Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 8, 2026

1. Who We Are

Hold the Rope (“Hold the Rope,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a mobile application owned by Hold the Rope, LLC, and licensed to Hold the Rope Foundation, a nonprofit organization, under a Master Services Agreement. Hold the Rope Foundation operates the app, which connects churches and supporters with missionaries, ministries, and mission agencies around the world.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information when you use our website at https://www.holdtherope.com (the “Website”) and our mobile applications for iOS and Android (the “Apps”). Together, the Website and Apps are called the “Services.”

By using the Services, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services. If you have questions, contact us using the details in the “Contact Us” section below.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide to us

  • Account information: If you create an account, we collect your name, email address, password, and any profile details you choose to add, such as your church, organization, or role.
  • Contact and inquiry forms: When you use our “Get in Touch” form or contact us directly, we collect your name, email address, phone number (if provided), and the content of your message.
  • Missionary, church, and agency submissions: If you submit information to be featured on the Services, we collect the details you provide, such as names, ministry descriptions, field locations, photos, stories, prayer requests, and organizational information.
  • Email and newsletter sign-ups: If you subscribe to updates, we collect your name and email address.
  • Donations: When you give through the Services, your payment details are collected and processed directly by our payment processor, Stripe, under Stripe’s Privacy Policy (https://stripe.com/privacy). We do not store full card or bank account numbers. We receive and keep your name, email address, billing address, gift amount, date, and the missionary or project you designated, so we can process your gift, honor your designation, and send your tax receipt.
  • Comments and other content: If you comment, upload media, or post content, we collect that content along with related details such as your name and email address.

Information collected automatically

  • Device and log information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, referring pages, and the date and time of your visit.
  • Usage information: Pages and screens viewed, features used, links clicked, and time spent on the Services.
  • Cookies and similar technologies: See Section 5 for details.

Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from mission agencies, churches, or ministry partners who list or feature missionaries on the Services, and from service providers such as analytics, email, and payment providers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

  • Provide, operate, and maintain the Services, including your account
  • Connect churches and supporters with missionaries, ministries, and agencies
  • Publish missionary profiles, stories, prayer guides, and resources
  • Respond to your inquiries and support requests
  • Send updates, newsletters, and notifications you have requested (you can opt out at any time)
  • Understand how the Services are used so we can improve them
  • Process donations, direct designated gifts to the appropriate partner organization, and send tax receipts
  • Detect, prevent, and address spam, fraud, security issues, and technical problems
  • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process your personal information on the following legal bases:

  • Contract: to provide the Services and your account
  • Consent: for newsletters, push notifications, optional cookies, and location access, which you may withdraw at any time
  • Legitimate interests: to operate, secure, and improve the Services and to support our mission, where those interests are not overridden by your rights
  • Legal obligation: where we must process information to comply with the law

4. Our Mobile Apps

This policy applies to the Hold the Rope Apps available on the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). In addition to the information described above, the Apps may collect:

  • Device information: device model, operating system version, app version, language, and a device or advertising identifier.
  • App usage and diagnostics: screens viewed, features used, crash reports, and performance data, which help us fix problems and keep the Apps stable.
  • Push notification tokens: with your permission, we send notifications about missionaries, prayer needs, and updates you follow. You can turn notifications off at any time in your device settings.
  • Location: with your permission, we may use your approximate location for the app. You can turn off location access at any time in your device settings.
  • Photos and camera: with your permission, we access your camera or photo library only when you choose to upload an image.

Third-party tools in our Apps. We use service providers to operate and improve the Apps, such as Google Firebase, Firebase Crashlytics, Google Analytics for Firebase, OneSignal. These providers process information on our behalf and under their own privacy policies.

App store purchases and downloads. Downloads are handled by Apple or Google. Their handling of your information is governed by the Apple Privacy Policy and the Google Privacy Policy.

No cross-app tracking. We do not sell your information, and we do not use App data to track you across apps or websites owned by other companies.

Deleting your account. You can delete your account and associated data at any time in the App by going to this page and requesting deletion: https://app.holdtherope.com/delete-account. We will delete or anonymize your information within 30 days, except where we must keep certain records for legal, security, or administrative reasons.

5. Cookies, Analytics, and Embedded Content

Cookies

Cookies are small files stored on your device. We use:

  • Essential cookies: required for the Website to work, such as keeping you logged in. Login cookies last two days, or two weeks if you select “Remember Me.”
  • Preference cookies: remember choices such as your name and email for comments (one year) and display settings.
  • Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors use the Website.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the Website may not work properly without essential cookies.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics, through Google Site Kit, to understand how the Services are used. Google may collect information such as your IP address, device details, and pages visited. Learn more in Google’s explanation of how it uses data from sites that use its services. You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information where required by law. Because there is no common standard for “Do Not Track” browser signals, we do not currently respond to them.

Embedded content from other websites

Pages on the Services may include embedded content such as videos, maps, or articles from other websites. Embedded content behaves as if you visited the other website directly. Those websites may collect data about you, use cookies, and track your interaction with the content, especially if you are logged in to an account with them.

6. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below:

  • Service providers: companies that help us run the Services, such as website hosting, app infrastructure, analytics (Google), spam protection (Akismet by Automattic), profile images (Gravatar by Automattic), payment processing (Stripe), and customer support. They may use your information only to perform services for us.
  • Ministry partners: with your consent or at your direction, we may share your information with the missionaries, churches, or agencies you choose to connect with or support. When you designate a donation, we share your name, contact information, and gift amount with the partner organization that receives the funds so it can steward your gift.
  • Public content: information you choose to post publicly, such as comments or your profile picture next to a comment, is visible to others.
  • Legal and safety reasons: when required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Hold the Rope, our users, missionaries, or others.
  • Organizational changes: if Hold the Rope is merged, transferred, or reorganized, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.

Many missionaries serve in places where public visibility can create real risk. For that reason:

  • We publish missionary profiles only with the consent of the missionary or their sending agency.
  • We may withhold, generalize, or change names, photos, and locations to protect the people we feature.
  • Featured missionaries, churches, and agencies may ask us at any time to edit, limit, or remove their information by contacting support@holdtherope.com. We will act on security-related requests as quickly as possible.

Please do not share sensitive details about missionaries serving in restricted or high-risk areas, such as exact locations or real names, unless they have given permission.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes in this policy:

  • Account information: while your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your information within 30 days.
  • Inquiries and form submissions: up to 24 months after our last communication with you.
  • Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe.
  • Comments: retained with their metadata so we can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically, until you ask us to remove them.
  • Donation records: for at least seven years, as required for tax, accounting, and legal purposes.

We may keep certain information longer when required for legal, security, or administrative reasons.

8. How We Protect Your Information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information. These include encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, and limiting access to staff and providers who need it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. International Data Transfers

Hold the Rope is based in the United States, and our service providers may process information in the United States and other countries. Data protection laws in those countries may differ from those where you live. When we transfer personal information from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you and receive a copy in a portable format
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Delete your personal information
  • Object to or restrict certain processing
  • Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent
  • Opt out of marketing emails using the “unsubscribe” link in any email, and of push notifications in your device settings

EEA, UK, and Swiss residents may also lodge a complaint with their local data protection authority.

California and other U.S. state residents may have additional rights, including the right to know what categories of personal information we collect and disclose, and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

To make a request, email support@holdtherope.com or use the in-app account deletion option. We may need to verify your identity before responding. You may use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf. We will respond within the time required by law, usually within 30 to 45 days. Some information may be kept where we must retain it for legal, security, or administrative purposes.

11. Children’s Privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA and UK), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

The Services may link to websites and services run by others, such as mission agencies and giving platforms. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies before sharing information with them.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. If the changes are significant, we will notify you through the Services or by email before they take effect.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your privacy rights, contact us:

Hold The Rope

Website: www.holdtherope.com
Email: support@holdtherope.com