Privacy Notice

1. Who operates this service Mychoice Awards LLC, a Georgia limited liability company, operates myChoice Awards. Contact support@mychoiceawards.com or use the contact options at /contact for privacy questions, corrections, access requests, deletion requests, or concerns about a child's information. This notice covers the directory, voting, business accounts, invitations, optional promotions and scholarship administration.

2. Information we collect We collect information you submit, including email addresses, account and business contact details, profile content and images, nomination and claim information, support messages, marketing preferences, and scholarship applications. Applications include your selected program, Georgia county and goals statement. Do not submit Social Security numbers, FAFSA credentials, tax returns, bank details, patient information or unrelated sensitive records through these forms. Verification and integrity records include email-derived identifiers, code-verification records, timestamps, vote/category/cycle references, device-token hashes, IP-derived identifiers, user-agent information and audit records. Infrastructure and email providers may process IP addresses, delivery and security logs. Hashing helps protect identifiers; it does not make all records anonymous. Directory information may come from business representatives, public sources and authorized directory sources. A business may provide another business's contact information to request an invitation. Payment processors handle payment details when paid checkout is available; this application does not need your full card number in a support message or profile.

3. How information is used We use information to provide the service, verify email access and business authority, enforce voting limits, detect abuse, maintain profiles, process orders and support requests, administer scholarships, keep accounting/audit evidence, and meet legal obligations. Email verification is not proof that each email represents a different person. Scholarship information is used for eligibility, evaluation and award administration, not to determine federal financial-aid eligibility. Optional marketing is separate from voting and account verification. Checking a marketing box is not a condition of casting a vote. We record the consent wording and verification evidence when a verified signup succeeds.

4. Public and private information Published business profiles, submitted promotional content, nominees, category/year results, sponsored placements and aggregate mission reports are public. Do not put personal or confidential information in a public profile or image. Claim evidence, voter identifiers, individual ballots, applicant statements, committee records and private support materials are not part of the public directory. Authorized personnel can access records needed for their work, subject to access controls and conflict procedures. Scholarship-recipient publicity requires separate permission; an application alone is not permission to publish a personal story or photograph.

5. Sharing and providers Service providers process information needed for hosting, database/authentication/storage, abuse prevention, email delivery and payments. The application uses Cloudflare, Supabase and Resend; Stripe handles checkout where enabled. Provider services have their own applicable privacy terms. We may disclose necessary information to a school selected by a scholarship recipient to verify enrollment, apply payment and reconcile unused funds, with appropriate authorization. We may disclose information when lawfully required, to protect rights or investigate abuse, or in a lawful business transfer subject to applicable notice and protections. We do not sell voter or applicant contact lists. Voting, applying or appearing in the directory does not authorize a listed business, affiliated school or advertiser to receive your contact information for its own marketing.

6. Cookies and remembered devices Authentication and security mechanisms help the service operate. If you choose to remember a voting device, your browser stores a verification token for up to 30 days; the server stores a hashed token and expiry. The remembered-device cookie does not contain your email address. You can use the voting page's forget-device control or clear browser cookies. That ends device convenience but does not erase previously recorded votes or required audit evidence. Essential security and duplicate-prevention controls still apply.

7. Choices, requests and retention Use the opt-out link in a commercial email or contact support to stop marketing. Necessary account, verification and transaction messages are separate. You may ask to correct your information, obtain information about records associated with you, withdraw an application, or delete eligible records. We verify a request proportionately, protect other people's information, and explain applicable limits. A correction or deletion request does not permit changing valid vote totals or destroying evidence subject to a legal hold. Records are retained according to their purpose, including account operation, voting disputes, scholarship administration, accounting, fraud prevention and applicable legal obligations. Expiration of a code or token prevents its reuse; it does not mean every related log is immediately deleted. Backups and legally required records may remain after active records are removed. We do not promise permanent storage or immediate deletion of every copy.

8. Children and security This general-audience service is not directed to children under 13. Children under 13 must not submit personal information. A parent or guardian who believes such information was provided should contact support so we can investigate and take appropriate action. Minors must have a parent or guardian handle any transaction or authorization requiring adult legal capacity. We use access restrictions, verification and other safeguards, but no website or transmission method is completely secure. Suspected incidents are assessed under applicable law; this notice does not limit any legally required notification or remedy.

9. Changes The version and publication date identify this notice. Material changes are communicated through the service and, where required, additional notice or consent. A later notice does not automatically authorize a materially different use of information previously collected.