Floodlight Privacy Policy

Effective May 18, 2026

Floodlight News ("Floodlight," "we," "us," or "our") is an independent nonprofit newsroom. We care about your privacy, and we want to be straightforward about what information we collect when you visit our website and how we use it. If anything here is unclear, please reach out to us at contact@floodlightnews.org.

This policy covers information collected through our website. It doesn't cover information you share with us in other ways — for example, by phone, in person, or through postal mail.

Information you give us

You can read Floodlight's journalism without telling us anything about yourself. We only collect personal information when you choose to share it. That happens in two main places:

When you sign up for our newsletter. We collect your name and email address so we can send you the newsletter and related updates from Floodlight.

When you make a donation. We collect your name, email address, and payment information to process your gift, send you a receipt, and acknowledge your support. Payment information (such as credit card details) is processed by a third-party payment processor — we don't store credit card information on our own systems. All new donors are automatically signed up for our newsletter.

As a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, Floodlight is committed to donor transparency. We publicly list the names of donors who give $5,000 or more on our website and in other materials. We don't share gift amounts, contact information, or other personal details.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, ours collects some information automatically when you visit. This includes:

Your IP address
Your browser type and device type
The pages you visit on our site and how long you spend on them
The site you came from (the "referring" site)

We use this information to understand how readers find and use Floodlight, to improve the site, and to keep it secure.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are small text files a website places on your device that help it remember things — like whether you've visited before, or what you read last time. We use cookies to:

Make the site work properly
Understand how readers use the site (for example, through Google Analytics)
Remember your preferences

You can turn off or delete cookies through your browser's settings. If you do, some parts of the site may not work as smoothly, but you'll still be able to read our journalism.

How we use your information

We use the information you give us to:

Send you newsletters and updates you've asked for
Process and acknowledge your donations
Respond to questions or requests you send us
Understand who our readers and supporters are, so we can serve them better
Keep our website running and secure

We do not sell your personal information.

We share information only with the service providers that help us run Floodlight. These include:

Our email/newsletter platform (to deliver newsletters)
Our payment processor (to process donations)
Our website analytics provider (to understand site traffic)
Our donor management system (to keep track of supporters)

These providers can only use your information to do work for us. We may also share information if we're legally required to — for example, in response to a subpoena or court order — or if it's necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of Floodlight, our readers, or others.

How we protect your information

We use reasonable security measures to protect the information you share with us. No system is 100% secure, but we work to safeguard your data and we only keep it as long as we need it.

Your choices

You can:

Unsubscribe from our newsletter anytime by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email or by following this link to update your communication preferences.
Ask us to update or delete the personal information we have about you by emailing contact@floodlightnews.org or by following this link to update your name and email.
Opt out of cookies and analytics through your browser settings or by using tools like the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on

Children's privacy

Floodlight's website isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has shared information with us, please contact us and we'll delete it.

California, EU, and other privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights regarding your personal information — including the right to know what we've collected, to request a copy, or to have it deleted. To make a request, email us at contact@floodlightnews.org.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we'll change the "Effective date" at the top. We encourage you to check back occasionally so you know what's current.

Contact us

Questions about this policy, or about your information? Email us at contact@floodlightnews.org or write to us at 712 H Street NE, Suite 1371, Washington, DC, 20002.