The Guardians' Cross ("we," "our," "us") is owned and operated by The American Victory Alliance, LLC, based in Austin, Texas. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us through our website, newsletters, devotionals, community platforms, and other digital services.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding your personal data.

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

  • Subscribe to our newsletters and content
  • Create an account or join our community
  • Make a donation or purchase
  • Contact us with questions or feedback
  • Participate in surveys or events

This may include:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Mailing address
  • Payment information (processed securely by third parties)
  • Phone number (if provided)
  • Profile information (if you join our community)

Information Automatically Collected

When you visit our website or open our emails, we automatically collect:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device information
  • Pages visited and time spent
  • Referring website
  • Email open rates and link clicks
  • Geographic location (general area, not precise)

Sensitive Information

As a faith-based organization engaged in cultural and political discourse, we recognize that your association with The Guardians' Cross, your engagement with our content, and information you share may reveal your religious beliefs, political views, or other sensitive personal information. We take extra care to protect this information and will never share it with outside parties without your explicit consent.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Deliver Services:

  • Deliver newsletters, devotionals, and other content you've subscribed to
  • Provide access to community platforms (when available)
  • Process donations and maintain accurate records
  • Respond to your inquiries and provide support

Improve Our Services:

  • Understand which content resonates with readers
  • Improve website functionality and user experience
  • Personalize content recommendations
  • Analyze engagement patterns to serve you better

Communicate:

  • Send blog post updates and announcements
  • Notify you of new programs or opportunities
  • Request feedback on our content and mission

Comply with Legal Obligations:

  • Maintain records as required by law
  • Respond to legal requests when compelled
  • Protect our rights and the rights of our members

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to outside parties for their marketing purposes.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not share your personal information except in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We use trusted third-party services to operate our platform:

  • Ghost.org — Website hosting and email delivery
  • Zoho CRM — Subscriber management and engagement tracking
  • Stripe — Payment processing for donations and subscriptions (if applicable)
  • Google Analytics — Website traffic analysis (anonymized data)
  • Mighty Networks — Community platform (when launched; subject to their privacy policy)

Each service provider is contractually required to protect your data, use it only for the purposes we specify, and comply with applicable privacy laws.

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process. In such cases, we will:

  • Verify the legitimacy of the request
  • Notify you in advance whenever legally permitted
  • Resist overly broad or unjustified requests to the fullest extent of the law
  • Disclose only the minimum information necessary to comply

Protection of Rights

We may disclose information to protect the safety, rights, or property of The Guardians' Cross, our members, or others, or to prevent fraud or abuse of our services.

4. Email Communications

We use Ghost.org to deliver email newsletters and content. Ghost processes email addresses and delivery data on our behalf.

What We Track:

  • Email open rates
  • Link clicks within emails
  • Device type used to open emails

Why We Track:

  • To improve content relevance
  • To understand what topics resonate with readers
  • To optimize delivery times

Email Storage: Email content is stored on Ghost's secure servers and is not shared with third parties. Email archives are retained as long as you maintain an active subscription.

Your Control: You can manage your email preferences by clicking "Manage Preferences" in any email we send. You can choose which content you receive or unsubscribe entirely. Unsubscribing from one type of content does not automatically unsubscribe you from others unless you request it.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience and understand visitor behavior.

Types of Cookies We Use:

Essential Cookies (Required):

  • Session management for logged-in users
  • Site functionality and preferences
  • Security features

Analytics Cookies (Optional):

  • Google Analytics to understand visitor behavior
  • Page performance monitoring
  • Content engagement tracking

Performance Cookies (Optional):

  • Ghost platform optimization
  • Content delivery speed improvements

Your Choices:

You can disable non-essential cookies in your browser settings. However, disabling essential cookies may prevent certain features from working properly.

To opt out of Google Analytics: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy:

  • Active Subscribers: Data retained while subscription is active
  • After Unsubscribe: Data deleted within 30 days unless legal retention required
  • Financial Records: Retained for 7 years as required by tax and regulatory laws
  • Legal Holds: Data retained longer if subject to legal proceedings or obligations

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see "Your Rights" section below).

7. Data Protection and Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

Technical Measures:

  • Encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS)
  • Secure hosting infrastructure
  • Regular security updates and patches
  • Access controls and authentication

Organizational Measures:

  • Limited access to personal data (need-to-know basis)
  • Employee training on data protection
  • Third-party vendor security requirements
  • Regular security assessments

Important Limitation: No method of online transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Security Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will:

  • Notify you via email within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach
  • Provide details about what information was affected
  • Explain steps we are taking to address the incident
  • Advise you on protective measures you can take
  • Report the incident to relevant authorities as required by law

9. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.

Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.

Right to Object: Object to processing of your information for direct marketing purposes.

Right to Withdraw Consent: Unsubscribe from newsletters or communications at any time.

Right to Data Portability: Request your data in a portable format (where technically feasible).

Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with a data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

To Exercise Your Rights: Contact us at privacy@theguardianscross.org or admin@theguardianscross.org.

We will respond to your request within 30 days.

10. State-Specific Privacy Rights

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

Right to Know:

  • Categories of personal information collected
  • Purposes for collection
  • Categories of third parties with whom information is shared

Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information (with certain exceptions).

Right to Opt-Out: Opt out of "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. (Note: We do not sell or share your information.)

Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

Sensitive Personal Information: We collect information that may be considered sensitive (religious beliefs, political views). You have the right to limit use of this information beyond what is necessary to provide our services.

To Exercise California Rights: Email us at privacy@theguardianscross.org with "California Privacy Request" in the subject line.

Texas Residents

Texas law provides certain privacy protections, including the right to know how your biometric data is used (we do not collect biometric data) and protections against unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

11. International Users and GDPR Compliance

If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, or United Kingdom, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Legal Basis for Processing:

  • Consent: For newsletters and optional communications
  • Legitimate Interest: For website analytics and service improvements
  • Contract: For paid subscriptions or donations

Additional Rights:

  • Right to data portability
  • Right to object to automated decision-making
  • Right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority

Data Transfers: Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers.

To Exercise GDPR Rights: Email us at privacy@theguardianscross.org with "GDPR Request" in the subject line.

12. Protection of Member Information

We recognize that as a politically-engaged Christian organization, our members may face targeting, harassment, or legal action because of their association with us.

Our Commitment:

  • We will never voluntarily disclose our member list or subscriber information to any third party
  • We will resist subpoenas or legal demands for subscriber information to the fullest extent permitted by law
  • We will notify affected members immediately if we are legally compelled to disclose information, unless prohibited by law
  • We maintain only the minimum necessary information to reduce exposure in the event of a breach or legal demand
  • We will not cooperate with requests that we believe are designed to harass or intimidate our members

13. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed toward children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at admin@theguardianscross.org.

Our website and emails may contain links to third-party websites, services, or content. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

15. Community Platforms

We may offer community platforms where members can interact with each other. When you join, you may create a separate account on a third-party platform.

Important:

  • Third-party platforms have their own privacy policies, which govern their handling of your data
  • Information you share in the community (posts, comments, profile details) is visible to other community members according to your privacy settings
  • We do not control third-party platform data practices
  • You should review the privacy policy of any third-party platform before joining

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or services offered.

When We Update:

  • We will post the updated policy on this page
  • We will update the "Effective Date" at the top
  • For material changes, we will notify you via email

Your Continued Use: Continued use of our website and services after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how we handle your data, or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

Email: privacy@theguardianscross.org or admin@theguardianscross.org

Mail:
The American Victory Alliance, LLC
Attn: Privacy Officer
Austin, Texas

Response Time:
We will respond to all privacy inquiries within 30 days.

Summary of Key Points

✅ We collect only what we need to serve you
✅ We never sell your information
✅ You can access, correct, or delete your data anytime
✅ We use industry-standard security measures
✅ We will notify you of any data breaches
✅ We protect members from hostile targeting
✅ You control your email preferences
✅ State and international privacy laws respected

Thank you for trusting The Guardians' Cross with your information.

Last Updated: February 19, 2026

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