Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Mercy Works Department (ZTF Foundation) ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at https://mercyworks.site and any of its sub-pages.

Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please discontinue use of our site.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when:

• Submitting a contact form (name, email address, phone number, message)
• Subscribing to our newsletter (email address, optional name)
• Applying to volunteer (name, contact details, skills, availability)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information including:

• IP address and general geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring URLs
• Device type and operating system

This information is collected through cookies, log files, and similar tracking technologies.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiries and messages
• Send newsletters and ministry updates (only with your consent)
• Process volunteer applications
• Improve our website and user experience
• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect the security and integrity of our platform

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For individuals in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent — for newsletter subscriptions and optional data collection
• Contract — when processing is necessary to respond to your request or application
• Legitimate interests — for website analytics and security purposes
• Legal obligation — where required by applicable law

5. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device. We use cookies to remember your language preference and maintain session security. You may disable cookies through your browser settings; however, some features of the website may not function correctly without them.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process data on our behalf:

• Supabase — database and file storage (GDPR-compliant)
• Hostinger — web hosting provider
• Google reCAPTCHA — spam prevention on contact forms
• YouTube — embedded video content (subject to Google's Privacy Policy)
• WhatsApp — optional direct messaging link

These services have their own privacy policies and data protection agreements. We encourage you to review them.

7. Data Retention

• Contact form submissions — retained for 24 months, then deleted or anonymised
• Newsletter subscriptions — retained until you unsubscribe
• Analytics data — retained in aggregated, anonymised form

8. Your Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the EEA, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification — request correction of inaccurate data
• Erasure — request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Restriction — request we limit how we use your data
• Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent — at any time for processing based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@mercyworks-ztff.org. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including HTTPS encryption, secure database storage, and restricted access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

11. International Transfers

Your data may be stored and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using our website, you consent to such transfers. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for cross-border data transfers.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the website after any change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact: