Privacy policy

Effective October 29, 2026

This page explains, in plain words, what information The Intentional Dad collects through this website and the Guided Apprenticeship app, why, and the choices you have. The Intentional Dad Non-Profit, Inc. (“The Intentional Dad”, “we”, “us”) is a Michigan nonprofit and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. You can reach us by email at aric@theintentionaldad.org.

The short version

• Your reflections, journal and prayers are private. No one in the community, including ambassadors, can see them. Technically, the app’s administrator (Aric) could open them through the database, but that will not happen without your express knowledge and consent, unless the law requires it.
• You choose whether to appear in the Community directory, and what it shows.
• You can delete your account from inside the app.
• Gifts are handled by Zeffy, and coaching payments by Stripe through Calendly. We never store your card details.
• We don’t sell or rent your information, and we don’t use it for advertising.

The Guided Apprenticeship app

Signing in. You sign in with your email address. We email you a sign-in link, so there’s no password to remember. Sign-in is handled by Google Firebase Authentication.

What you write and do in the app. To keep your place in the journey, the app stores, in your private account record (Google Firebase): your answers to the “Tell us about yourself” questions, your reflections, journal and prayer entries, evening wind-downs, your genogram, your reading and segment progress, and a profile photo if you add one.

Your reflections are private. Your entries are private in the app, and nothing is lost if you lose access to your email sign-in link. No one in the community, including ambassadors, can see them. Technically, the app’s administrator (Aric) could open them through the database. However, privacy is a non-negotiable value here, and that simply will not happen without your express knowledge and consent, unless the law requires it. Your genogram is fully encrypted on your phone, so no one can read it but you. If you turn on Locked reflections, your reflections are encrypted on your phone with your own passphrase, so no one, including Aric, can read them. Keep your recovery phrase somewhere safe: if you lose both your passphrase and your recovery phrase, locked reflections can’t be recovered.

Community (optional, adults 18 and over). You can choose to appear in the Community directory. If you do, other participants can see your first name and last-name initial (or your full last name if you choose), a general area such as a city, an optional photo, and the short responses you choose to share. Please don’t include your children’s names, ages or other family details. You can turn this off or delete your community data at any time in My Profile.

Connecting with an ambassador. If you request a connection, the ambassador you’re connected with can read your request and your messages to each other. Aric, as the administrator, can also read connection requests and messages. Messages can’t be edited once sent. If a conversation is reported, its messages are kept for safety review, and a report email is sent to Aric through our email service (Resend).

Notifications (optional). If you turn on phone notifications, the app stores a device token and your time zone so it can send your evening reminder and an occasional gentle check-in. You can turn these off in My Profile or in your phone’s settings.

Bug reports. If you send a bug report from the app, it’s saved so we can fix the problem. It includes what you write, the screen you were on, the app version, your phone’s model and system version, and a screenshot if one is attached. The app never takes a screenshot automatically on reflection, journal or prayer screens.

App performance. The app uses Firebase Performance Monitoring to see how quickly screens load. It doesn’t use advertising or other analytics tools.

Audio. Some audio in the app is produced with AI voice tools from our own written content.

This website

Forms. Messages and newsletter sign-ups are sent through our email service, Resend. Contact messages aren’t stored on our website, and every newsletter has an unsubscribe link. When you sign up for the newsletter, we first send you a short email from admin@theintentionaldad.org asking you to confirm. Nothing is added to the list until you tap “Confirm my sign-up”.

The same goes for our other forms: asking to hear when the app is ready (or offering to help test it), telling us you’re interested in a workshop (with your general area and whether you’d come with a spouse or a friend, if you choose to share them), and asking to hear when family resources are ready. We use what you give us only for what you asked.

Giving. Gifts are made through Zeffy, which processes your payment under its own privacy policy. Your card details are handled by Zeffy’s payment processor, Stripe, and never reach us. When you give, Zeffy shares the details of your gift with us: your name, email address, postal address, the amount and how often you give, the type of payment (for example card or bank transfer), and your answers to any questions on our giving form. Zeffy also sends you a confirmation and, where it applies, a tax receipt. If you start the giving form but don’t finish it, Zeffy may still share the name and email you typed with us. We use these details only for things connected to your gift, such as thanking you and keeping our records. The Zeffy form on our site loads only when you choose to open it.

Coaching bookings. Coaching times are booked through Calendly. Paid sessions are paid through Stripe, connected to our Calendly account, and you pay when you book. Calendly and Stripe handle your booking and payment details under their own privacy policies, and we never see your full card number. Calendly’s booking window loads only when you tap a booking link.

What season am I in? If you finish this short reflection, your result (the season you chose and its two suggested steps) is kept in your own browser, so the home page and Start Here can show first steps that fit. It stays in your browser unless you ask us to email it to you; then it’s sent once and not kept. Choose “Forget this result” on the result screen, or clear your browser’s site data, to remove it.

What your browser remembers. The site also remembers, in your own browser, whether you prefer the Book or Scroll view of the home page, your place and text size in the book reader, and which page of the home page book you’re on. None of this is sent to us. The site itself sets no cookies; Calendly and Zeffy may set their own once you open them.

Podcast. Episodes are hosted by Acast. When you play an episode, the audio is loaded from Acast.

Videos and links. Videos on this site are served from our own website. Links to YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other sites take you to services with their own privacy policies.

Analytics. This website does not use analytics or advertising trackers.

What we don’t do

We don’t sell or rent your information, and we don’t use it for advertising. We never share your reflections with anyone, unless the law requires it.

Your choices

• Delete your account: in the app, go to My Profile, then Account & privacy, then Delete my account. This deletes your account and the data in it. Messages in a conversation that was reported are kept for safety review.
• Community data: turn off your directory listing or delete your community data in My Profile.
• Get a copy of your data, or remove website information: to ask for a copy of your app data, or to have your newsletter sign-up or a message you sent removed, write to us at aric@theintentionaldad.org.
• Unsubscribe: every newsletter has an unsubscribe link. You can also turn off workshop and event emails on their own and stay on the newsletter.

How long we keep information

• Contact messages: they arrive in Aric’s email and are kept there only as long as they’re needed.
• Newsletter sign-ups: kept until you unsubscribe.
• App accounts, reflections and everything else in your account: kept until you delete your account.
• Reported conversations and bug reports: kept for up to one year, and longer only if that’s needed to keep someone safe.
• Gift and booking records: Zeffy, Calendly and Stripe keep their own records under their own policies.

Children

The app and Community are for adults (18 and over). Our website and app are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child under 13 has given us information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Contact

Questions about your privacy? Email us at aric@theintentionaldad.org.

Changes

If we change this policy, we’ll update this page and the date at the top.