The purpose of this Document Retention and Destruction Policy is to establish guidelines for the creation, maintenance, retention, storage, and destruction of records maintained by Lyfe Three, Inc. ("the Organization"). This policy is designed to:

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations;
• Meet grant and audit requirements;
• Protect confidential information;
• Preserve important organizational records;
• Support efficient business operations; and
• Reduce unnecessary storage costs and legal risks.

This policy applies to all records maintained by Lyfe Three, Inc., regardless of format, including:

• Paper documents
• Electronic files
• Emails
• Databases
• Photographs and videos
• Financial records
• Personnel records
• Grant documentation
• Board records

This policy applies to employees, board members, volunteers, contractors, and consultants who create, receive, maintain, or dispose of organizational records.

1. Records shall be maintained for the period required by law, regulation, contract, grant requirement, or organizational need.
2. Records may be maintained in electronic or paper format.
3. Electronic copies are acceptable when they accurately reproduce the original document and remain accessible for the required retention period.
4. Records shall be stored securely and protected from unauthorized access, destruction, or alteration.

The following records shall be retained permanently:

• Articles of Incorporation
• IRS Determination Letter
• Bylaws and amendments
• Board meeting minutes
• Board committee minutes
• Corporate resolutions
• Organizational policies
• Annual reports
• Real estate records
• Property deeds and titles
• Major grant award documents
• Historical program records deemed significant by the Board

The following records shall be retained for a minimum of seven (7) years:

• General ledgers
• Bank statements
• Canceled checks
• Deposit records
• Accounts payable records
• Accounts receivable records
• Financial statements
• Expense reports
• Credit card statements
• Tax filings
• Audit reports
• Procurement records
• Vendor documentation
• Supporting documentation for expenditures

Records related to federal, state, and private grants shall be retained for at least seven (7) years after submission of the final expenditure report or grant closeout, unless a longer period is required by the funding agency.

Examples include:

• Grant applications
• Award notices
• Budgets
• Budget amendments
• Reimbursement requests
• Program reports
• Attendance records
• Student participation records
• Evaluation reports
• Monitoring reports
• Procurement records
• Supporting documentation for grant expenditures

Personnel records shall be retained for at least seven (7) years following separation of employment:

• Employment applications
• Resumes
• Personnel files
• Performance evaluations
• Payroll records
• Time and effort certifications
• Training records
• Disciplinary records
• Benefit records

The following records shall be retained for seven (7) years:

• Enrollment forms
• Attendance records
• Parent communications
• Academic progress records
• Surveys
• Incident reports
• Transportation logs
• Program participation records

Contracts, leases, insurance policies, and legal agreements shall be retained for seven (7) years following expiration or termination.

If the Organization becomes aware of:

• Pending litigation,
• Threatened litigation,
• Government investigations,
• Audit findings,
• Open records requests, or
• Other legal actions, all destruction of relevant records shall immediately cease.

The Executive Director, Program Director, Board President, or legal counsel may issue a Litigation Hold Notice requiring records to be preserved beyond normal retention periods.

Electronic records shall:

• Be backed up regularly;
• Be protected by passwords and security controls;
• Remain accessible throughout the retention period;
• Be securely deleted when eligible for destruction.

The Organization shall maintain reasonable safeguards against unauthorized access, cyber threats, and accidental loss.

When records have met retention requirements and are not subject to a Litigation Hold:

Paper records shall be destroyed through:

• Shredding
• Secure document destruction services
• Other methods that render the information unreadable

Electronic records shall be:

• Permanently deleted;
• Removed from storage systems; or
• Destroyed using secure deletion methods when appropriate.

Special care shall be taken when destroying records containing:

• Student information
• Personnel information
• Financial information
• Social Security numbers
• Medical information
• Donor information
• Grant-related data

Confidential records shall never be discarded in unsecured trash receptacles.

The Board of Directors has ultimate oversight responsibility for this policy.

The Program Director and Fiscal Officer are responsible for:

• Implementing the policy;
• Maintaining retention schedules;
• Coordinating record destruction;
• Ensuring compliance with grant requirements; and
• Training staff regarding records management responsibilities.

This policy shall be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors and revised as necessary to ensure compliance with applicable laws, grant requirements, and nonprofit best practices.