Privacy Policy – Oakland Voices

Adopted and effective September 14, 2026

Oakland Voices respects the privacy of our readers, contributors, program participants, donors and community partners. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, and the choices available to you.

1. Who we are

Oakland Voices is a community newsroom and journalism training program of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation.

In this policy, “Oakland Voices,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Oakland Voices and, when it administers Oakland Voices programs and services, the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

The Maynard Institute is responsible for personal information collected through Oakland Voices unless a form, service or notice identifies another responsible organization.

2. What this policy covers

This policy applies to personal information collected through:

oaklandvoices.us;
Oakland Voices newsletters and email communications;
applications, surveys and forms;
website comments;
event registrations;
donations designated for Oakland Voices;
advertising and partnership inquiries; and
other Oakland Voices programs or services that link to this policy.

This policy does not replace a more specific notice provided with an application, survey, event, research project or other activity. When a specific notice differs from this policy, the more specific notice governs that collection.

This policy primarily concerns audience, program and organizational information. Oakland Voices also gathers information for journalistic purposes. Because protecting sources and editorial independence is essential to our work, requests concerning reporting files may be evaluated under applicable law, journalism ethics and our obligations to sources.

3. Information we collect

Information you provide

Depending on how you interact with Oakland Voices, you may provide:

Newsletter information: Your email address, name, newsletter selections, and communication preferences.
Contact and correspondence information: Your name, email address, telephone number and the contents of messages, story ideas, correction requests, or other communications you send us.
Comment information: Your display name, email address, comment, submission time, and technical information associated with the submission. Published comments may remain publicly available with the related story. Comments that are not published may be retained for moderation, safety, correction, or editorial-review purposes.
Applications and program information: Information submitted when applying for the Community Journalism Academy, an internship, fellowship, contract, or other opportunity. This may include contact information, Oakland connection, education or employment history, writing samples, interests and responses to application questions.

Demographic information: Oakland Voices may collect information related to the Maynard Institute’s Fault Lines® framework, including geography, ZIP code, age, gender, income, race and ethnicity. This information helps us evaluate whom our journalism and programs reach.

Demographic responses may initially be connected with an application, survey or participant record. When we report demographic findings, we aggregate or deidentify the information to reduce the possibility that an individual can be identified.

Survey and engagement information: Responses to reader surveys, polls, listening activities, feedback forms and questionnaires.

Event information: Contact information, registration responses, accessibility needs, attendance information and other information needed to organize an event.

Donation information: Your name, contact information, donation amount, date, designation and communication preferences. Donations to Oakland Voices are processed through the Maynard Institute and its fundraising providers.

Advertising and partnership information: Your name, organization, title, contact information and information about a proposed advertisement, sponsorship, collaboration or service.

You are not required to provide personal information simply to read Oakland Voices stories.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website or interact with our emails, Oakland Voices and its service providers may automatically collect:

Internet Protocol address;
browser and device type;
operating system;
referring website;
pages viewed and links selected;
dates and times of visits;
approximate location derived from an IP address;
cookie or similar identifiers;
interactions with advertisements; and
newsletter delivery, opening and link activity, depending on your email provider and settings.

We generally use this information to understand aggregate audience behavior, operate the website, measure newsletter and advertising performance, identify technical problems and improve our journalism and services.

Information received from other organizations

We may receive information from the Maynard Institute, internship or fellowship providers, event partners, donation processors or other organizations when necessary to administer an Oakland Voices activity and when the disclosure is permitted.

If an event or program is jointly operated, we will seek to identify participating organizations when the information is collected.

4. How we use information

Oakland Voices may use personal information to:

deliver newsletters and communications you request;
administer applications, programs, internships and fellowships;
respond to questions, story ideas, correction requests and other inquiries;
moderate comments and enforce our comment policy;
conduct surveys, community listening and audience research;
organize events and provide requested accommodations;
process and acknowledge donations;
manage advertising, sponsorships and partnerships;
analyze website, newsletter and audience performance;
improve our journalism, programs, website and communications;
prepare aggregate program, audience and grant reports;
maintain the security and integrity of our systems;
detect spam, fraud, abuse and other harmful activity;
maintain organizational, accounting and legal records;
protect the rights and safety of Oakland Voices, the Maynard Institute and others; and
comply with applicable legal obligations.

We may aggregate or deidentify information so that it cannot reasonably be connected with a particular person. We may use and share aggregate information to explain our audience, evaluate programs, prepare reports and improve our work.

We will not publicly attribute a private survey response to you without permission unless the form clearly states that responses will be public.

5. Administrative use of artificial intelligence

Oakland Voices may use authorized artificial-intelligence tools to help with limited administrative tasks, such as organizing communications and preparing internal summaries or briefs.

A human oversees this work. Oakland Voices does not use AI tools to make final decisions about editorial coverage, program eligibility, employment, donations or privacy requests.

We do not intentionally enter confidential source information or highly sensitive personal information into external AI systems without review, authorization and appropriate safeguards.

Learn more in our Artificial Intelligence Policy.

6. Newsletters and marketing choices

Oakland Voices uses Mailchimp to manage newsletter subscriptions and distribute email communications. Mailchimp processes subscriber information and may collect information about email delivery, openings and link selections.

Mailchimp is operated by Intuit. Its practices are described in the Intuit Global Privacy Statement and Mailchimp Cookie Statement.

You may unsubscribe through the link included in each newsletter or by contacting Oakland Voices. After you unsubscribe, Mailchimp or Oakland Voices may retain limited information on a suppression list to ensure that we honor your request.

Unsubscribing from newsletters does not necessarily prevent us from sending a nonpromotional message about an application, donation, contract, correction request or other transaction you initiated.

Oakland Voices does not provide its newsletter list to donors, advertisers or community partners for their independent marketing.

7. Cookies, analytics and advertising

Cookies and similar technologies are files, pixels, tags or scripts that websites and service providers use to recognize a browser or device and collect information about its activity.

Oakland Voices and its providers may use these technologies for:

essential website functions;
security and spam prevention;
website and audience analytics;
newsletter measurement;
remembering preferences; and
measuring advertising delivery and performance.

Google Analytics

Oakland Voices uses Google Analytics to understand how people find and use our website. Google Analytics may receive device, browser, approximate-location and website-activity information.

Analytics information is retained according to Oakland Voices’ Google Analytics configuration and Google’s applicable retention practices. Aggregate reports may be available for longer than user- or event-level information.

Broadstreet

Oakland Voices uses Broadstreet to deliver and measure website advertising. Broadstreet has represented that its service uses no cookies, collects no personal data, does not share or sell personal information and does not store personal information on its servers.

Oakland Voices uses Broadstreet for advertisement delivery and aggregate performance reporting, not cross-context behavioral advertising.

Embedded services

Our website may include embedded video, social-media posts, sharing tools or other third-party content. When you interact with an embed, its provider may collect information under its own privacy policy.

Future advertising services

As of this policy’s effective date, Oakland Voices has not implemented URL Media or EmpowerLocal advertising services. Before adding an advertising provider that uses cookies, tracking technologies or personalized advertising, we will review and update this policy and provide any required privacy choices.

8. Do Not Track and privacy signals

Some browsers transmit “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control signals.

Oakland Voices has not implemented a separate website mechanism specifically designed to process these signals. We do not currently sell personal information or knowingly use personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

You may limit cookies through your browser settings or privacy tools. Blocking cookies or scripts may affect some website features.

If our data practices change in a way that requires recognition of an opt-out preference signal, we will update our systems and this policy.

For personal information collected directly through mije.org, the Maynard Institute maintains a separate opt-out preferences page. Requests involving Oakland Voices should be directed to the contact listed in Section 17 below.

9. How we share information

We may share information with:

The Maynard Institute: Authorized Institute personnel may process Oakland Voices information for financial administration, fundraising, payroll, contracts, technology, program management, legal compliance and organizational oversight.
Service providers: Vendors may process information to provide website hosting, content management, email distribution, analytics, forms, surveys, advertising delivery, payment processing, data storage, artificial-intelligence assistance, security and other operational services.
Program and event partners: We may share limited information when necessary to administer a jointly offered event, internship, fellowship or program. When practical, we will identify that arrangement when the information is collected.
Professional advisers: We may disclose information to attorneys, accountants, auditors, insurers or other advisers when necessary.
Government or legal recipients: We may disclose information when we reasonably believe disclosure is required by law or valid legal process, or is necessary to protect rights, safety or security.
Organizational successors: If Oakland Voices undergoes a fiscal, legal or organizational transition, relevant information may be transferred to the organization that assumes responsibility for Oakland Voices. Any transfer will be managed consistently with applicable law and the commitments in effect when the information was collected.

Oakland Voices does not rent or sell its newsletter, donor, applicant or survey lists.

We do not give donors, advertisers or sponsors access to confidential source information or unpublished reporting material.

10. Donations and payment information

Donations designated for Oakland Voices are administered by the Maynard Institute.

As of this policy’s effective date, News Revenue Hub provides the donation platform linked from Oakland Voices. The donation platform may change as Oakland Voices’ publishing and fundraising systems evolve. The applicable provider and privacy terms should be displayed during the donation process.

The donation provider collects payment information under its own terms and privacy policy. Oakland Voices may receive donor contact information, contribution amount, date, designation and communication preferences but does not ordinarily receive or store complete credit-card or bank-account credentials.

Information about donors whose contributions meet our public disclosure threshold may be published as described in our Donor Transparency Policy. We will honor accepted anonymous gifts consistent with that policy and applicable law.

11. Applications, surveys and demographic information

Oakland Voices seeks to understand whether our journalism and programs reach communities historically excluded or underrepresented in journalism and news coverage.

Applications and surveys may ask about geography, ZIP code, age, gender, income, race, ethnicity or other demographic characteristics. Unless identified as required for a legitimate program purpose, providing demographic information is voluntary.

We may use this information to:

conduct equitable outreach;
assess participation and community reach;
improve programs and coverage;
evaluate whether we are fulfilling our mission; and
meet legitimate grant-reporting requirements.

Because application and alumni forms may contain both identifying and demographic information, the information is not necessarily anonymous when collected. We aggregate or deidentify demographic information before using it in public reports.

We take reasonable steps to avoid publishing statistics about very small groups when doing so could identify an individual.

12. Comments and public submissions

Information submitted as a website comment may be published with the display name supplied by the commenter.

Do not include addresses, telephone numbers, benefits information, confidential source information or other sensitive personal information in a public comment.

Oakland Voices may preserve comments that are declined or removed when necessary to document moderation, address a correction or complaint, protect safety, or maintain an editorial record. Access to nonpublic moderation records is limited according to their purpose.

See our Comment and Community Discussion Policy and Corrections Policy for more information.

13. Children and young people

Our website is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect online personal information from a child under 13 without appropriate authorization.

If you believe a child under 13 has submitted personal information to Oakland Voices, contact us so we can review and, when appropriate, delete it.

Oakland Voices may work with high-school students and other young people through community journalism programs. When a participant is under 18, we may use additional notices, permissions, or consent forms appropriate to the activity.

We do not knowingly sell the personal information of anyone under 16.

14. Your choices and privacy requests

You may ask Oakland Voices to:

identify personal information we maintain about you;
provide a copy of information you submitted;
correct inaccurate information;
delete information;
stop sending marketing communications; or
explain how we have used or shared your information.

Email requests to with the subject line Privacy Request. Please describe your request and identify the email address, application, survey, donation, or other interaction involved.

We may need to verify your identity before providing, correcting or deleting information. We will use information supplied for verification only to evaluate and respond to the request.

We may be unable to fulfill some or all of a request when retention is reasonably necessary to:

complete a transaction or requested service;
maintain tax, accounting, employment or contractual records;
honor an unsubscribe request;
protect security or prevent fraud and abuse;
exercise or defend legal rights;
preserve the integrity of published journalism;
protect confidential sources or unpublished reporting;
retain records of corrections, complaints or moderation decisions; or
comply with applicable law.

We will not discriminate against someone for making a privacy request.

15. Retention and deletion

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including journalism, program administration, financial accountability, security and legal compliance.

Depending on the type of information:

newsletter information may be retained while you remain subscribed, with limited information retained afterward to honor an unsubscribe request;
published comments and contributions may remain in Oakland Voices’ digital archive;
rejected comments may be retained temporarily for moderation, safety, or editorial review;
applications and program records may be retained for administration, evaluation, and reporting;
donation and financial records may be retained for applicable accounting and tax periods;
survey information may be aggregated or deidentified after the project; and
correction requests, significant complaints, and related decisions may be retained as part of Oakland Voices’ accountability record.

When information is no longer reasonably necessary, we may delete it, deidentify it or securely archive it with restricted access.

16. Security

Oakland Voices and the Maynard Institute use reasonable administrative, technical and organizational measures intended to protect personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

No website, email system or electronic-storage method is completely secure. Do not send highly sensitive or confidential source information through a public comment, ordinary form or general email account.

Contact Oakland Voices before submitting sensitive journalistic information so that an appropriate communication method can be arranged.

17. Contact us

Questions, concerns and privacy requests may be directed to:

Oakland Voices
A program of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education
4096 Piedmont Avenue, No. 377
Oakland, CA 94611
Email

Use the subject line Privacy Request when exercising a privacy choice or asking about personal information.

18. Changes to this policy

Oakland Voices may update this policy to reflect changes in our services, technology, vendors, organizational structure or legal obligations.

We will publish the revised policy with a new effective date. If a change materially affects how we use information already collected, we will provide additional notice when appropriate.