Privacy Policy

Dominion City Church Georgia ("DC Georgia", "we", "our", or "us") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization (EIN: 26-4600482) based in metro Atlanta, Georgia. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit our website at dcgeorgia.org (the "Site") or interact with us online.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you voluntarily submit to us, including:

• Contact form submissions — name, email address, phone number, and message content
• Prayer requests and ministry inquiries — any personal details you choose to include
• Event registrations — name, email, and any event-specific information requested
• Volunteer applications — name, contact details, availability, and background information
• Email newsletter subscriptions — name and email address
• Online giving / donations — name, billing address, and payment information (processed by our third-party payment processor; we do not store full payment card details)

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect:

• Log data — IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and timestamps
• Device information — device type, screen resolution, and hardware model
• Cookies and similar technologies — session identifiers, preference tokens, and analytics identifiers (see Section 5)

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive limited information about you from:

• Social media platforms when you interact with our social accounts or embedded feeds
• Payment processors (e.g., Stripe or PayPal) in connection with donation transactions
• Google Analytics and similar analytics providers that aggregate usage data

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Responding to your messages, prayer requests, and inquiries
• Registering you for events, groups, or volunteer opportunities
• Sending ministry updates, event announcements, and newsletters (only where you have opted in)
• Processing charitable donations and issuing tax receipts
• Improving, operating, and securing our Site and services
• Complying with applicable legal obligations
• Fulfilling our religious mission and ministry purposes

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

3. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers — with trusted vendors who assist us in operating our Site and ministries (e.g., email delivery platforms, payment processors, web hosting providers), under contractual obligations of confidentiality
• Ministry staff and volunteers — on a need-to-know basis to fulfil your request (e.g., passing a prayer request to a pastoral team member)
• Legal obligations — when required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of DC Georgia or others
• Organizational transfers — in the event of a merger, restructuring, or transfer of our ministry's assets, your information may be transferred with appropriate notice

We will never share sensitive personal information (such as prayer requests or health details) outside the pastoral team without your explicit consent.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required by applicable law. Specifically:

• Contact form and inquiry data is retained for up to 3 years
• Donation records are retained for 7 years in accordance with IRS and Georgia nonprofit record-keeping requirements
• Newsletter subscription data is retained until you unsubscribe
• Analytics data is retained per the default retention settings of our analytics provider (typically 26 months)

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 8).

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies, grouped into the following categories:

• Strictly necessary cookies — required for the Site to function correctly (e.g., CSRF tokens, session management, Cloudflare Turnstile bot protection, and remembering your cookie choices). These are exempt from consent and are always active.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors interact with our Site (e.g., Google Analytics 4), so we can improve it. We set these only after you allow the Analytics category (or, in regions that follow an opt-out model, unless you opt out).
• Marketing cookies — used to measure and promote our ministry through Google Ads and the Meta (Facebook) Pixel, including remarketing to people who have visited our Site. We set these only after you allow the Marketing category (or, in opt-out regions, unless you opt out). See Section 5a.
• Embedded media cookies — set by third-party platforms (e.g., YouTube) when you play videos embedded on our pages. We use YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode where possible, and these are only activated when you interact with embedded content.

Managing your choices. Where required by law (including under the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive), we obtain your affirmative, opt-in consent before placing non-essential cookies. You can accept, reject, or customize non-essential cookies at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in our Site footer, and you may withdraw consent just as easily as you gave it. Most browsers also let you refuse or delete cookies through their settings; disabling certain cookies may affect Site functionality. You can additionally opt out of Google Analytics via the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

The table below lists the main cookies and similar technologies we use. Exact names and durations set by third parties may change; categories and purposes are accurate as of the "Last Updated" date.

5a. Analytics, Advertising & Remarketing

We use the following analytics and advertising services. Where consent is required (e.g., for visitors in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland), these load only after you allow the relevant cookie category; we also use Google Consent Mode v2 so that no advertising or analytics cookies are set before your choice is made.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our Site. If Google Analytics Advertising Features are enabled, we and third-party vendors use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) together with third-party cookies (such as Google advertising cookies) to inform, optimize, and serve ads. You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Google Ads & Remarketing

We use Google Ads, including remarketing, to invite people to our services and events. Third-party vendors, including Google, show our ads on sites across the Internet. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies and/or device identifiers to serve ads based on someone's past visits to our website. You can opt out of Google's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.

Meta (Facebook) Pixel

We use the Meta Pixel to measure the effectiveness of our advertising, to build Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences, and to show relevant invitations to people on Facebook and Instagram (retargeting). Meta and other third parties use cookies and identifiers for this purpose. You can manage these through your Meta Ad Preferences and Meta Accounts Center (including Activity off Meta Technologies).

Your Advertising & Tracking Choices

In addition to our "Cookie Settings" control and the platform links above, you can opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies through these industry tools:

• Digital Advertising Alliance — YourAdChoices (mobile: AppChoices)
• European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance — Your Online Choices
• Google Ads Settings — adssettings.google.com

6. Third-Party Services and Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites and embeds from platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify. These third-party services operate under their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their data practices. We encourage you to review their policies before submitting any personal information to those platforms.

Key third-party services we use include:

• Google Analytics & Google Ads — website analytics and advertising (Google Privacy Policy)
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram) — Meta Pixel advertising and measurement (Meta Privacy Policy)
• YouTube — video hosting and embeds (Google Privacy Policy)
• Cloudflare — content delivery, security, and Turnstile bot protection on our forms (Cloudflare Privacy Policy)
• Google Maps — map embeds for our campus locations (Google Privacy Policy)
• Planning Center / Church Center — small group, event, and form management (Planning Center Privacy Policy)
• Payment processors — online giving via third-party providers (subject to their separate privacy policies)
• Email delivery platform — sending transactional and ministry emails (subject to their separate privacy policy)

7. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Our Site is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at admin@dcgeorgia.org and we will promptly delete it.

For ministry programs specifically designed for minors (such as DC Kidz or DC Youth), we collect only the information necessary to provide those programs safely, and we require parental or guardian consent before collecting any personal information from minors.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion — request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Opt-out of communications — unsubscribe from emails at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us
• Data portability — request a machine-readable copy of the information you provided to us

California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). The categories of personal information we collect are described in Section 1 above and include: identifiers (name, email, IP address); payment and financial information; internet/network activity (browsing history on our Site); geolocation data (general); and sensitive personal information (prayer requests, health information voluntarily provided).

Your rights include: right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose; right to delete; right to correct; right to limit use of sensitive personal information; and right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We will honor a 12-month lookback period for requests to know. To exercise your rights, contact us at admin@dcgeorgia.org. We will respond within 45 days (extendable by an additional 45 days with notice).

"Sale" or "Sharing" of Personal Information & Your Privacy Choices

DC Georgia does not sell your personal information for money. However, like many websites, we use advertising and analytics cookies (such as the Meta Pixel and Google Ads) that may share online identifiers and browsing activity with advertising partners. Under the CPRA and similar laws in other U.S. states (e.g., Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, and Oregon), this activity may be considered a "sale," "sharing," or "targeted advertising."

You can opt out of this activity at any time by:

• Using the "Cookie Settings" link in our Site footer to reject Marketing cookies;
• Enabling a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in your browser or extension, which we honor as a valid opt-out; or
• Using the platform and industry opt-out tools listed in Section 5a.

We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of consumers under 16 years of age. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

European Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, our legal basis for processing your personal data includes:

• Consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)) — for newsletters, analytics cookies, and non-essential communications
• Contract performance (GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)) — to process event registrations or donation transactions you initiate
• Legitimate interests (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) — for Site security, fraud prevention, and improving our services
• Legal obligation (GDPR Art. 6(1)(c)) — where required by applicable law (e.g., tax and donation records)

You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, port, and object to the processing of your personal data, and to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority (e.g., the UK ICO or an EU data protection authority). To exercise your GDPR rights, contact admin@dcgeorgia.org.

Canadian Residents (PIPEDA / Quebec Law 25)

If you are located in Canada, you have the right to access and correct the personal information we hold about you, and to withdraw consent to its use, subject to legal and contractual limits. We rely on your consent for non-essential cookies and marketing communications. To exercise these rights, contact us at admin@dcgeorgia.org.

Do Not Track & Global Privacy Control

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. Because there is no common industry standard for how to interpret DNT, our Site does not respond to DNT signals. However, we do honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) — an opt-out preference signal you can enable in supported browsers and extensions. When we detect a GPC signal, we treat it as a valid request to opt out of the "sale"/"sharing" of personal information and of targeted advertising, and we disable non-essential analytics and marketing cookies accordingly.

9. Data Security and Breach Notification

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational safeguards to protect your personal information, including:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data transmitted to and from our Site
• Access controls limiting staff access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular security reviews and vulnerability assessments
• Secure, reputable third-party hosting and payment processing providers

No data transmission or storage system is 100% secure. If you have reason to believe your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately at admin@dcgeorgia.org.

Data Breach Notification: In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and applicable regulatory authorities as required by law. Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-910 et seq.), we will provide notification without unreasonable delay when a breach of security involving your personal information has occurred. Under GDPR, we will notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours and affected individuals without undue delay where required. Notification will be sent to the email address on file or via a prominent notice on our Site.

10. CAN-SPAM and Email Communications

All marketing and ministry update emails sent by DC Georgia comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. Every email we send will:

• Accurately identify DC Georgia as the sender
• Include our physical mailing address
• Include a clear and conspicuous unsubscribe mechanism
• Honor unsubscribe requests within 10 business days

To unsubscribe from marketing emails, click the "Unsubscribe" link in any email or contact us at admin@dcgeorgia.org. Note that transactional emails (donation receipts, event confirmations) are not subject to unsubscribe requests as they are required for your requested services.

11. Georgia State Law Compliance

DC Georgia complies with applicable Georgia state privacy and consumer protection laws, including:

• Georgia Personal Identity Protection Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-910 et seq.) — governing data breach notification obligations
• Georgia Fair Business Practices Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-390 et seq.) — prohibiting unfair or deceptive trade practices
• Georgia charitable solicitation requirements — DC Georgia is registered as a charitable organization in the State of Georgia where required by law

12. Nonprofit Transparency

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, DC Georgia is required to make certain financial information available to the public. Our annual Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax) is available for public inspection upon request. To request a copy, contact us at admin@dcgeorgia.org. Copies are also available through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool.

Charitable contributions to DC Georgia are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. For donations over $75 where a benefit is provided, DC Georgia will disclose the fair market value of the benefit received as required by IRS quid pro quo rules.

13. Endorsements and Testimonials

Testimonials and stories shared on our Site reflect genuine experiences of individuals who have participated in DC Georgia's ministry. They are not compensated or incentivized. Results described in individual testimonials are not guaranteed and may vary. Any affiliation or relationship relevant to a testimonial will be disclosed in accordance with FTC guidelines.

14. Sensitive Personal Information

Prayer requests, health disclosures, family circumstances, and other sensitive information you share with us through pastoral channels are treated with the highest degree of confidentiality. This information is:

• Shared only with pastoral staff and leadership directly involved in providing care
• Never shared with third parties without your explicit consent, except where required by law (e.g., mandatory reporting obligations)
• Subject to pastoral privilege protections where applicable under Georgia law

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. For material changes, we will provide a more prominent notice (e.g., a banner on our Site or an email to subscribers). Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: