Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

The Community Development Initiative ("CDI", "we", "us") is a faith-centered community stabilization ministry under the leadership of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Newellton, Louisiana. This policy explains how we handle information collected through our website, donor portal, and program enrollment workflows.

2. Information we collect

• Contact information you provide on forms (name, email, phone, organization).
• Program participant information (student name, guardian, grade, attendance, progress notes) entered by authorized staff.
• Donor information (name, email, organization, gift amount, designation, payment method) recorded manually by staff for stewardship and reporting.
• Account information (email, hashed password, role) for staff and donor portal users.
• Technical data (IP address, browser, pages visited) collected automatically through standard server logs.

3. How we use information

• Deliver our Excell, STAR, Pathway, and Spiritual Readiness programs.
• Communicate with families, donors, partners, and volunteers.
• Acknowledge gifts, issue receipts, and report on grant and donor outcomes.
• Maintain security, prevent fraud, and comply with legal obligations.

4. Children's privacy (FERPA-aligned)

Information about minors enrolled in our programs is treated as confidential education-related information. We collect it only with guardian consent, share it only with staff who need it to serve the child, and never sell it. Guardians may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their child's records by contacting us.

5. Donor information

CDI does not process payments through this website. Donations shown in our portal are entered manually by staff for transparency and reporting. We do not store credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or other payment credentials. Donor identities are kept confidential and never sold or rented.

6. How we share information

We share information only with: (a) authorized CDI staff and volunteers, (b) trusted service providers that host our website and database under confidentiality obligations, (c) auditors, funders, or government agencies when required for compliance, and (d) law enforcement when legally compelled. We never sell personal information.

7. Cookies and analytics

We use a minimal set of first-party cookies to keep you signed in and to remember basic preferences. We may use privacy-respecting analytics to understand site usage in aggregate. You can disable cookies in your browser; some portal features will not work without them.

8. Data security

We protect information using role-based access controls, row-level security in our database, encryption in transit, and regular review of staff permissions. No system is perfectly secure; please use a strong, unique password for your account.

9. Your rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information by contacting us. We respond to verified requests within a reasonable timeframe, subject to recordkeeping obligations for charitable contributions and grant reporting.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our programs and tools evolve. Material changes will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.

11. Contact

Community Development Initiative · St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church · Newellton, Louisiana · Contact us.