Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how GoodSam ("GoodSam", "we", "us") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the GoodSam mobile app and the goodsam.help website (together, the "Service"). By using the Service you agree to the practices described here.

About GoodSam

GoodSam is a community coordination platform that connects volunteers with foster families, elderly neighbors, veterans, and other community members in need of help with everyday tasks. We operate the platform as the controller of the personal information described below.

Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

Account information

• Name (first and last) and display name
• Email address
• Phone number (used for SMS one-time-password login)
• ZIP / postal code
• Password (stored only in hashed form by our auth provider; we never see your plaintext password)
• Account type — helper, family/seeker, or organization administrator

Optional profile information

• Profile photo or avatar emoji
• Short biography
• Categories of help you can offer or need
• Service radius preferences

Optional demographic information

To help us understand who we are reaching and improve our outreach to underserved communities, we ask (always optionally) for:

• Birth year
• Gender
• Race / ethnicity
• Disability status

Demographic information is treated as sensitive personal information. It is never displayed to other users, never used to personalize advertising, and is used only in aggregate, de-identified form for grant reporting, impact analysis, and improvement of the Service.

Location information

• Approximate location derived from the ZIP code you provide, used to surface nearby tasks and bulletin posts.
• Precise locationonly at the moment you tap "Check In" to verify arrival at a task location, and only if you have granted the app the When-In-Use location permission. Precise location is used to compute a check-in event; we do not track your location in the background.
• Distance between users is shown to other users as a rounded number of miles. Your precise coordinates are never shared with other users.

User-generated content

• Bulletin posts, task requests, comments, and messages you send
• Optional photos you attach (for example, profile photo)
• Service-hour logs and check-in records
• Reports you submit about other users or content

Background-check information (volunteers only, opt-in)

For volunteers who choose to apply for the State of Alaska Background Check Program (BCP), the app collects the demographic and residency fields shown on the BCP cover sheet (full legal name, aliases, date and place of birth, residency history, physical description, and Yes/No answers to the BCP history questions). We do not collect or transmit Social Security Numbers, Driver License Numbers, fingerprints, signatures, or written explanations of history answers — those remain handwritten by the applicant on the printed PDF that is mailed directly to the State of Alaska. GoodSam helps you prepare and submit your application; only the State of Alaska BCP makes the clearance determination.

Device and diagnostic information

• Device type, operating-system version, app version
• Push-notification token (only after you grant notification permission)
• Crash logs and basic usage events used to debug and improve the app

How we use information

• To create and operate your account, including authentication and password recovery
• To match helpers with nearby tasks and bulletin posts
• To enable messaging between users who have connected through a task or bulletin post
• To send notifications you have opted into (new messages, task updates, new posts within your radius)
• To verify volunteer arrival at task locations when you choose to check in
• To prepare background-check applications for submission to the State of Alaska BCP at your direction
• To investigate reports of abuse, safety concerns, or violations of our Terms of Service
• To produce aggregate, de-identified statistics for outreach and grant reporting
• To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities

How we share information

GoodSam does not sell or rent your personal information. We share information only in the following limited situations:

• With other users. Your display name, profile photo, help categories, approximate distance from another user, and any content you choose to post are visible to other users within the Service. Sensitive demographic information is never shown to other users.
• With service providers. We use Supabase, Inc. as our database, authentication, and storage provider. Supabase processes personal information on our behalf under a Data Processing Agreement. We may use additional providers in the future (for example, push notification delivery, email delivery, analytics) and will update this policy to disclose them.
• With the State of Alaska BCP. Only when you elect to apply for a background check, only the information you confirm on the application, and only via your own email client.
• For legal, safety, and trust reasons. We may disclose information to comply with applicable laws, lawful requests, court orders, or to protect the safety of users, the public, or our platform. Reports involving the safety of minors will be referred to appropriate authorities.
• In connection with a business transfer. If GoodSam is acquired, merged, or transferred to a successor organization, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

Your choices and rights

• Access, edit, or delete your account.You can edit your profile and demographic information at any time from the Profile screen. You can delete your account, and all data associated with it, from Profile → Privacy & Security → Delete Account. Deletion is permanent and removes your data from our active production systems.
• Notifications. You can disable any category of notification at any time from Profile → Notifications.
• Location.You can revoke the app's location permission from your device Settings at any time. The app continues to function with location disabled (some distance-based features will be limited).
• Block and report.You can block any user from a profile, chat header, or Profile → Privacy & Security → Blocked Users. You can report objectionable content or users using the in-app Report feature.
• State-specific rights. Depending on your state of residence (for example, California, Colorado, Virginia), you may have additional rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal information, and to opt out of certain uses. To exercise those rights, email support@goodsam.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request."

Data retention

We retain account information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete your profile, posts, and messages from active systems within 30 days, subject to limited exceptions for backup retention, fraud-prevention records, and information we are legally required to keep. Aggregate, de-identified statistics may be retained indefinitely as they no longer identify you.

Security

All connections between the app and our servers use industry-standard HTTPS / TLS encryption. Passwords are stored only as salted hashes by our authentication provider. Row-Level Security policies in our database restrict each user's access to their own data. No security program is perfect; we encourage you to use a strong, unique password and to report any suspected unauthorized access to support@goodsam.com.

Children

GoodSam is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact support@goodsam.com and we will remove the account and associated data.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide notice within the app. Your continued use of the Service after a change means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

For privacy-related questions or to exercise any of the rights described above or for general support, email support@goodsam.com.