Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
LH Social Co, Inc. (“Lighthouse” or “we”) is a software platform designed to facilitate collaboration, resource-sharing, and strategic partnerships among nonprofit organizations, businesses, and local municipalities. Through Lighthouse, nonprofit leaders can develop connections, share surplus resources, and engage in meaningful partnerships, while businesses can donate goods, track their impact, and support local nonprofit initiatives.
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Lighthouse is accessible via thelocallighthouse.com (our “Website”), where users can search for and interact with 501(c)(3) organizations, municipalities, and participating businesses. In providing social impact as a service, we respect your right to privacy and are committed to protecting your personal and organizational information, including personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), and financial data related to resource transactions.
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As a Public Benefit Corporation, we uphold the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This Privacy Policy ("Policy") details the information we collect from nonprofits, businesses, and other visitors who engage with our platform. This Policy also describes how we use and protect this information, including how Lighthouse tracks resource reallocation to assess community-wide impact.
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This Privacy Policy is a companion document to our User Agreement, outlining additional details on business participation, invoicing for successful resource exchanges, and compliance with Lighthouse service fees.
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1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information We Collect Directly From You
Lighthouse allows users to create accounts for certified 501(c)(3) nonprofits, local municipalities, and businesses participating in the resource exchange program. After an account is created, Lighthouse reserves the right to collect the following information:
For Nonprofit & Municipal Organization Accounts:
Name
EIN
Location & Service Area (if serving beyond a singular address)
Keywords tied to the account & the category an organization belongs within
For Business Accounts:
Business Name
Business Email
Business Address
EIN or Tax ID (if applicable)
FMV (Fair Market Value) assigned to resources listed for donation
Transaction history, including posted and successfully reallocated resources
Recipient nonprofit(s) that receive resources through the Lighthouse platform
For the Individual Creating the Account:
Name
Email
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For Billing Purposes:
Nonprofit: When an organization upgrades to our Pro Membership, payment method used for transaction processing (stored securely by our payment processor)
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Business:​ For business users, payment details are not collected upfront. Instead, invoices are generated after a successful resource transfer, charging the 2.1% fee based on the FMV of successfully reallocated goods. Payments are processed through our third-party payment provider, Stripe.
1.2 Messaging & Help Center
If you contact customer support through on-site messaging, email, or over the phone, the information provided will be used solely to support your questions and to improve/update the information on Lighthouse. This information will be stored anonymously.
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1.3 Information We Collect Through Your Use of Our Website
Lighthouse tracks user activity on the platform, including actions taken within the resource exchange program. This includes:
When a business posts a resource for donation
When a nonprofit claims a business's resource
When a resource is successfully reallocated
When an invoice is generated for a business user
When a business makes or misses a service fee payment
When a business completes an exchange outside of Lighthouse after being introduced via the platform (Non-Circumvention Tracking)
Where resources are relocated (recipient nonprofit, location, and category of goods transferred)
Resource Relocation Tracking & Data Retention
Lighthouse maintains indefinite records of where donated resources are reallocated in order to:
Understand resource distribution trends at a macro level
Analyze gaps and overlaps in community support to improve efficiency
Strengthen partnerships between businesses and nonprofits by providing insights into impact
This data will be used solely for community impact analysis and reporting, and individual business donation records will not be shared publicly without consent.
2. How We Use Your Data
2.1 Data Collected From General Use of Services & Lighthouse Features
Lighthouse collects user profile data to:
Notify users of potential connections with nonprofits or businesses
Track the movement of donated resources to improve community-wide efficiency
Ensure businesses are billed properly for reallocated resources
2.2 Data for Communications
We will contact you through:
Email
Notices posted on Lighthouse
Messages to your Lighthouse inbox
Business users may also receive:
Invoices for successfully transferred resources
Payment reminders and service fee updates
Non-Circumvention violation notices if applicable
2.3 Data for Research and Development
Lighthouse collects both nonprofit and business user data to conduct research and develop platform features. For businesses, this includes analyzing market trends in nonprofit donations, FMV reporting, and service fee compliance. Additionally, resource relocation data will be analyzed holistically to:
Identify which geographic areas are receiving or lacking donated resources
Strengthen partnerships between businesses and nonprofits to encourage more effective allocation of goods
Ensure efficiency in resource distribution to maximize nonprofit impact
2.4 Data Used for Analytics
Lighthouse uses anonymized transaction data to generate community-wide impact reports. This includes:
Tracking total volume and FMV of reallocated resources
Assessing whether certain regions are underserved
Highlighting success stories in resource-sharing efficiency
This aggregated data is used internally to improve platform services and will only be shared in a de-identified, anonymized format.
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2.5 Data for Investigative & Security Purposes
Lighthouse uses data to:
Investigate misrepresented FMV claims
Identify attempts to complete resource exchanges outside of Lighthouse to bypass fees
Detect fraud, unlawful activity, or improper business practices
3. Sharing Your Information
3.1 Service Providers
Some of the services available on Lighthouse may be completed with the help of outside providers (e.g., customer service, maintenance, analysis, fraud detection, marketing, and development). These providers may have access to certain business-related information as necessary to complete their work on our behalf.
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3.2 Legal Purposes/Compliance Protection
We may preserve or disclose business information if required for:
Compliance with laws or legal requests
Addressing fraud or security concerns
Enforcing non-circumvention and service fee policies, including disclosing unpaid invoices to collections agencies
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3.3 Non-Circumvention Monitoring & Fee Compliance
If a business completes a resource exchange outside of Lighthouse after being introduced through the platform, we reserve the right to:
Issue an immediate invoice for the unpaid service fee
Restrict the business’s ability to post further resources
Report unresolved payment issues to third-party collection agencies
Additionally, data on where resources were ultimately reallocated will be retained indefinitely for impact reporting and compliance purposes.
4. How Long We Keep Your Information
Lighthouse retains data as long as your account is active. For business users, we will also retain:
Transaction and invoice history for financial reporting and audits
Records of reallocated resources to analyze community impact
Non-Circumvention violations for enforcement purposes
Unpaid service fees until full resolution
5. Control Over Your Information
Business users can access and edit their basic information directly through their profile page. However, past transaction records, FMV claims, and invoice data may not be deleted if required for compliance purposes.
If a business user deletes their account, Lighthouse will retain transaction records, unpaid invoices, and resource relocation data indefinitely for reporting and compliance.