The Begin Network
Privacy Policy
Effective 5 November 2026
Who we are
The Begin Network is a California-based nonprofit organization and a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 39-4447031). We are a nonprofit media organization awakening dreams and purpose through courage, creativity, and community, through books, film and live events. In this policy, "we," "us" and "our" mean The Begin Network, and "you" means anyone who visits our websites or gives to our work.
This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, who helps us handle it, and the choices you have. We have tried to keep it short and plain. If anything is unclear, please ask us.
The websites this policy covers
The Begin Network operates all of the following websites, and this policy applies to each of them:
- thebeginnetwork.com
- asongbirdinthevalley.com
- forgivemeapril.com
- beginbooks.com (our publishing imprint, Begin Books)
- martinssamuel.com
- thewrongguybook.com
Begin Studios and Begin Books are names we use for our creative and publishing work. They are part of The Begin Network, not separate organizations.
Information we collect
Information you give us. When you make a donation on one of our sites, we collect your first name, last name, email address (required), phone number (optional) and the amount of your gift. If you send us a message through a contact form, we collect your name, your email address and what you choose to write.
Payment information. Card and bank details are entered directly into a secure payment form provided by Stripe and are processed by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number. Stripe may share limited details with us, such as the payment method type, the last four digits of a card, and whether the payment succeeded.
Which site or project you gave through. We record which of our sites or campaigns you gave through (for example, "A Songbird in the Valley"), so we can apply your gift to that project and thank you properly.
Information collected automatically. Like most websites, our sites and the services that run them receive basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, device type and the pages you view. Some of this is collected through cookies and similar tools, described under "Cookies" below.
How we use your information
We use your information to:
- process your donation and send you a receipt;
- apply your gift to the project you chose;
- keep accurate records, as the law requires of charities;
- answer your questions and messages;
- send you updates about our work, only if you have asked to receive them;
- keep our sites safe and working, and prevent fraud.
If you give us your phone number, we use it only to contact you about your gift. We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with anyone for advertising.
Who helps us run our sites
We use a small number of trusted service providers. They handle information only to provide their service to us.
- HighLevel. Hosts our websites, runs our forms and keeps our contact and donor records. Pages, images and video are delivered from HighLevel's content network.
- Stripe. Processes donations and helps prevent fraud. Stripe's payment form offers card, Cash App Pay, bank transfer (ACH), Klarna and Link (Stripe's saved-payment service). When you pay, Stripe's own privacy policy also applies.
- Google Fonts. Supplies the typefaces on our pages. When a page loads, your browser contacts Google's servers, which means Google receives your IP address.
- YouTube and Vimeo. Where a page embeds video from YouTube or Vimeo, that service may collect information about your visit under its own privacy policy.
Our sites also link to our pages on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and IMDb. If you follow those links, you leave our sites, and those companies' privacy policies apply.
We may also share information when the law requires it, to protect the rights or safety of others, or if The Begin Network ever merges with or transfers its work to another charitable organization.
Donor privacy
We do not sell, rent or trade donor names or contact details. We do not publish a donor's name in any list or recognition without permission.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. Our sites use only the cookies needed to run them: HighLevel's pages and forms may set cookies needed to load pages, submit forms and keep the site secure, and Stripe sets cookies that help process your payment securely and detect fraud. Where a page embeds YouTube or Vimeo video, that service may set its own cookies. Our sites do not use advertising cookies, and we have not installed analytics or advertising pixels. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, but if you block essential or payment cookies, parts of our sites, including the donation form, may not work.
How long we keep information
We keep information only as long as we need it for the purposes above. Donation records are kept for 7 years, to cover tax and audit needs. Other contact and message records are kept for 3 years after our last contact with you, unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
How we protect information
We rely on established providers with strong security, and card details go straight to Stripe rather than to us. No website is perfectly secure, so we cannot promise absolute security, but we take reasonable care to protect what you share.
Your choices and rights
You can ask us at any time to:
- tell you what personal information we hold about you;
- correct it;
- delete it (we may need to keep some donation records the law requires us to keep);
- stop sending you emails.
Every update email includes an unsubscribe link. To make any other request, contact us using the details at the end of this policy. We will need to confirm who you are before acting, and we will not treat you differently for making a request.
Notice for California residents
We are based in California and want California residents to know their rights clearly. We offer the following as a commitment to our supporters.
What we collect. In the past 12 months we have collected: identifiers (name, email address, phone number, IP address); commercial information (donation amount and history); and internet activity (basic information about how you use our sites). Payment card details are collected by Stripe, not by us.
Where it comes from. From you, from your browser or device, and from our payment processor.
Why. For the purposes listed under "How we use your information."
Sale and sharing. We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We have not done so in the past 12 months.
Your rights. You may ask to know, correct or delete your personal information, and you will not be treated differently for asking. You may use an authorized agent to make a request for you.
How to ask. Email [email protected] or write to us at the address below.
California's "Shine the Light" law lets California residents ask whether we have shared personal information with others for their direct marketing. We do not do this.
Do Not Track
Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" signal. There is no common standard for how websites should respond to it, so our sites do not currently change their behavior when they receive one. We do not track you across other websites.
Children's privacy
Our sites are meant for adults and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has given us information, please contact us and we will delete it. Donations should be made by adults aged 18 or over.
Visitors outside the United States
Our sites are run from the United States, and information is stored and processed here. If you live outside the United States, including in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you may have additional rights under your local law, such as rights to access, correct, delete or move your information, or to object to how it is used. Contact us and we will respond to your request.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the effective date at the top. For significant changes, we will post a notice on thebeginnetwork.com and email our donors.
Contact us
The Begin Network, 1160 E Perrin Ave #206, Fresno, CA 93720
Email: [email protected]