pRIVACY POLICY

[approved by Board of Directors November 2020]

OUR COMMITMENT TO PRIVACY

The Toronto Foundation is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information of our Fundholders, donors, prospective donors, board members, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders and has adopted privacy practices consistent with the National Standard of Canada Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information, which forms the basis of federal and provincial privacy legislation for this purpose. Employees, Board, and Committee members will annually sign a commitment to abide by this and other key policies.

 

WHAT IS PERSONAL INFORMATION?

“Personal information” means information about an identifiable individual, but does not include the name, title, business address, telephone number or email of an employee of an organization. Personal information may include, for example: age, name address, personal email address, telephone number, date of birth, income, numerical identifiers, gender, ethnic origin, social status, financial information, employment information and credit card number.

 

WHY DO WE NEED TO COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU?

The Toronto Foundation collects, uses and discloses personal information from our Fundholders to identify and help them meet their philanthropic needs, process their donations, provide tax receipts, direct their gifts in the manner in which they choose, keep them informed about gift giving opportunities and Toronto Foundation activities, recognize their philanthropic activities in the community, and comply with federal and provincial legal and regulatory guidelines and reporting requirements.
Where donors make gifts to a Fundholder’s Donor Advised Fund, unless donor anonymity is requested, the Toronto Foundation discloses donation-related information to the Fund’s designated representative(s) (“Fund Representative”) to enable the Fundholder to steward gifts and thank donors appropriately. All donors have the right to request anonymity and can do so prior to confirming their donation online, or by noting their request for anonymity when mailing or delivering a donation to the office.

The personal information disclosed to the Fund Representative, unless anonymity is requested, includes the donor’s name, mailing and/or email address and the donation amount. Prior to receiving donor personal information, the Fund Representative must agree in writing that personal information received will be used solely for the purpose of acknowledging donors and stewarding donations, and that it will not be shared or used for any other purpose.

The Toronto Foundation collects, uses and discloses personal information from our Board members and other volunteers to keep them informed about our activities, assist them in performing their roles in the organization, and comply with federal and provincial guidelines and reporting requirements.

The Toronto Foundation collects, uses and discloses personal information from our employees to assist in administering employee benefit programs, accommodate disabled individuals in the workplace, assist employees with illnesses or injuries in returning to work, support their ongoing training and development, and comply with federal and provincial guidelines and reporting requirements.

 

HOW DO WE OBTAIN YOUR CONSENT?

We obtain your consent for collecting, using and disclosing personal information for the identified purposes before such information is collected for the first time. We also seek the consent of our Fundholders to disclose their name and the name of their personal/family fund in Toronto Foundation publications and reports. Once this consent has been obtained, we do not seek consent again, unless the purpose, use, or disclosure of your personal information changes.

HOW DO WE CONTROL AND PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We only collect and use personal information that is necessary for the intended purpose. We keep your information for only as long as necessary and maintain its confidentiality when it is destroyed. We make sure that your personal information is kept accurate, complete and up-to-date for our purposes. We protect your information from unauthorized access or use through physical and electronic security safeguards and limit access to only authorized persons and only when necessary. All of our Board members, staff, volunteers and the other people working at the Foundation sign confidentiality agreements that require the safeguarding and proper use of your personal information.

 

HOW CAN YOU BE SURE THAT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS BEING PROPERLY COLLECTED, USED AND PROTECTED?

You can ask us about our privacy practices at any time. Upon written request and with reasonable notice, you can access your own personal information, challenge its completeness and accuracy, and seek to have it amended.

You can also challenge our privacy policies and practices with Toronto Foundation’s Privacy Officer who will respond to you in writing, and may take appropriate action, including amending your information or changing our privacy practices. The name and contact information for Toronto Foundation’s Privacy Officer can be obtained by calling us at (416) 921-2035.

If our Privacy Officer does not resolve your complaint or address your questions to your satisfaction, you can seek more information or file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
112 Kent Street
Place de Ville, Tower B, 3rd Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 1H3