Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Covenantory handles information across its public website and its multi-tenant church operations platform. It distinguishes the data Covenantory controls for its own operations from the ministry data that customer churches control.
Contents
1. Overview
Covenantory, provided by Covenantory LLC, is a software platform for churches and ministry organizations. This policy applies to public website visitors, prospective customers, tenant administrators and staff, and individuals whose information is uploaded and managed by customer churches.
Because Covenantory is multi-tenant, much of the information in the platform belongs to and is controlled by the customer church, not Covenantory. Where that is the case, this policy explains it.
2. Our role: controller and processor
For information relating to our own website, sales, platform accounts, billing, support, and platform communications, Covenantory generally acts as a business/controller and determines how that information is handled.
For ministry data that a customer church uploads and manages about its people, giving, and finances — including imported bank records — Covenantory generally acts as a processor/service provider, handling that data on the customer's behalf and under its instructions. The customer church decides what information it collects about members, donors, guests, volunteers, children/youth, and staff.
3. Information we collect
Depending on how the Services are used, we may collect the following categories of information:
- Account and administrator data: name, email, phone, role, organization, and login/security information.
- Customer/tenant organization data: church name, address, website, configuration, and billing/administrative contacts.
- Ministry and contact data: people, households, groups, attendance, care records, event registrations, giving records, communication preferences, notes, and tasks — controlled by the customer church.
- Giving and payment data: transaction metadata, donor details, and payment-processor references. Covenantory stores processor references and tokens, not raw card or bank-account numbers.
- Communications data: SMS, WhatsApp, and email metadata and content, opt-in/opt-out records, and delivery statuses.
- Support and sales data: walkthrough and contact form submissions, emails, and support requests.
- Usage and security data: logs, device and browser information, IP address, and audit events.
- AI feature data: prompts, generated outputs, job metadata, and model/provider and usage/cost attribution, where AI features are enabled.
- Media and digital-presence data: media assets and public church pages (such as events, watch, and church websites), where those features are enabled.
- Google integration data: connected Google account and YouTube channel identifiers, granted permission and token metadata, YouTube broadcast and video metadata and status, and the metadata and contents of Google Drive files an authorized operator selects for import.
4. Bank connectivity (Plaid)
Covenantory uses Plaid Inc. to securely connect a customer church's bank account and import bank information. Plaid's handling of information is described in the Plaid End User Privacy Policy at https://plaid.com/legal/.
When an authorized church operator connects an account, Covenantory may receive institution, connection, and account identifiers; account names and types; balances made available with account metadata; and transaction history such as dates, amounts, descriptions, and counterparties where supplied. Covenantory does not receive or store online-banking credentials or full account and routing numbers through this connection.
Imported bank information is stored in that church's workspace and isolated from other churches. Covenantory processes it as a service provider for that church's finance workflows.
Covenantory uses Plaid-sourced information only for read-only church finance workflows such as reconciliation, deposit matching, expense review, budget variance review, and stewardship reporting. Covenantory does not use Plaid to move money, initiate payments, verify identity, underwrite or extend credit, or sell or share Plaid-sourced information for advertising.
Disconnecting a bank account revokes Covenantory's Plaid connection at the source and, after revocation is confirmed, deletes the locally stored access credentials and stops retrieval of new bank data. Imported transaction records may be retained for seven years from the transaction date for stewardship, accounting, audit, and legal record purposes, unless tenant deletion, legal hold, or applicable law requires a different handling path.
5. Google Drive and YouTube integrations
Covenantory uses Google OAuth, Google Drive API, Google Sheets API, Google Picker API, and YouTube API Services when an authorized church operator enables those integrations. Google's handling of information is described in the Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
For Google Drive imports, Covenantory requests drive.file access only. An operator chooses a CSV or Google Sheet through Google Picker; Covenantory retrieves that selected file, validates it, and stores a protected import snapshot and provenance in the church's workspace so the operator can review and audit the import. Covenantory does not request access to the user's entire Drive and does not change the selected source file.
For YouTube, Covenantory requests basic Google account identity and youtube.force-ssl access. Covenantory uses that access to identify the connected channel and to let authorized operators create and manage live broadcasts and streams, read their operational status, and publish reviewed YouTube metadata. Covenantory does not upload local video files to YouTube and does not publish without an authorized operator action. Operators may also import a video’s title, thumbnail and duration into a broadcast. These imported values carry source and prior-value records and are removed after 30 days without a new import, or when their connected YouTube access is removed; subsequent independently authored edits are preserved.
Covenantory’s use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy at https://developers.google.com/terms/api-services-user-data-policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Google access credentials are encrypted and isolated to the church workspace. Covenantory does not sell Google user data, use it for advertising, or use it to train generalized AI models. Google data is shared only with the connected church and service providers needed to securely operate Covenantory, or when required by law.
A church operator can disconnect Google Drive or YouTube in Covenantory, which deletes the locally stored credentials and connected Google account details and asks Google to revoke the grant. A user can also remove Covenantory's access at https://security.google.com/settings/security/permissions. Revoking access stops future retrieval. Disconnecting YouTube also removes saved broadcast and stream identifiers, consent-linked replay links, and stream credentials from Covenantory. Covenantory periodically checks YouTube authorization and performs that cleanup when Google confirms that the grant is no longer valid. Protected Drive import snapshots and independently authored church content follow the church's retention instructions and applicable legal or audit obligations. YouTube API data is subject to YouTube's revocation and deletion requirements; church retention instructions do not override those requirements. For deletion help, contact support@covenantory.com.
6. How we use information
We use information to:
- Provide, secure, maintain, improve, and support the Services.
- Enable tenant administration and role-based access.
- Handle communications, onboarding, support, and billing.
- Support compliance, audit logging, fraud and abuse prevention, and security monitoring.
- Power AI-assisted features where enabled.
- Meet legal obligations.
7. SMS and mobile opt-in data
We do not sell or share mobile opt-in information, SMS consent records, or the phone numbers collected for SMS consent with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes.
Mobile opt-in data is used to provide the requested messaging services, manage consent, deliver messages, process opt-outs, support compliance, and maintain audit records.
Text-messaging originator opt-in data and consent are not shared with third parties except with service providers necessary to deliver the messaging services, to comply with law, to prevent abuse, or to operate the Services.
For SMS programs, message frequency varies and message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. SMS opt-in evidence is available at /sms-opt-in-evidence. Program details are at /sms.
9. We do not sell personal information
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share SMS opt-in data or consent records for third-party marketing or promotional purposes.
10. Customer-controlled data
If you are an individual connected to a church or organization that uses Covenantory (for example, a member, donor, guest, or volunteer), the church generally controls your ministry records, giving records, membership records, care records, communication preferences, and related finance records in its workspace.
For requests about that information, please contact the church directly. Covenantory may assist its customers in responding to such requests, consistent with its agreements and this policy.
12. Data retention
We retain information for as long as needed to provide the Services and to comply with legal, audit, payment, and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and maintain security.
Bank-connectivity access credentials are retained only while the connection is active or source revocation is pending, and are deleted after disconnection is confirmed. Imported bank transaction records may be retained for seven years from the transaction date unless tenant deletion, legal hold, or applicable law requires a different handling path.
Google access credentials and connected account details are deleted when the Drive source or YouTube connector is disconnected. Google and YouTube access also ends when the user revokes Covenantory in Google Account permissions. Protected Drive import snapshots and independently authored church records follow the customer's retention instructions and applicable legal or audit obligations. YouTube API data follows YouTube's authorization, refresh, and deletion requirements, including removal after revocation.
Customer data retention may otherwise depend on the customer's workspace configuration and contract terms. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete or securely dispose of it.
13. Security
We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information, including tenant isolation, least-privilege access, audit logging, and encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest.
No system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and customers share responsibility for safeguarding their accounts and access.
14. Children and youth ministry data
Covenantory is not directed to children under 13 as a public service, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children through our public website.
Churches may use Covenantory to manage youth and children's ministry records where they have appropriate authority and consent. In that context, the church is responsible for obtaining any required parental or guardian consent and for complying with applicable children's-privacy laws, and Covenantory processes that data as directed by the church, subject to its agreement and this policy.
15. AI-assisted features
Where AI features are enabled, inputs and outputs may be processed by Covenantory and by third-party model providers acting as our subprocessors. Users should avoid submitting sensitive pastoral or care details to AI features unless it is authorized and appropriate to do so.
How our AI providers handle data is governed by the applicable provider agreements. We do not represent that AI providers never use data for model training; where a provider offers such controls, we configure them consistent with operating the Services.
16. Your privacy rights (where applicable)
Depending on where you live and the applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of your personal information, to restrict or opt out of certain processing, and to appeal a decision. Where a customer church controls the data, we will direct or assist requests appropriately.
Covenantory serves U.S.-based churches and organizations. Where applicable law grants specific rights, we honor them as required. To exercise a right, or if a church directs a request to us, contact us at support@covenantory.com.
17. Contact
Privacy questions can be sent to support@covenantory.com.