Legal

Privacy, terms, accessibility, and nonprofit information.

How we handle information, how we describe what we do, and the disclosures required of a charitable organization.

Privacy policy

Hold My Heart, Inc. ("Hold My Heart," "we," "us") respects the privacy of everyone who visits this website, writes to us, gives to us, or takes part in our program. This policy explains what we collect, why, and what choices you have.

Information you give us

Inquiry forms. Your name and email address, plus your phone number, organization, and the message you write if you choose to provide them.
Gifts. If you donate, our payment processor collects the information needed to complete and receipt your gift. The processor handles that information under its own privacy policy. Hold My Heart does not store full payment card numbers.
Program participation. Information related to keepsake requests is generally handled through a partner organization. De-identified ordering is available when a partner organization's privacy requirements call for it.

Information collected automatically

Our web host records standard technical information such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited. We do not use invasive tracking on grief-related form content, and we do not use this website to build advertising profiles.

How we use information

To answer your inquiry and route it to the right person.
To administer the keepsake program with partner organizations.
To acknowledge, receipt, and steward charitable gifts.
To meet legal, accounting, and reporting obligations.

Sensitive information

Grief and bereavement are personal. We ask for the minimum information needed to help, and we ask people not to send detailed personal or health information through our website forms. Sentimental materials entrusted to the program are handled under the documented procedures shared with partner organizations. These procedures are shared directly with partner organizations.

What we do not do

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We do not publish a person's name, story, image, or loss without explicit, informed permission, and permission can be withdrawn.

Sharing

We share information only with service providers who help us operate (for example, email, payment processing, and hosting), with the partner organization involved in a specific keepsake, or where the law requires it.

Retention

We keep records only as long as needed for the purpose they were collected for, and for as long as tax, accounting, and reporting rules require.

Your choices

You may ask what information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, ask us to delete it, or ask to stop receiving email from us. Write to info@holdmyheart.org.

Children

This website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them. Keepsakes for bereaved minors are arranged through a partner organization with the involvement of a parent or guardian.

Changes

If this policy changes, we will update the effective date above.

Terms of use

About this website

This website describes the work of Hold My Heart, Inc., a nonprofit organization. It is offered for general information.

Not clinical or crisis care

Hold My Heart does not provide counseling, medical treatment, pastoral care, or crisis services, and nothing on this website is a substitute for them. A memorial keepsake is not therapy and is not a treatment for grief. If you need immediate help or clinical support, contact an appropriate local provider or emergency resource.

No guaranteed outcome

Memorial keepsakes can serve as meaningful healing tools within a broader network of grief support. We do not promise a particular emotional result, and we do not guarantee that any individual will receive a keepsake. Access is arranged through partner organizations and depends on available funding and capacity.

Program terms

The keepsake program operates under the standards published on this site and in the partner materials: one keepsake per recipient and one sentimental material per order under the standard program, established keepsake designs rather than custom-design requests, and return through the partner organization. Recipients never pay. Handling, shipping, and care requirements for sentimental materials are set out in the materials given to each recipient and partner organization.

Intellectual property

The Hold My Heart name, logo, and website content belong to Hold My Heart, Inc. Please do not reuse them without permission. Press and partners may request approved assets by writing to info@holdmyheart.org.

Links to other sites

We sometimes link to partner organizations and outside resources. We are not responsible for their content or practices.

Governing law

This website is operated from Illinois and these terms are governed by Illinois law.

Hold My Heart is committed to making this website usable by everyone, including people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification, or other assistive technology.

Our standard

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. In practice that means text meets AA contrast, every interactive element is reachable and visible by keyboard, informative images carry meaningful alt text, color is never the only way meaning is conveyed, and motion is reduced for visitors whose systems request it.

Known gaps

If you find a barrier we have not, please tell us using the contact details below and we will treat it as a priority.

Tell us about a barrier

If any part of this site is difficult to use, please write to info@holdmyheart.org or call 224-283-4355. Describe the page and what happened, and we will respond and offer the information another way.

Donor disclosures

Tax status of gifts

Hold My Heart, Inc. is a nonprofit organization recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for a gift unless stated at the time of the gift. Please consult your tax advisor.

Receipts

Donors receive a written acknowledgment for each gift. Receipts are sent by email to the address given at the time of the gift.

How gifts are used

Unrestricted gifts support program access, artisan compensation, materials, and the operating costs of running the program responsibly. Restricted gifts are used as agreed in writing. If a restricted purpose becomes impractical, we will contact the donor before redirecting the gift.

Refunds

If a gift was made in error, write to info@holdmyheart.org and we will make it right.

Donor privacy

We do not sell, rent, or trade donor information. Donors may ask to be recognized anonymously or to be left off any published list.

State charitable solicitation disclosures

Charitable solicitation is regulated separately by each state. Hold My Heart is registering as a charitable organization in Illinois and Missouri, and can also accept contributions from residents of states that do not require registration.

States where Hold My Heart is registered to solicit

Illinois and Missouri.

States that do not require registration

Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Everywhere else

Hold My Heart does not currently solicit contributions in states other than those named above. Anyone wishing to give from another state should contact us at info@holdmyheart.org first. The list of states appears on the giving page as well, and both must be updated together whenever registrations change.

This section describes where Hold My Heart is able to accept contributions. It is not legal advice.

Financial documents

Our IRS determination letter and most recent Form 990 are available on request at info@holdmyheart.org.

Nonprofit information

Legal name: Hold My Heart, Inc.
Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Email: info@holdmyheart.org
Phone: 224-283-4355