Privacy Policy
Plain-English summary of what we collect, how we protect it, and the extra confidentiality rules we follow as a domestic-violence service provider.
01. Overview
Rainbow Services, Ltd. collects as little information as possible to operate this website and serve our community. We never sell personal data, not to advertisers, not to data brokers, not to anyone. We never share it for purposes you wouldn't expect.
As a domestic-violence service provider, we are also bound by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) confidentiality requirements, which are stricter than standard privacy law. Those rules are detailed in Section 04.
02. What we collect
A. What you give us directly
- Contact form submissions (name, email, message)
- Donation details processed through Stripe (we do not store your card number)
- Volunteer applications
- Newsletter sign-up email address (only when you opt in)
B. What your browser sends automatically
- IP address (used at city level for aggregate analytics only, never individually tracked)
- Browser type and operating system
- Pages viewed and time on site (anonymized)
- Referring URL
03. How we use it
We use information you provide to:
- Respond to your messages and requests
- Process and acknowledge donations
- Send newsletters to subscribers who have opted in
- Operate and improve this website
- Produce aggregate, anonymized traffic reports
We do not use your information to build marketing profiles, serve targeted advertising, or share with ad networks. Full stop.
04. Confidentiality under California and federal law
VAWA confidentiality goes beyond standard privacy law in specific ways. We explain those below.
Survivor information at Rainbow Services is protected by multiple overlapping confidentiality frameworks. Which framework applies depends on who you spoke with and in what capacity.
For hotline, shelter, case management, and support group staff (non-legal)
Rainbow's non-legal staff are bound by the Domestic Violence Counselor privilege under California Evidence Code §1037.1. This privilege protects confidential communications between survivors and trained DV counselors. The protection is robust but not absolute: in narrow circumstances, a court may compel disclosure. When that happens, the judge, not the opposing party, determines what must be released. In all such cases, Rainbow notifies legal counsel before complying.
For the legal services team (attorneys, paralegals, and supervised victim advocates)
Attorney-client communications within Rainbow's legal services team are generally protected under California Evidence Code §954 attorney-client privilege. This protection extends across the legal team, including paralegals and victim advocates working under the supervision of Rainbow's CA-licensed attorneys. Rainbow does not disclose privileged communications without authorization except where law requires otherwise or a court with proper authority orders disclosure.
For all survivor information across every program
Federal law (VAWA 34 U.S.C. §12291(b)(2)) places special confidentiality obligations on domestic-violence service providers that receive VAWA funding. These obligations apply to Rainbow Services.
In plain terms:
- We do not confirm or deny that any individual is or was receiving services from us, without that person's explicit consent.
- We do not enter survivor information into shared or government databases without written consent.
- Any data shared with funders is aggregated and de-identified: no names, no identifying details.
- When we receive a court order, we disclose only the minimum information legally required, and we notify legal counsel before complying.
05. Third parties
We use a small number of trusted vendors:
- Stripe: payment processing. Subject to Stripe's own privacy policy and PCI-DSS compliance. We never see or store your card number.
- Mailchimp: newsletter delivery, opt-in subscribers only. You can unsubscribe at any time via any email footer.
- Google Analytics GA4: anonymized site traffic. IP anonymization is enabled. We do not use Google Signals or ad personalization features.
We do not share data with data brokers, advertising networks, or law enforcement except in response to a lawful subpoena or court order (see Section 04 for VAWA limits).
07. Quick Exit & browsing safety
A Quick Exit button appears in the bottom-left corner of every page. Clicking it, or pressing Escape, takes you to a neutral page (a weather search) and clears the page from your back button where the browser allows.
Important: Quick Exit cannot delete your browser's private history. If someone else has access to the device, take these additional steps:
- Use your browser's incognito or private mode before visiting this site.
- Clear your full browsing history: Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac).
- If you suspect monitoring or tracking software on your device, use a library computer or a trusted friend's phone.
08. Children's privacy
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through this website.
If you are a minor seeking help or safety information, please call our 24/7 hotline directly: 310-547-9343. A trained advocate will assist you confidentially.
09. Your rights (CCPA / CPRA)
California residents have the following rights under CCPA/CPRA:
- Right to know: request a summary of what personal information we hold about you.
- Right to deletion: request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal exceptions.
- Right to correction: request that we correct inaccurate information.
- Right to opt out of sale/sharing: we do not sell or share your data for advertising, so this right is effectively always satisfied.
- Non-discrimination: we will never discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
To exercise your rights, email communications@rainbowservicesdv.org. We will respond within 45 days.
Note: VAWA confidentiality requirements may limit our ability to fulfill requests involving survivor service records. In those cases, we will explain what we can and cannot provide.
10. Retention & deletion
- Contact form submissions: retained for 24 months, then securely deleted.
- Donor records: retained for 7 years per IRS requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations.
- Site access logs: retained for 90 days.
- Service records: retained per VAWA requirements and grant agreements, which vary by program.
11. Contact
Privacy questions and rights requests:
- Email: communications@rainbowservicesdv.org
- General inquiries: communications@rainbowservicesdv.org
- Mail: Rainbow Services Ltd., 453 W. 7th St., San Pedro, CA 90731