Privacy Policy

Our commitment

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of the personal information from its supporters, donors, volunteers, employees and other stakeholders. This Privacy Policy describes the personal information that Crohn’s and Colitis Canada collects, how we manage that information and the circumstances under which we disclose your personal information. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada recognizes that your right to privacy. We value the trust placed in us by you, and recognize that this trust requires us to be transparent and accountable in how we treat personal information that is shared with us.

Defining personal information

“Personal Information” is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. This includes information as to whether an individual has donated to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, how much has been donated and an individual’s private contact information. Business contact information and certain publicly available information, such as name, address and telephone numbers that are published in telephone and online directories are not considered personal information.

What personal information do we collect

The types of personal information that we may collect from you includes:
  • Contact and identification information, such as your name, residential address, phone number, email address, Internet Protocol (IP) address;
  • Donor information such as date of gift, amount of gift, the campaign to which you contributed; 
  • Financial information such as your payment methods and preferences, banking information (credit card number and expiry date or chequing account numbers in order to process your donation); for online donations, event registrations and for donors that give monthly through bank account withdrawals. This information is stored in a secure database, with all but the last four digits of card numbers masked to protect cardholder information.
  • Other personal information pertaining to an event or program for which an individual has registered;
  • Other information voluntarily provided by an individual.

Use of personal information

Personal information we collect from you may be used by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada for the following purposes:
  • To inform you about activities, events and volunteers opportunities;
  • For fundraising;
  • To assist in developing new programs, events and services;
  • To process donations and issue tax receipts;
  • To provide donor with summary or aggregate information about our donations, programs and services;
  • For public education purposes;
  • For advocacy purposes;
  • To respond to requests for services and information;
  • For voluntary surveys;
  • To identify you in our system;
  • For internal research purposes;
  • To deliver and evaluate programs for which you are registered; 
  • To track communications with you;
  • To manage our relationship with you and provide you with customer service;
  • To provide newsletters, emails, information and updates;
  • As otherwise permitted or required by law.

Disclosure of personal information

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada may share your personal information in the following way: 
  • Banking information is shared with Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s banking institutions to process donations;
  • Personal Information is shared with auditors for the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s annual audit;
  • Personal Information may be shared with contracted third parties for:
    • The preparation of fundraising campaigns and used exclusively by them for the purposes of those specific campaigns;
    • Hosting, data management and storage services;
    • Market analysis and retention services; and
    • Donation processing and tax receipting production services
  • Personal Information may also be disclosed without your consent if required by law or by order of a court or other governmental tribunal.
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada does not rent or sell any personal information to other parties. 

Limiting collection, use and retention  

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada does not use personal information for purposes other than those for which it was originally collected or stated in this Privacy Policy, unless it has first obtained the consent of the person from whom such information was received. This may be your express consent (for example, when you voluntarily provide information on a form for purposes you clearly understand and agree to) or by declining an opportunity to opt-out of our collection or use of personal information. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada retains personal information only as long as is necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes for which it was collected or as required by law. 

If you would like to withdraw your consent to the disclosure of personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer whose contact information can be found in the last section of the Privacy Policy.

Accuracy of personal information  

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is committed to maintaining accurate, complete and up-to-date Personal Information. If you are aware of changes to the personal information you have given us, please inform us of the change(s) and we will update our records accordingly. You may check and correct your personal information by contacting the Privacy Officer whose contact information can be found in the last section of the Privacy Policy.

Safeguards for your personal information

 
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada recognizes your right to privacy and pledges to maintain accuracy, confidentiality and security of your personal information.  We acknowledge the sensitivity of the data we hold. We maintain personal information in conformity with the requirements of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Crohn’s and Colitis Canada employs security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. We maintain reasonable technical, physical and administrative security safeguards to protect your information against loss, theft and unauthorized access. Security measures include:
  • Information Technology security measures including the use of passwords and encryption to prevent unauthorized access; 
  • Locked storage cabinets in secure areas; 
  • Third party providers which provide services for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada have strict security and confidentiality clauses in the contractual arrangements.  

Website use


When visiting our website, visitors’ IP addresses may be logged automatically in our web server’s log files, along with the page(s) that you visited. We use this information to calculate website usage levels, to help diagnose problems with the website’s servers, and to administer the website.  

As with most websites, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada uses cookies. Cookies are small files of information that a web server transfers to an individual’s computer. Cookies are used to measure how you use the website, so it can be updated and improved based on your needs, remember the notifications you’ve seen so that we do not show them again, and remember your language of preference. If an individual’s browser settings do not accept cookies from our website, they may not be able to take advantage of all the features of the website. If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, there are procedures in most browsers that allow you to delete existing cookies or automatically decline cookies. 

Google Analytics


Crohn’s and Colitis Canada uses “Google Analytics” to collect information about the use of its website. Google Analytics is a web analysis service that use cookies to track information about the use of our website including how often users visit the website, what pages they visit and what other websites they use prior to coming to the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada website.  Google Analytics only collects the IP addresses assigned to you on the date you visit the website. Your name or other identifying information is not captured.  Information collected through the use of Google Analytics is not combined with personally identifiable information. Information stored by Google Analytics and its use is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use and the Google Privacy Policy. The information generated by the cookie about your use of our website (including your IP address) is stored in Google’s servers in the United States. You can prevent Google Analytics from recognizing you on return visits to the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada website by disabling cookies on your browser. For more information on Google Analytics, please visit: http://www.google.com/analytics/

Our website contains links to other websites. When you leave our website via a link and enter other sites, you are subject to the privacy and security policies of those. We provide such links solely for your convenience and do not accept any responsibility for the content of such websites.  

Children’s privacy


Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is committed to protecting the privacy of children and we do not knowingly solicit personal information for children under the age of 13 without parental or guardian consent. If a child has provided us with personal information without parental or guardian consent, his or her parent or guardian may contact us for the purposes of deleting this information.   

Openness and changes to the privacy policy


Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is open about our privacy policies and procedures and will make information about its policies and practices relating to the management of personal information in its custody and control readily available to individuals. We make reasonable efforts to inform individuals about our policies and procedures, the purpose for which we collect, use or disclose Personal Information. This Privacy Policy may be amended by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada from time to time in its sole discretion and without prior notice. The collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will be governed by the version of this Privacy Policy in effect at the time.  

Individual access


You have the right to check what information Crohn’s and Colitis Canada has regarding you, in order to verify and correct it, and to remove any obsolete information from your profile. Formal requests for access to personal information should be in writing and directed to the Privacy Officer at the address noted below.  

Compliance with Canada’s anti-spam legislation (“CASL”) 


Crohn’s and Colitis Canada communicates electronically with its donors and volunteers to provide information advances, funding needs related to research, our programs, services, special events and opportunities to volunteer and/or donate. As a registered charity, recognized as such by CRA, the primary purpose of most of our electronic messages is to raise funds in support of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. 

CASL concerns the sending of Commercial Electronic Messages or “CEMs”. In those cases where our CEMs do not fall under CASL’s charitable or other exemptions, every reasonable step is taken to ensure that it has active, express consent or implied consent in accordance with CASL legislation before sending the message. Every electronic message identifies Crohn’s and Colitis Canada as the sender, and our mailing address is provided. Due diligence and reasonable steps are taken to ensure that communications are CASL compliant. Consent and unsubscribe requests are implemented system wide within the time limits provided by CASL and then saved. Complaints regarding the sending of CEMs and requests to opt-out of receiving CEMS should be made to the Privacy Officer. 

For more information about CASL, please go to fightspam.gc.ca 

How to contact us

We welcome your feedback.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this Privacy Policy or if you wish to request that we do not send you information please contact our Privacy Officer:

Mail:

Privacy Officer
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
2110-439 University Avenue
Toronto, ON
M5G 1Y8

Email:

Telephone:

416-920-5035 ext. 217
1-800-387-1479 ext. 217

Last updated: January 4, 2019


 

  • Canada has among the highest incidence rates of Crohn's and colitis in the world.
  • 1 in 140 Canadians lives with Crohn’s or colitis.
  • Families new to Canada are developing these diseases for the first time.
  • Incidence of Crohn’s in Canadian kids under 10 has doubled since 1995.
  • People are most commonly diagnosed before age 30.

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