Chicago Youth Programs Privacy Policy and SMS Terms & Conditions

Chicago Youth Programs, Inc. (“CYP,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects the privacy of the young people and families we serve, our donors, volunteers, and website visitors.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and share personal information through chicagoyouthprograms.org, our online forms, communications, donations, events, and program-related interactions. It also includes the terms governing CYP text messaging.

Additional notices and consent forms may apply to particular programs or services. This policy does not replace a healthcare provider’s notice of privacy practices, a school privacy notice, or an authorization required for health or education records.

1. Information We Collect

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

• Contact information: Names, email addresses, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, organizational affiliations, and information submitted through inquiries or subscription forms.
• Donation and event information: Donation amounts and dates, billing details, giving preferences, event registrations, and communications about your support. Payment information is collected as needed to process transactions, including through third-party payment services.
• Volunteer information: Contact details, age group, education and employment background, volunteer category, group affiliation, and information submitted during applications or onboarding.
• Participant and family information: Information provided by participants, parents, guardians, or authorized partners for enrollment and services. Depending on the program, this may include age, emergency contacts, school information, attendance, participation, progress, and information needed to support health, safety, accessibility, or service needs.
• Photographs, recordings, and stories: Images, video, audio, testimonials, or personal stories associated with CYP activities, subject to applicable permissions.
• SMS information: Mobile telephone numbers, consent and opt-out records, messaging preferences, message contents, and delivery or response information.
• Website information: IP addresses, browser and device information, pages visited, referring pages, and visit dates and times collected through server logs, cookies, or similar technologies.

We may receive information directly from you, from a parent or guardian, from service providers supporting our activities, or from schools and community partners when authorized or otherwise permitted by law.

Please do not submit Social Security numbers, payment card details, medical records, or other sensitive information through our general contact form, ordinary email, or text messaging. Contact us to arrange an appropriate way to provide information needed for a service.

2. How We Use Information

We use personal information to:

• Respond to inquiries and communicate with participants, families, volunteers, donors, and partners.
• Administer programs, coordinate services, support participant safety, and evaluate participation and outcomes.
• Review volunteer applications, coordinate assignments, and manage volunteer relationships.
• Process donations and event registrations, issue acknowledgments and receipts, and maintain financial records.
• Send newsletters, fundraising appeals, event announcements, and other CYP updates consistent with your preferences and applicable consent requirements.
• Deliver text messages you have agreed to receive, respond to SMS inquiries, maintain consent records, and honor opt-out requests.
• Operate, maintain, secure, and improve our website and services.
• Prevent misuse and meet legal, accounting, grant, and reporting obligations.

We may use aggregated or de-identified information to describe our work and report outcomes when that information does not reasonably identify an individual.

3. How We Share Information

We do not sell, rent, or lease personal information.
We may share information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: With providers supporting website hosting, donation processing, communications, applications, events, recordkeeping, online learning, and program services. We limit disclosures to information appropriate for the service and seek appropriate confidentiality and security protections.
• Program delivery: With authorized staff, volunteers, schools, healthcare providers, or community partners when needed to coordinate services or protect participant safety, with consent where required.
• With permission: When you, or an authorized parent or guardian where appropriate, authorize a disclosure.
• Legal and safety needs: When required by law, subpoena, court order, or mandatory reporting obligations, or when reasonably necessary to address suspected abuse, fraud, security incidents, threats to safety, or the protection of legal rights.

Reports to funders and the public ordinarily use aggregated or de-identified information. Identifiable information shared for a grant, evaluation, or partner requirement is subject to applicable law and any required authorization.

SMS consent is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
We do not sell, rent, release, or transfer mobile numbers, SMS opt-in data, or SMS consent to third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. General information-sharing provisions elsewhere in this policy do not authorize such sharing.
We may disclose information needed to deliver and support CYP messages to messaging service providers acting on our behalf, subject to restrictions on independent use, or as required by law.

4. Donor Privacy

We use donor information to process gifts, maintain accurate records, acknowledge support, and communicate about CYP.

We keep individual donor identities confidential. We do not sell, rent, or lease donor information, solicit donations for other organizations, or distribute mailings on their behalf. Corporate and foundation donor recognition is published only with the donor’s consent and in accordance with its instructions.

Payment card information is used for donation or payment processing and is not retained by CYP for other purposes. Payment providers handle information under their own terms and privacy notices.

Donors may contact us to stop fundraising communications or update their preferences. We may retain transaction records for accounting, tax, and other legal purposes.

5. Children’s and Family Privacy

Serving young people is central to CYP’s mission. Parents and guardians should manage enrollment and consent for children who cannot provide legally valid consent themselves. Children under 13 should not independently submit personal information through our general website contact or newsletter forms.

When a program involves collecting personal information online directly from children under 13, we provide appropriate notice and obtain parental or guardian permission where required before collection. This policy does not substitute for required program-specific notices or consent.

A parent or guardian may contact us to:

• Ask about information we maintain about their child.
• Request access to or correction of that information.
• Request deletion of information.
• Withdraw permission for future collection or use.

We may verify identity and authority before acting. Some information must be retained for legal, safety, or recordkeeping reasons. Withdrawing information necessary for a service may affect our ability to provide that service.

If you believe a child has submitted information without appropriate authorization, please contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

6. Photographs, Videos, and Participant Stories

We obtain appropriate permission before using identifiable participant photographs, recordings, or personal stories in public promotional materials, including permission from a parent or guardian when required. Participation in a program does not, by itself, authorize public promotional use.

You may contact us to ask about a release or withdraw permission for future promotional use. We will explain what we can remove or stop using. We may be unable to retrieve printed materials already distributed or copies shared by others.

7. Cookies and Third-Party Services

Cookies and similar technologies may support website functions, preferences, security, usage measurement, or embedded content.

You can use your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Some features may not work correctly if cookies are disabled.

Our website links to or uses services such as Zeffy for donations, Constant Contact for email subscriptions, Google Forms for volunteer applications, and the CYP student/parent portal hosted by Instructure. It also includes social media links or content.

These providers may collect information under their own privacy notices as well as provide services to CYP. Review the relevant provider’s notice before submitting information or using its features. This policy governs CYP’s practices and does not govern another organization’s independent use of information.

8. Your Choices and Privacy Requests

You may unsubscribe from promotional emails using the unsubscribe link in those messages or contact us to update your preferences. To stop fundraising mail or other optional communications, contact us using the details below.

We may still send necessary transaction, safety, or program administration messages through appropriate channels. SMS opt-outs are handled under Section 10; this provision does not authorize continued texts after withdrawal of SMS consent.

You may ask to access, correct, or delete personal information we maintain about you. We review requests in accordance with applicable law and recordkeeping obligations.

We may request information needed to verify your identity or authority. Some requests may be limited by legal requirements or the privacy and safety of others. Please do not include sensitive documents in your initial request.

Additional rights may apply depending on your location and the laws that apply to CYP.

9. Information Security and Retention

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information. No website, transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

We retain information for the purposes described in this policy and in accordance with our record retention policy, applicable legal and grant requirements, and litigation, audit, or investigation holds.

Retention depends on the type of record, the services involved, and our obligations. When information is no longer needed and retention is not required, we take steps to securely delete, destroy, or de-identify it.

10. SMS Terms & Conditions

Program Name
Chicago Youth Programs SMS Communications.

Consent and Enrollment
To opt in, complete the SMS consent step provided by CYP when enrolling in its text messaging program.

By affirmatively opting in, you agree to receive the types of text messages disclosed at enrollment from Chicago Youth Programs, Inc. at the mobile number you provide.

Messages may be sent using automated technology where applicable.

Simply providing a telephone number, making a donation, submitting a volunteer application, or visiting our website does not by itself enroll you in promotional texts.

Consent to receive text messages is voluntary and is not a condition of donating, purchasing, volunteering, or receiving CYP services.

Types of Messages
Depending on your enrollment choices, messages may include:

• Program schedules, updates, cancellations, and changes.
• Appointment and activity reminders.
• Participant and family follow-up.
• Volunteer application, onboarding, and scheduling communications.
• Event announcements and registration updates.
• Fundraising appeals and promotional messages, only when you separately opt in to receive those messages.

Consent to program reminders does not constitute consent to fundraising texts.

Message Frequency and Rates
Message frequency varies based on your interactions with CYP and the messaging program you join.

Message and data rates may apply.
Contact your wireless provider for information about your plan and applicable charges.

Opt-Out Instructions
You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to a CYP text message.
You may also request that texts stop by emailing info@chicagoyouthprograms.org, calling (773) 924-0220, or otherwise clearly communicating your request.

We honor reasonable requests to withdraw SMS consent. You may receive one non-promotional text confirming your opt-out. After that, no further texts will be sent unless you opt in again.

We may retain limited consent and suppression records to document and honor your request.

Help and Support
For assistance, reply HELP to a CYP text message, email info@chicagoyouthprograms.org, or call (773) 924-0220.

Use the reply function on the message you received for STOP or HELP. The office telephone number above is a support contact and is not identified as an SMS enrollment number.

Mobile Number and Authorization
Provide a mobile number you own or are authorized to use. Notify us if you change or give up that number.

For youth participation, any required parental or guardian permission must be obtained. SMS enrollment does not replace program-specific permissions.

Message Delivery
Message delivery depends on wireless providers and network availability and is not guaranteed. Wireless carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Text messaging is not an emergency service. Do not send medical records, payment card details, or other sensitive personal information by text.

SMS Privacy
SMS consent is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
Mobile numbers, SMS opt-in data, and consent records are not sold, rented, or shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.

Information may be provided to messaging service providers solely to operate and support CYP communications, subject to restrictions on independent use, or as required by law.

The privacy protections described throughout this policy also apply to CYP’s SMS communications.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as our services and practices change. We will post the updated policy on our website and revise the effective date.

For material changes, we will provide additional notice and obtain consent where required by law.

12. Contact Us

For privacy questions, SMS support, communication preferences, or requests concerning your personal information, contact:

Chicago Youth Programs, Inc.
Attention: Privacy Inquiry
5350 S. Prairie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60615

Email: info@chicagoyouthprograms.org
Telephone: (773) 924-0220
Website: chicagoyouthprograms.org