Privacy Policy

Keep Up The Hope (KUTH) Foundation (“KUTH,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit www.kuth-ng.org, use our services, donate, volunteer, or apply for our programs.

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide:

• Donors: Name, email, phone, billing address, payment information (processed securely via third-party processors; we do not store full card details), donation history.
• Beneficiaries: Name, date of birth, contact information, household composition, economic status, health information (for medical programs), educational records (for scholarship programs), photographs and stories (with explicit consent).
• Volunteers: Name, email, phone, professional qualifications, background check information, availability.
• Legal Aid Clients (Prison Inmates): Case details, incarceration facility, legal documentation, contact persons. Protected under attorney-client privilege where applicable.
• General Inquiries: Name, email, phone, message content.

Automatically Collected Information:

• IP address, browser type, device information, operating system
• Pages visited, time spent, referral sources (via cookies and analytics)
• Location data (country/region level only)

Third-Party Sources:

• Partner organizations (referrals with consent)
• Public records (for legal aid verification)
• Social media platforms (if you interact with our accounts)

2. Assistance Applications, Case Records & Volunteer Verification

Two of our services collect more sensitive information than the rest of the site: the Get Help assistance portal and volunteer verification. This section explains, in plain English, exactly what we collect through those flows, who can see it, how long we keep it, and how you can have it corrected or deleted.

Get Help assistance applications

When you apply for support, we collect the information needed to review your request and make contact, which may include:

• Your name and contact details, and a case reference we generate to identify your application.
• Identity documents and a passport photograph, where needed to confirm identity.
• Supporting documents you upload in support of your request.
• The details of your situation, which — depending on the type of help — may include medical, welfare, accommodation, education, livelihood, or legal-aid information.
• An email address used for verification, together with the one-time codes (OTPs) we send so you can securely check your case status.

You provide this information to us directly, and we use it only to assess and respond to your request, keep you updated on your case, and meet our record-keeping and safeguarding responsibilities.

Volunteer verification

When you complete volunteer verification, we collect the details needed to confirm your suitability to volunteer, which may include your identity information and uploaded documents, your areas of interest and availability, and the referee and emergency-contact informationyou provide. Please make sure you have a person's permission before giving us their contact details.

Volunteer verification is available by invitation only. When your application is shortlisted, we issue a single-use, time-limited invitation that lets you open the secure verification form. We process this invitation solely to confirm that a verification session is valid and has not expired or already been used; it is not used for marketing and does not identify you publicly.

Who can access sensitive records

Assistance applications, uploaded documents, and volunteer-verification records are treated as confidential. Access is restricted to trained KUTH staff and authorised caseworkers who need the information to review your request or verification, and to a small number of administrators responsible for maintaining the system. We do not sell this information or use it for advertising, and we do not share it beyond what is described in the “Information Sharing” section below.

How long we keep it, and secure deletion

We keep assistance and volunteer-verification records only as long as necessary to deliver support, meet safeguarding obligations, and comply with applicable Nigerian record-keeping requirements. Active assistance records are retained for the duration of the case and generally for up to 3 years afterwards; volunteer-verification records are retained for your active period plus up to 2 years. When a retention period expires, we securely delete or irreversibly anonymise the records and their uploaded documents.

Correcting or deleting your information

You can ask us to correct or delete the information you submitted through Get Help or volunteer verification. Email help@kuth-ng.org for assistance cases, or info@kuth-ng.orgfor general requests, and we will respond as set out in the “Your Rights” section. We may need to retain limited information where the law requires it.

No fees, and how to spot official messages

KUTH Foundation never charges an application, processing, or “release” fee for assistance — our support is always free. Official communication about your application comes only from verified @kuth-ng.org email addresses and links on kuth-ng.org. If anyone asks you to pay a fee, or contacts you from another address claiming to be KUTH, please treat it as fraudulent and let us know.

3. How We Use Your Information

• Process donations and issue receipts — Contractual necessity
• Deliver program services — Legitimate interest / Consent
• Communicate updates, newsletters, impact reports — Consent (withdrawable anytime)
• Recruit, onboard, and manage volunteers — Contractual necessity
• Comply with Nigerian regulatory requirements (CAC, SCUML, tax) — Legal obligation
• Improve website functionality — Legitimate interest
• Prevent fraud and ensure security — Legitimate interest
• Aggregate anonymized data for impact reporting — Legitimate interest

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use essential cookies (website functionality, security), analytics cookies (Google Analytics 4, anonymized IP, aggregated data), and preference cookies (language selection, accessibility settings). Manage via cookie banner.

5. Information Sharing

We do not sell personal information. We share with:

• Payment processors (Paystack, Flutterwave — PCI-DSS compliant, encrypted)
• Cloud service providers (GDPR-aligned contracts)
• Partner legal clinics (LAPI only, signed confidentiality)
• Regulatory bodies (legal mandate only)
• Auditors (confidentiality agreements)

International transfers outside Nigeria use standard contractual clauses.

6. Data Security

SSL/TLS encryption, role-based access controls, regular security audits, staff training, incident response (breach notification within 72 hours).

7. Data Retention

• Donation records: 7 years (Nigerian tax compliance)
• Beneficiary program records: Duration of program + 3 years
• Legal aid case files: Per Nigerian Bar Council requirements
• Volunteer records: Active period + 2 years
• Marketing consents: Until withdrawal + 1 year
• Website analytics: 26 months

8. Your Rights Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023

We handle personal data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and applicable guidance issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis for a given activity, your rights include access, rectification, erasure (subject to legal retention), restriction of processing, data portability, objection to direct marketing, and the ability to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. We rely on more than one lawful basis across our activities, so consent is not the only basis on which we process personal data.

To exercise a right, email info@kuth-ng.orgwith the subject “Data Privacy Request,” including your full name, contact details, the specific request, and proof of identity. We aim to respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

9. Children's Privacy

We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. Programs serving children collect data through guardians with consent documentation.

10. Beneficiary Story Consent

All beneficiary photos, videos, and stories are shared only with explicit, informed, revocable consent. Withdrawal stops future publication but does not affect prior lawful use.

11. Changes to This Policy

Material changes notified via email and website banner.

12. Contact