Privacy Policy

Introduction

CityHelp Inc. ("CityHelp," "we," "our," "us") is a Delaware nonprofit corporation operating as CityHelp Center, fiscally sponsored by Tides Foundation. We built Sam — our AI navigator at cityhelp.center — to help New Yorkers find social services without giving up their privacy.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, what we don't do, and what rights you have. We've tried to write it in plain language. If anything is unclear, email us at sam@cityhelp.center.

Our core privacy commitments

We made these promises when we built Sam, and they govern everything in this policy:

• We do not require you to identify yourself. Sam will never ask for your name, Social Security number, immigration status, address, or phone number to give you help.
• We do not require an account. There's no login. There's no profile. Your conversation is not tied to an identity.
• We do not sell your data. Not to advertisers. Not to anyone.
• We do not share identifiable information with government agencies unless we are compelled by law (for example, a valid court order or subpoena).
• We do not run ads.
• We do not track you across other websites.

Information we collect

Information you provide to Sam

When you chat with Sam, your messages are processed to generate a helpful response. We do not require you to share personal information, and we encourage you not to.

If you voluntarily share personal information in a conversation (for example, telling Sam your specific address or family situation to get a better answer), that information is included in the conversation log. We retain anonymized conversation logs to improve Sam over time. Conversations are not linked to your identity unless you provide identifying information yourself.

Information you provide through forms

If you sign up for our volunteer waitlist, contact us, or fill out other forms on cityhelp.center, we collect the information you submit — such as your name, email, phone number, zip code, and borough. We use this information only to respond to you and to operate the program you signed up for. We store this information securely in our database.

Information collected automatically

When you visit cityhelp.center, we collect basic technical information that any website collects:

• Your IP address (used only to provide the service and prevent abuse)
• Browser type and version
• Device type
• Pages you visit on our site
• The date and time of your visit
• The page that referred you, if any

We use a minimal set of analytics tools to understand how the service is being used at an aggregate level. We do not use tracking pixels, advertising cookies, or cross-site tracking technologies.

Cookies

We use only essential cookies needed to operate the website (for example, to remember that you've accepted our Terms of Use). We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

How we use information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide answers to your questions through Sam
• Improve Sam's accuracy and helpfulness over time
• Operate programs you've signed up for (such as our volunteer waitlist)
• Respond to your questions and requests
• Report aggregate, anonymized impact to our funders and partners (such as: "Sam answered 10,000 questions about housing in Q3")
• Detect and prevent abuse of the service
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not use your information to build profiles about you, target advertising at you, or share with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

How we share information

We share information only in these limited circumstances:

• Service providers we use to operate the platform (cloud hosting, email delivery, AI infrastructure) — these providers are bound by contracts that require them to protect your information and use it only to provide services to us.
• Aggregate, anonymized data shared with funders, partners, and researchers to demonstrate impact. This data cannot be used to identify you.
• Legal requirements — if we are compelled by valid legal process, such as a court order or subpoena. Where legally permitted, we will notify affected users.
• Safety — if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent harm to a person.

We do not sell your information. We do not share identifiable information with government agencies, immigration authorities, landlords, employers, or anyone else for purposes outside the narrow exceptions above.

AI and your conversations

Sam uses large language model technology provided by third-party AI infrastructure partners. When you send a message to Sam, the content of your message is processed by these systems to generate a response.

Our AI infrastructure partners are contractually prohibited from using your conversations to train their general-purpose models or for any purpose other than providing the service to CityHelp.

Conversation logs are retained in anonymized form to improve Sam's answers and identify gaps in the services we cover. We do not link these logs to any identifying information unless you have voluntarily provided it in the conversation.

Data security

We use industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, access controls, and regular security reviews.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We work hard to protect your information, but we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we ever discover a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by law.

Data retention

We retain information only as long as needed for the purposes described in this policy:

• Anonymized conversation logs: retained to improve Sam, typically for up to 24 months
• Volunteer waitlist information: retained while you are on the waitlist and for a reasonable period after program completion
• Contact form submissions: retained for up to 12 months after the matter is resolved
• Technical logs: retained for up to 90 days for security and operational purposes

You can request deletion of information you've provided at any time (see "Your rights" below).

Children's privacy

Sam is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at sam@cityhelp.center and we will delete it.

For users aged 13–17, we recommend a parent or trusted adult review this policy with you before using Sam.

Your rights

You have the following rights regarding your information:

• Access: You can ask what information we have about you.
• Correction: You can ask us to correct inaccurate information.
• Deletion: You can ask us to delete information you've provided (we may need to retain some information to comply with legal obligations or to operate the service).
• Withdraw consent: You can stop using Sam and our services at any time. You can ask to be removed from the volunteer waitlist.

To exercise any of these rights, email sam@cityhelp.center. We will respond within 30 days.

New York residents have additional rights under New York law. California residents have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). If you reside in these states or in another jurisdiction with privacy laws, you may have additional rights — contact us and we will honor them.

Third-party links

Sam may refer you to third-party websites, government agencies, and community organizations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before sharing information with them.

International users

CityHelp operates from and serves users in the United States. If you access our services from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. If we make material changes, we will provide reasonable notice — for example, by posting a notice on our website or, where we have your email, by contacting you directly.

Contact us

Privacy questions, requests, or concerns: sam@cityhelp.center

CityHelp Inc.
[Mailing address — to be added]

Data Protection Officer (if designated): sam@cityhelp.center

This Privacy Policy is provided for general informational purposes and should be reviewed by a licensed attorney before being relied upon as the operative privacy policy for CityHelp Inc. Sam is a tool to help you find resources. Your privacy is our priority.