Privacy Notice

Effective Date: August 14, 2026

Light Your Candle (“Light Your Candle,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the Pediatric Oncology Family Fund. We respect the privacy of the families we serve and recognize that applications may contain sensitive personal and health-related information.

This Privacy Notice explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how it may be used and shared, and the choices available to you.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect information that you voluntarily provide through our website, application forms, email, telephone conversations, or other communications.

This information may include:

• Your name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number
• Your relationship to the patient
• The number of people in your family
• Information about a patient’s diagnosis and treatment
• The names of an oncologist, treatment hospital, or social worker
• Information about the assistance being requested
• The amount of financial assistance requested
• Documents or additional details you choose to provide
• Your electronic signature, consent selections, and application date
• Communications between you and Light Your Candle

Please provide only the information requested or reasonably necessary for us to evaluate your application. Do not submit Social Security numbers, financial account passwords, complete payment-card numbers, or original medical records unless we specifically request them through an appropriate secure process.

2. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, our website host and service providers may automatically process limited technical information, such as:

• Internet Protocol address
• Browser and device type
• Operating system
• Pages visited and approximate visit times
• Referring website
• Cookie or similar technology information

We may use this information to operate, secure, maintain, and improve the website, detect misuse, and understand general website activity.

3. How We Use Information

We may use personal information to:

• Receive and review assistance applications
• Determine eligibility and evaluate requests
• Communicate with applicants
• Verify information provided in an application
• Contact an identified oncologist, hospital, social worker, vendor, or service provider when authorized or otherwise legally permitted
• Arrange, document, or administer approved assistance
• Make payments to appropriate vendors or service providers
• Prevent fraud, misuse, or duplicate applications
• Maintain financial, tax, audit, and organizational records
• Improve our programs and services
• Protect the rights, safety, property, and security of applicants, Light Your Candle, and others
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

Submitting an application does not guarantee eligibility, approval, or financial assistance.

4. How We Share Information

We limit access to applicant information to people and organizations that reasonably need it for legitimate program or operational purposes.

We may share information with:

• Authorized Light Your Candle staff, volunteers, board members, or application reviewers
• Website hosting, form-processing, email, data-storage, security, payment, accounting, and other service providers that support our operations
• Healthcare providers, hospitals, social workers, or other contacts identified in an application when verification is authorized or legally permitted
• Vendors or service providers receiving or helping administer approved assistance
• Funding partners when reasonably necessary to evaluate or provide assistance, using the minimum information appropriate for that purpose
• Government agencies, courts, law enforcement, or other parties when required by law or reasonably necessary to protect legal rights or safety
• A successor organization in connection with a merger, reorganization, transfer, or continuation of our charitable programs, subject to appropriate privacy protections

We do not sell applicants’ personal or health-related information. We do not use application information for targeted advertising.

We will not publicly share a patient’s name, photograph, diagnosis, personal story, or testimonial without a separate and voluntary authorization from the patient’s parent, legal guardian, or other legally authorized representative. Declining publicity permission will not affect eligibility for assistance.

5. Health Information and HIPAA

Light Your Candle is a charitable organization and may not be a healthcare provider, health plan, healthcare clearinghouse, or business associate subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).

Health-related information submitted directly to Light Your Candle is not necessarily protected by HIPAA merely because it concerns a medical condition. We nevertheless treat this information as sensitive and use it only for legitimate program, verification, administrative, safety, and legal purposes described in this Notice.

A healthcare provider may require a separate written authorization before releasing medical information to us. A website checkbox may permit us to contact a provider, but it may not replace a provider’s required medical-information authorization.

6. Information About Children

The Pediatric Oncology Family Fund assists families of pediatric patients, but applications must be submitted by an adult.

If an application concerns a child, the person submitting it must be the child’s parent, legal guardian, or another person legally authorized to act on the child’s behalf. Children under 18 should not submit an application or provide personal information directly through this website.

If we learn that a child submitted personal information without appropriate adult authorization, we may delete the information, suspend the application, or contact the child’s parent or legal guardian.

7. Communications

We may use the contact information you provide to communicate about:

• Your application
• Requests for additional information
• Verification
• Eligibility or funding decisions
• Approved assistance
• Important administrative or security matters

If you separately choose to receive text messages, message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. You may reply STOP to discontinue text messages or contact us using the information below.

We will obtain separate consent before using applicant contact information for promotional or fundraising communications when required by law. You may unsubscribe from nonessential emails by using the unsubscribe link provided or contacting us.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Review and administer an application
• Provide and document assistance
• Maintain required financial, tax, audit, and program records
• Resolve disputes
• Prevent fraud or misuse
• Enforce program requirements
• Satisfy legal obligations

Retention periods may vary depending on whether an application is incomplete, denied, approved, or funded. When information is no longer reasonably needed, we may securely delete, destroy, or de-identify it.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no website, email system, electronic transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should avoid sending highly sensitive information through ordinary email unless specifically instructed to do so.

If we identify a security incident involving your information, we will take appropriate steps and provide any notifications required by applicable law.

10. Your Choices and Privacy Requests

You may contact us to request that we:

• Confirm whether we maintain personal information about you
• Provide access to certain information
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete information, when legally and operationally permitted
• Withdraw an optional communication or publicity consent
• Explain how your information has been used or shared

We may need to verify your identity and authority before completing a request. Certain information may need to be retained for financial, tax, fraud-prevention, legal, or program-integrity purposes.

Depending on where you live and which laws apply, you may have additional privacy rights. We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

Withdrawing consent or requesting deletion before an application has been completed may prevent us from reviewing, verifying, or administering the request.

11. Cookies and Browser Controls

Our website and service providers may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for website functionality, security, form processing, preferences, or basic analytics.

You may be able to restrict cookies through your browser settings. Disabling necessary cookies may cause portions of the website or application form to function incorrectly.

12. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to hospitals, payment services, social networks, or other third-party websites. We do not control the privacy, security, or content practices of independently operated third parties. Their privacy notices apply when you use their services.

13. International Visitors

Light Your Candle is based in the United States. If you access the website or submit information from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country.

Applicants outside the United States should confirm that the Pediatric Oncology Family Fund provides assistance in their location before submitting sensitive information.

14. Changes to This Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice as our programs, practices, technology, or legal obligations change. The updated Notice will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.

If a change materially affects how previously collected sensitive information will be used, we will provide additional notice or request consent when required by law.

15. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or privacy requests, please contact:

Light Your Candle
Pediatric Oncology Family Fund

Email: info@lightyourcandle.org
Phone: 865-765-0452