HomeAid America Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 5, 2026

HomeAid America, Inc. ("HomeAid," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who interacts with us — donors, volunteers, event guests, job applicants, employees, individuals seeking help, and visitors to homeaid.org (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to you.

This Policy applies to HomeAid America, Inc. and the homeaid.org website. HomeAid operates through a network of local Affiliates across the country; some Affiliates maintain their own websites and may have separate privacy practices. Please refer to the applicable Affiliate's site for information about how that Affiliate handles your data.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Donor information: name, mailing address, phone number, email address, donation amount, payment details (processed by our payment processor — see "Donation Processing" below), and any comments you share with a gift.

  • Volunteer and event information: name, contact details, event registration details, and emergency contact information where applicable.

  • Newsletter and mailing list sign-ups: name and email address.

  • Contact form and general inquiries: name, email, phone number, and the content of your message.

  • "Need Help" submissions: information you choose to share when reaching out about housing assistance or related services. This information can be sensitive, and we handle it with particular care — see "How We Handle Need Help Submissions" below.

  • Job applications: resume, cover letter, contact information, and any other information you submit through our Careers page.

  • Employee information: collected separately through internal HR systems and the Employee Portal, and governed by our internal employee privacy practices in addition to this Policy.

  • Text messaging (SMS): phone number and consent status if you opt in to receive text messages from us.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we and our service providers automatically collect certain information through cookies and similar tracking technologies, including:

  • IP address, browser type, device type, and operating system

  • Pages viewed, time spent on pages, referring/exit pages, and general usage patterns

  • Approximate location derived from IP address

Information From Third Parties

  • Donation processing: When you donate online, your transaction is completed through GiveSmart, our third-party donation platform. GiveSmart processes your payment information directly; HomeAid does not store or have access to your full credit card or bank account details.

  • Social media: If you interact with HomeAid on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube, those platforms may share limited information with us in accordance with their own privacy policies.

  • Matching gifts and workplace giving: If your employer or a matching-gift program submits a donation on your behalf, we may receive your name and contact information from that employer or program.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, understand how it's used, and support our fundraising and outreach efforts. These generally fall into the following categories:

Strictly Necessary Cookies — Required for the Site to function (e.g., page load, security, remembering basic settings). These cannot be disabled without affecting Site functionality.

Analytics Cookies — Help us understand how visitors use the Site (e.g., pages visited, time on site) so we can improve content and navigation.

Advertising and Social Media Cookies — Including tools such as the Meta (Facebook) Pixel, which help us understand the effectiveness of our outreach and, where applicable, show HomeAid-related content on social platforms. These may be set by third parties and are subject to those parties' own privacy policies.

Embedded Third-Party Content — Pages on our Site may embed content from services such as YouTube (video), Issuu (our Annual Report), and StoreRocket (our affiliate/store locator). These services may set their own cookies or collect usage data when you interact with embedded content, governed by their respective privacy policies, not this one.

Your Cookie Choices — Most browsers let you block or delete cookies through their settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect how parts of the Site function. Where required by law, we will provide additional cookie consent controls.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Process and acknowledge donations, and issue tax receipts

  • Communicate with donors, volunteers, and supporters about our mission, impact, events, and opportunities to give or get involved

  • Respond to inquiries submitted through our contact form or Need Help page

  • Evaluate job applications and manage employment relationships

  • Operate, secure, and improve the Site

  • Understand engagement with our content and outreach so we can serve our community more effectively

  • Comply with applicable tax, legal, and regulatory requirements (for example, IRS recordkeeping requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations)

Our Donor Privacy Commitments

HomeAid America, Inc. will never sell, trade, or rent the names, email addresses, postal addresses, or phone numbers of our donors. If a donor's name is released for public recognition (for example, on our website or in printed materials), we will remove that name from public listing at any time upon the donor's request.

Tax laws in the United States and the State of California require us to retain donor contact information and contribution records. We use donor contact information solely to:

  • Distribute donation receipts

  • Thank donors for their support

  • Inform donors of upcoming activities and events

  • Conduct internal analysis and recordkeeping

If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, contact us using the information below and we will honor your request.

How We Handle "Need Help" Submissions

Information submitted through our Need Help page may relate to housing insecurity or other sensitive personal circumstances. We access this information only as needed to respond to your inquiry or connect you with an appropriate Affiliate or resource, and we do not use it for fundraising or marketing purposes without your consent.

Job Applicants

Information submitted through our Careers page is used to evaluate your application and, if applicable, to facilitate employment with HomeAid. We retain applicant information for as long as reasonably necessary to evaluate your candidacy and comply with recordkeeping obligations.

Text Messaging (SMS)

If you opt in to receive text messages from HomeAid, we collect your phone number and consent status for that purpose. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out at any time by following the instructions provided in our messages (for example, replying STOP). Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with third parties for their own marketing purposes, and will only be shared with third parties as necessary to deliver the service or as required by law

How We Share Information

We do not sell personal information. We may share information with:

  • Service providers who perform functions on our behalf, such as our donation processor (GiveSmart), website host (Squarespace), email/newsletter platform, and event management tools — each bound to use your information only to provide services to HomeAid.

  • Local HomeAid Affiliates, where necessary to connect you with services, volunteer opportunities, or events in your area.

  • Legal and safety purposes, where required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of HomeAid, our supporters, or the public.

  • Successors, in the event of a merger, reorganization, or similar transaction involving HomeAid America, Inc.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including donor recordkeeping required by tax law, and then delete or de-identify it in accordance with our internal retention practices.

Your Choices and Rights

  • Mailing list removal: Contact us at any time to be removed from our mailing or email lists.

  • Public name removal: Donors may request removal of their name from public donor recognition at any time.

  • Cookie controls: Adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies.

  • State privacy rights: Depending on your state of residence, you may have additional rights regarding your personal information. Because HomeAid is a nonprofit organization, some state consumer privacy statutes (such as California's CCPA) may not apply to us in the same way they apply to for-profit businesses; however, we are glad to honor reasonable requests to access, correct, or delete your information where feasible. Contact us using the information below to make a request.

Children's Privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

Third-Party Links and Embedded Content

Our Site contains links to and embedded content from third-party services, including GiveSmart, YouTube, Issuu, StoreRocket, and our social media channels. This Policy does not apply to those third-party services, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Effective Date" at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be reflected on this page.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to make a request regarding your personal information, please contact us:

HomeAid America, Inc. PO Box 53156, Irvine, CA 92619 Email: info@homeaid.org Phone: (949) 777-1660