Privacy Policy

Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative • Governorsinitiative.org

Effective Date: July 16, 2026 Last Updated: July 16, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative ("GFBCI," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information in connection with Governorsinitiative.org (the "Site"), the website of GFBCI.

By using the Site, you agree to this Privacy Policy and to our Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

1. Scope of This Policy

This Policy applies to information collected through the public Governorsinitiative.org website — for example, when you browse the Site, complete a contact or interest form, subscribe to our Tenn in Ten newsletter or other communications, submit a story or partnership proposal, or otherwise communicate with us through the Site.

This Policy does not govern information collected through GFBCI's initiative websites — such as everychildtn.org, flourishtn.org, mentortn.org, and feedtn.org — each of which is governed by its own privacy policy. It also does not govern information collected when individuals or families receive services connected to GFBCI's initiatives. Please see Section 2 below for important information about how program information is handled.

2. Important Note About Program Information

GFBCI builds partnerships; it does not itself provide direct services through this Site. Individuals and families connected to GFBCI's initiatives are served through state agencies, implementation partners, and local backbone organizations — for example, foster care licensing and child welfare services through the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and its authorized providers; prison-based mentorship through the Tennessee Department of Correction and the Volunteer Mentorship Initiative's implementation partners; and whole-family support through county backbone organizations in the Human Flourishing Initiative.

Information provided in those contexts — which may include sensitive details about health, mental health, recovery, finances, housing, education, family circumstances, criminal history, or children in state custody — is collected and maintained by the relevant agency or partner organization in its own systems, governed by its own privacy notices, participation agreements, and consent processes, and handled in accordance with applicable federal and state law. It is not collected or stored by this Site.

If you are receiving, or seeking to receive, services connected to a GFBCI initiative and have questions about how your information is used, please contact the agency or partner organization serving you. The remainder of this Policy concerns only information collected through the Site.

3. Information We Collect Through the Site

Information you provide. When you complete a contact or interest form, subscribe to communications, submit a story or partnership proposal, or otherwise communicate with us through the Site, we may collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, organization or affiliation, role, county or area of interest, the way you would like to get involved, and the contents of your message or submission.

Information collected automatically. When you visit the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring pages, the pages you view, and the dates and times of your visits. This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 5).

We ask that you not submit sensitive personal information — such as health, financial, or other confidential details about yourself or others — through general contact forms on the Site.

4. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect through the Site to:

  • Respond to your inquiries, submissions, and partnership proposals, and communicate with you.
  • Send you the Tenn in Ten newsletter, dashboard updates, and other information about GFBCI and its initiatives, where you have asked to receive them.
  • Connect interested volunteers, mentors, foster parent prospects, faith communities, nonprofits, counties, and supporters with the appropriate initiative, implementation partner, backbone organization, or state agency contact.
  • Operate, maintain, evaluate, and improve the Site and our outreach.
  • Protect the security and integrity of the Site and our systems.
  • Comply with applicable law and respond to lawful requests.

5. Cookies and Analytics

The Site may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors use the Site. We may use analytics services (such as third-party web analytics providers) that collect and process information about your use of the Site to help us measure and improve performance. You can usually adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent; however, some parts of the Site may not function properly without them.

6. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information collected through the Site as follows:

  • Service providers. With vendors who perform services on our behalf — such as website hosting, email delivery, customer-relationship management, and analytics — who are authorized to use the information only to provide those services.
  • Initiative, program, and partner organizations. Where you express interest in getting involved or being connected, we may share your contact information with the relevant initiative team, implementation partner, backbone organization, or state agency contact so they can follow up with you.
  • Legal and safety. When we believe disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable law or legal process, to enforce our Terms & Conditions, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of GFBCI, our partners, or others.
  • Organizational changes. In connection with any merger, reorganization, or transfer of programs or assets, consistent with this Policy.
  • With your consent. In other circumstances where you have given us your consent to do so.

7. Third-Party Services and Links

The Site may contain links to, or integrate services from, third parties, including initiative websites, state agencies, implementation partners, backbone organizations, social media platforms, and analytics providers. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites or services you visit or use.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information collected through the Site against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain information collected through the Site for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, to respond to your inquiries, to maintain appropriate records, and to comply with our legal obligations. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify it.

10. Your Choices

You may choose not to provide certain information, though this may limit our ability to respond to you. If you receive email communications from us — including Tenn in Ten — you may opt out by following the unsubscribe instructions in those messages or by contacting us using the information below. You may also contact us to ask about the information we hold about you from your interactions with the Site, or to request that we correct or delete it, and we will respond consistent with applicable law.

11. Children's Privacy

The Site is intended for adults and is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the Site, please contact us so we can take appropriate steps to remove it. Information about children and families served through GFBCI's initiatives is handled by the relevant state agencies and partner organizations with the appropriate consents and legal protections, as described in Section 2.

12. Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" signal. Because there is not yet a common industry standard for how to respond to these signals, the Site does not currently respond to them differently. We will continue to monitor developments in this area.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date above. Changes are effective when posted to the Site. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our information practices, please contact us:

Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue North, 22nd Floor Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Email: staff@governorsinitiative.org Website: https://www.governorsinitiative.org