Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 30, 2025

  1. Overview

At Find a Grocery Buddy (“we,” “us,” or “our”), your privacy and security are important to us.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit findagrocerybuddy.com, submit an application for grocery assistance, or make a donation.

We are committed to maintaining transparency, protecting sensitive information, and never selling or sharing your data with advertisers or third parties.

  1. Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways:

  1. Information You Provide

When you use our site, you may provide:

  • Name and contact information (such as email and ZIP code)
  • Application details (for recipients), including Instacart share links, grocery preferences, and proof-of-need documents
  • Donation details (for donors), such as payment confirmations or order preferences
  • Optional testimonials or submissions for our Impact Gallery

All uploaded documents are reviewed by our verification team and securely deleted after verification.

  1. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our site, we may collect:

  • Browser type and version
  • Device type (mobile or desktop)
  • IP address (for fraud prevention and security)
  • Site analytics and usage data

This data is aggregated and used only to improve our site performance and security.

  1. Information from Payment Processors

All payments are handled through PayPal.
We do not collect or store your full credit card number or banking details.
PayPal provides us only with transaction confirmation data necessary to verify that your payment was successful.

You can review PayPal’s own Privacy Policy here:
https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/privacy-full

  1. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Verify applications for assistance
  • Process and confirm donations
  • Place grocery orders through Instacart on behalf of donors
  • Communicate order updates and confirmations
  • Maintain compliance and fraud prevention systems
  • Improve our services and user experience

We may also use aggregated, non-identifiable data for reporting overall impact (e.g., “number of orders delivered this month”).
Personal details are never shared in these reports.

  1. How We Protect Your Information

We implement technical, physical, and administrative safeguards including:

  • SSL/TLS encryption across our website
  • Secure document storage with limited internal access
  • Automatic deletion of verification uploads after approval
  • Secure PayPal transaction processing

We do not store or retain full payment details or Instacart account credentials.

  1. Sharing of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
We only share limited data when necessary to perform core functions:

Purpose

Shared With

Description

Payment Processing

PayPal

To process secure transactions

Grocery Fulfillment

Instacart

For order placement and delivery

Legal Compliance

Authorities (if required)

To comply with applicable laws or prevent fraud

All third-party partners maintain their own privacy and security standards.

  1. Data Retention
  • Recipient application records: retained for up to 90 days after fulfillment
  • Donor transaction confirmations: retained for tax and reporting purposes for up to 2 years
  • Verification documents: deleted immediately after approval

We only retain what’s necessary for transparency, audits, and service integrity.

  1. Cookies and Tracking

We use limited first-party cookies to:

  • Keep your session active while filling out forms
  • Remember form progress during application or donation checkout
  • Track anonymous usage analytics

We do not use third-party advertising or retargeting cookies.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.

  1. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

  • Request a copy of your personal information
  • Request correction or deletion of your data
  • Withdraw consent for processing

To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected].
We’ll respond within 30 days.

  1. Children’s Privacy

We do not knowingly collect or store information from children under 13 years of age.
If we learn that a child has submitted personal information, we will delete it promptly.

  1. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to external services like PayPal or Instacart.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party websites.
We encourage users to review their respective privacy policies before submitting any personal information.

  1. Updates to This Policy

We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect new features or legal requirements.
Changes will be posted here with a revised effective date.
Significant updates will be communicated via a notice on our homepage or by email (if applicable).

  1. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or concerns, please contact:

[email protected]
[email protected]

We’re here to help and will respond as quickly as possible.