value—but we're not required to, and we can't guarantee equal value.
Fair Participation
To keep KindnessGuild fair and focused on our mission, we may:
- Deduct points, tickets, or progress markers for Code of Conduct violations
- Refuse to issue a reward
- Bar you from a challenge or future challenges
- Take other appropriate action if your conduct conflicts with our Code of Conduct or mission
If you're banned from a challenge, that decision is final within our discretion.
Your Responsibilities
When you participate in KindnessGuild:
- You agree to the terms fully
- You're responsible for your own conduct
- You won't defraud KindnessGuild or misrepresent your work
- You understand participation is voluntary and creates no employment relationship
- You understand we may cancel or modify anything about a challenge
Our Mission Comes First
Challenges are designed to advance KindnessGuild's mission—helping people learn and do good. While we hope everyone benefits, our programs aren't primarily for KindnessGuild's gain. They're for the community we're building together.
If anything conflicts with our mission or Code of Conduct, we'll make changes to protect that mission.
Changes to These Terms
We may update these terms to reflect new programs, legal changes, or better ways of doing things. Your continued participation means you accept any updates. We won't materially reduce your privacy protections without consent.
Thank you for being part of KindnessGuild. Your participation means everything to us, and we're committed to keeping this a place where you can trust us with your information, your time, and your heart.