Privacy Policy

Who We Are

International Business as Mission, INC ("IBAM," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Michigan. IBAM's mission is to accelerate entrepreneur development among disciple-making movements worldwide. For more than 20 years, IBAM has equipped believers in developing nations to build businesses that strengthen their communities and further the Gospel.

IBAM operates the following websites and programs in the United States:

• ibam.org — Our primary website, where you can learn about our mission, read impact stories, access resources, listen to our podcast, and support our work through donations.
• Third Fish Academy (thirdfish.org) — A free, faith-driven business training program consisting of 22 sessions designed to help participants discover their calling, build real business skills, and multiply their impact.

IBAM also supports international training programs in developing nations. This privacy policy covers our U.S.-facing websites and services — ibam.org, Third Fish Academy (thirdfish.org), and any related communications, events, or programs operated by IBAM within the United States.

When this policy refers to "our services," it means the U.S. websites and programs listed above.

What Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Account registration: When you create a Third Fish Academy account at thirdfish.org, we collect your name, email address, and phone number (if you opt in to SMS).
• Donation information: When you make a donation through ibam.org, we collect your name, email address, mailing address, and payment information. Your payment is processed by our third-party payment processors (currently Stripe and Authorize.net). IBAM does not store your full credit card number or bank account number on our servers.
• Contact forms: When you submit a contact form or email us, we collect your name, email address, and message content.
• Quiz and assessment responses: When you take the "What Kind of Kingdom Builder Are You?" quiz or other assessments on ibam.org, we collect your responses and any contact information you provide.
• Event registration: When you register for the IBAM Summit or other events, we collect your registration details.
• Church partnership enrollment: If you sign up for Third Fish Academy through a church partner, we may collect your church affiliation in addition to your account information.

Information Collected Automatically

• Website usage data: We use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about how you interact with our websites, including pages visited, time spent, and referring sources. We use this data to improve our websites and understand how our programs are being used.
• Device and browser information: We may collect your IP address, browser type, operating system, and device type for security, analytics, and website optimization purposes.
• Email engagement: When we send you emails, we may track whether you open them and which links you click. This helps us send more relevant communications and measure the effectiveness of our outreach.

Third-Party Services We Use

We use trusted third-party service providers to operate our websites and programs. These providers process data on our behalf and are bound by their own privacy policies and data protection obligations. Our current service providers include:

• Systeme.io — Website hosting (ibam.org), email marketing, and donation page management
• Vercel and Supabase — Website hosting and database management (thirdfish.org)
• Stripe and Authorize.net — Payment processing for donations
• Twilio — SMS message delivery for Third Fish Academy participants who opt in
• Vimeo — Video hosting for training content
• Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, X (Twitter), Pinterest — Social media platforms where we maintain a presence

These providers may use cookies or similar technologies on our websites. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies for details on how they handle data.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Deliver our programs: Provide and improve the Third Fish Academy training platform, process your course progress, and support your learning experience.
• Process donations: Complete donation transactions, issue tax receipts, and maintain donor records as required by law.
• Communicate with you: Send you account-related messages, course reminders, progress updates, and program announcements.
• Share our ministry work: Send you stories, updates, and news from IBAM's global work — real entrepreneurs in real countries building real businesses through the faith-driven training we provide.
• Invite your participation: From time to time, share opportunities to participate in IBAM's global mission through prayer, financial giving, or other means. Participation is always voluntary — your access to Third Fish Academy and all IBAM resources is never contingent on financial participation.
• Coordinate with church partners: When you are part of a church-affiliated cohort in Third Fish Academy, we may coordinate with your church partner regarding program logistics. Your individual progress data is never shared with church leadership unless you explicitly choose to share it.
• Improve our services: Analyze website usage and program engagement to improve our offerings.
• Comply with legal obligations: Maintain records as required by IRS regulations, state charitable solicitation laws, and other applicable requirements.

Communications You May Receive

When you interact with IBAM — whether by creating a Third Fish Academy account, making a donation, signing up for our email list, or registering for an event — you may receive the following types of communications:

Training-Related Emails (Third Fish Academy participants)

Messages about your course progress, session reminders, milestone celebrations, and encouragement. These come from the Third Fish Academy platform.

IBAM Ministry Updates

Periodic stories from IBAM's global work — real entrepreneurs whose lives and communities have been transformed through the same faith-driven training we provide. These emails help you see the larger picture of what your training and support are connected to.

Participation Invitations

From time to time, we may share opportunities to participate in IBAM's global mission through prayer, financial giving, or other means. These invitations are informational. Your access to Third Fish Academy is never contingent on financial participation, and you are never required to give. All IBAM programs and resources remain fully available to every participant regardless of whether they choose to give.

Donation Receipts and Acknowledgments

If you make a donation, we will send you a receipt for tax purposes and periodic updates on how your giving is being used.

Church Partner Communications (if applicable)

If you sign up for Third Fish Academy through a church partner, your church's name or logo may appear on certain emails to reflect the partnership. Church-branded emails are only sent to participants who enrolled through that church's specific sign-up process.

SMS Messages (Third Fish Academy participants who opt in)

If you opt in to receive text messages during Third Fish Academy registration, you may receive automated SMS messages including course reminders, progress nudges, milestone celebrations, and re-engagement notifications. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.

Managing Your Preferences

You may manage your communication preferences or unsubscribe from any non-essential email category at any time by:

• Using the unsubscribe link in any email
• Contacting us at hello@ibam.org
• Replying STOP to any SMS message

Transactional emails about your account security, donation receipts, and essential platform functions may continue even after you unsubscribe from other communications.

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to other organizations.

Because Third Fish Academy is a program operated by IBAM, your information may be used across IBAM's internal communication systems to provide you with the services and communications described in this policy. This is not third-party sharing — it is a single organization managing your information across its own programs and tools. Your information is not shared with or transferred to IBAM's international programs.

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We share information with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our websites, process payments, deliver emails and text messages, and host content. These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually prohibited from using your information for their own marketing purposes.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
• Protection of rights: We may disclose information to protect the rights, property, or safety of IBAM, our participants, or the public.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our websites use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

• Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality such as maintaining your login session and processing donations.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our websites so we can improve the experience. We may use third-party analytics services that set their own cookies.
• Social media cookies: Our websites may include social media features (such as share buttons) that are provided by third-party platforms and may set their own cookies.

You can control cookie settings through your browser. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our websites.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy. Specifically:

• Account data: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterward in case you wish to re-engage.
• Donation records: Retained as required by IRS regulations and state charitable solicitation laws (typically seven years minimum).
• Email and SMS preferences: Retained to honor your communication choices.
• Website usage data: Retained in aggregate form for analytics purposes.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data. Please note that we may be required to retain certain information for legal or regulatory purposes (such as donation records for tax compliance).
• Opt out of communications: Unsubscribe from marketing emails or opt out of SMS messages at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@ibam.org or write to us at:

We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@ibam.org.

Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

International Data

The websites and services covered by this policy (ibam.org and thirdfish.org) are operated in the United States, and your information is stored and processed in the United States. IBAM's international training programs operate independently and do not receive or share personal data with our U.S. websites or services.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:

International Business as Mission, INC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization incorporated in the State of Michigan. EIN: 47-2125341. Donations to IBAM are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.