National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Donor Privacy Policy

NCMEC is committed to protecting the privacy and preferences of our donors. This Donor Privacy Policy applies to all information NCMEC receives from a donor, whether online or offline, across any platform, including NCMEC’s websites and mobile applications, and any electronic or written communications submitted to NCMEC. For information relating to NCMEC’s Website Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, see Privacy Policy.

Information NCMEC Collects From Donors:

When making a donation, donors are required to provide certain information and may voluntarily provide additional information depending on how the donation is made and the options selected by the donor. Such information may include:

• Contact information and identifiers, including name, email address, address, phone number, username, business contact information, or other similar identifiers and account information
• Payment and billing information associated with a donation or sponsorship, which is collected and processed by third party service providers
• Donation‑ or sponsorship‑related information, including a donor’s employer, job title, or an organization name when the donor or sponsor is an organization
• Event registration information related to a donation or sponsorship, including details related to a donation or sponsorship arrangement 
• Any other information a donor chooses to provide through forms, registrations, or communications with NCMEC

When making an online donation or sponsorship to NCMEC, donors are asked to provide basic contact information, such as name, email address, address, and payment information, depending on the contribution method and the options selected. When a donation or sponsorship is made by or on behalf of an organization, information such as an individual’s name, job title, and/or the organization name may also be requested.

In connection with sponsorships for special events, NCMEC may receive Sponsorship Intake Forms submitted online. These forms may request certain contact and professional information, including the sponsor’s name, sponsoring organization name, email address, phone number, address, and/or job title, for purposes related to sponsorship coordination, communication, and fulfillment.

To complete a donation, registration, or sponsorship payment online, donors are redirected to third‑party service providers that independently collect and process personal and payment information necessary to complete the transaction. Payment and billing information is collected and processed exclusively by third‑party service providers, not by NCMEC. NCMEC does not access or use personal or payment information provided directly to third‑party service providers. NCMEC may, however, receive limited transaction‑status notifications, such as a donor’s name and notice of a failed payment, for purposes of donor support or transaction follow‑up. NCMEC does not receive payment method details or information regarding the specific reason for a payment failure.

When NCMEC receives a donation by check, NCMEC collects the information reflected on the check, such as the donor’s name, address, and the donation amount. Donors may choose to make anonymous offline donations through a financial institution, trust, or Donor Advised Fund (DAF), where the contribution is made on their behalf. If a donor selects this option, NCMEC does not retain identifying donor information in its donation records, and the donation is recorded without association to the donor’s identity.

How NCMEC Uses Information Provided by Donors:

NCMEC maintains records of donations based on information received directly by NCMEC, which may include donation amounts and history, for operational, accounting, legal, and reporting purposes as described below. Depending on whether a donor elects to donate anonymously, these records may or may not be associated with identifying donor information.

NCMEC uses donor information for the following purposes:

• To process donations, sponsorships, registrations, and other transactions
• To send donation receipts and acknowledgments to donors
• To communicate with donors about NCMEC’s mission, programs, campaigns, events, and impact
• To respond to donors’ questions or requests
• To comply with legal, accounting, tax, and reporting obligations

Donors may update their information through NCMEC or, where applicable, through NCMEC’s third‑party service providers.

Security Measures NCMEC Uses to Protect Donor Information

To the extent that any donor information is stored, it is safeguarded through technical and procedural controls designed to limit access strictly to staff who require it for the purposes described above. NCMEC takes steps to protect unauthorized access of donor personal information, however, no methods for safeguarding personal or other information are 100% secure, and NCMEC cannot fully eliminate risks associated with the transmission of personal information. NCMEC does not sell, share, or trade donor names or personal information with any other entity and does not send mailings to donors on behalf of other organizations except when required by law or for regulatory purposes.

NCMEC works with third-party service providers that maintain robust, industry standard security practices to protect personal and financial information. These providers implement a combination of encryption, access controls, certified compliance frameworks, and secure infrastructure to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Payment information is encrypted in transit for payment processing purposes. To the extent any donations are processed through a third-party service provider, donor information is only used for purposes necessary to process the donation and is governed by the third-party service provider’s own privacy and security policies.

Effective Date: April 1, 2026

Last Updated Date: April 1, 2026