Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Planning Orchestrator ("Service," "we," "us") collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use our web dashboard, AI scheduling assistant, email reminders, and SMS notification services. Planning Orchestrator is a third-party tool for churches that use Planning Center Online (PCO). It is not operated by or affiliated with Planning Center Online.

Our Role

We act as a data processor (GDPR) and service provider (CCPA) on behalf of your church or organization (the "Organization"), which is the data controller. We process personal data only as instructed by the Organization and as described in this policy.

Information We Collect

From Organization Administrators (Web Dashboard)

• Name, email address, and profile photo (from Planning Center OAuth sign-in)
• Planning Center organization membership and permissions

From Planning Center (via authorized API access)

• Volunteer names, Planning Center person IDs, and team/position assignments
• Service scheduling data (plans, dates, confirmation status)
• Blockout dates and availability information

We access Planning Center data using each administrator's own OAuth credentials. Planning Center enforces that administrator's permission level — we cannot access data beyond what each user is authorized to see in Planning Center.

Data Created Within the Service

• Scheduling preferences (frequency, position preferences, notes)
• Volunteer priority rankings (tiers 1–4 per position)
• Volunteer pairing rules (schedule together/apart)
• SMS consent status (when consent was granted, by what method)
• Email unsubscribe status and timestamp

From SMS Volunteers

• Phone numbers and associated volunteer names
• Scheduling-related messages sent to and from the service

Conversation History

When administrators use the AI scheduling assistant, conversation messages (including the assistant's tool calls and results) are stored to maintain context across sessions. These conversations may contain volunteer names, scheduling details, and position information as part of the scheduling workflow.

How We Use Your Information

Information collected is used solely to provide the scheduling service:

• Assist administrators with volunteer scheduling decisions via the AI assistant
• Send scheduling notifications, reminders, and confirmations via SMS and email
• Display scheduling dashboards, reports, and preference management tools
• Process volunteer responses (confirmations, declines, swap requests)
• Manage subscription billing

We do not use Planning Center data, volunteer information, or conversation history to train AI models. We do not sell or rent personal information to any third party. Mobile information (phone numbers) and SMS opt-in consent will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

SMS Program Details

The following disclosures apply to volunteers who receive scheduling text messages from Planning Orchestrator on behalf of their church.

Program Purpose

SMS is used solely for transactional volunteer scheduling on behalf of an Organization (church): schedule confirmations, reminders for upcoming serving slots, swap coordination, and replies to volunteer-initiated messages. Planning Orchestrator does not send marketing or promotional SMS.

How Volunteers Opt In

Volunteers are added to the SMS program only through one of the consent paths described in our Terms of Service and illustrated, with screenshots of the actual consent flow, on our public SMS Opt-In Process page:

• Administrator-initiated double opt-in: A church administrator adds the volunteer's number after attesting that the volunteer has given the church permission to be contacted; the volunteer must then reply YES to a confirmation SMS before any further messages are sent.
• Volunteer-initiated: A volunteer texts the church's Planning Orchestrator number first; the initial reply contains the program disclosure (message/data rates, STOP, HELP).

Message Frequency

Message frequency varies based on scheduling activity. Volunteers who are actively scheduled typically receive 1–4 messages per week (a confirmation prompt, occasional reminders, and any swap coordination). Volunteers not actively scheduled usually receive zero messages in a given week.

Message and Data Rates

Message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier plan. Neither Planning Orchestrator nor your church is responsible for carrier charges.

Opt-Out and Help

Reply STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, or STOPALL to any message to unsubscribe from all further SMS. Reply HELP or INFO for program information and support contact.

Mobile Information Sharing

No mobile information (phone numbers, opt-in data, or SMS message content) is shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile information is shared only with the sub-processors listed below that deliver the Service.

AI Processing

The Service uses an AI assistant (powered by Anthropic's Claude API) to help administrators manage volunteer scheduling. When you use the AI assistant:

• Your messages and relevant scheduling data (volunteer names, positions, availability) are sent to Anthropic's API to generate responses
• Conversation history from the current session is included for context
• Anthropic processes this data under their commercial API terms, which prohibit using API inputs and outputs for model training
• We do not send data to the AI assistant beyond what is necessary for the scheduling task at hand

Sub-Processors

We share data with the following third-party service providers solely to operate the Service:

We do not sell, trade, or share personal information with third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

Data Retention

• Conversation history: Automatically deleted after 7 days
• SMS contact records: Retained until removed by a church administrator or the volunteer opts out; opt-out records are kept indefinitely to honor the opt-out on any future sends
• Email unsubscribe records: Retained indefinitely to honor the unsubscribe
• Scheduling preferences and rankings: Retained until removed by a church administrator
• Decline processing logs: Retained for operational integrity; deleted when the Organization's account is removed
• OAuth tokens: Encrypted at rest; revoked upon logout or account deletion

When an Organization's account is deleted, all associated data (users, preferences, conversations, contacts, rankings) is permanently deleted.

Data Security

• OAuth tokens are encrypted at rest using AES-based encryption (Fernet)
• All data is scoped to the Organization — strict multi-tenant isolation prevents cross-organization data access
• Administrator permissions are enforced at both the application and Planning Center API level
• All connections use HTTPS/TLS encryption in transit

Children's Data

The Service processes volunteer scheduling data as provided by the Organization through Planning Center. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If the Organization's Planning Center data includes minors who serve as volunteers, the Organization is responsible for obtaining appropriate parental or guardian consent as required by applicable law (including COPPA). Organizations should use Planning Center's built-in safeguards to manage which individuals are included in volunteer scheduling.

Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of personal data we hold about you
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Opt-out of SMS: Reply STOP to any SMS message
• Opt-out of Email: Click the unsubscribe link in any email

To exercise these rights, contact your church administrator, who can manage your data within the Service or contact us on your behalf. For direct inquiries, email the address listed below.

Contact

For privacy-related questions or data requests, contact your church administrator or email us at privacy@planningorchestrator.com.