At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton & Burlington, we respect your privacy. When you visit our web site, contact us, participate in one of our programs or make a donation, we are committed to protecting your personal information under the Personal Information and Protection of Privacy and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton & Burlington has one Privacy Policy, which applies specifically to four categories of individuals:

• Donors
• Parents/children
• Employees
• Volunteers

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlingtonis committed to protecting the personal information of our donors and constituents, and has thus adopted this Privacy Policy to fulfill its requirements under the Privacy Act, and all other laws of Canada pertaining to the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

Personal information is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. The following is NOT personal information: business contact information and certain publicly available information such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers as published in telephone directories.

In order to protect the personal information of our donors and constituents, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington has adopted the 10 Privacy Principles contained within the PIPEDA. We have also taken steps to become compliant with applicable laws in Canada that protect personal information.

Our 10 Privacy Principles

1. Our responsibility to protect your personal information while it is under our control and when third parties process it.
   
   Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton & Burlington is responsible for the protection of your personal information collected through its office and program activities. This responsibility extends when personal information is transferred to or collected by third parties on our behalf. It is the responsibility of the Privacy Officer to ensure that all third party contracts are in adherence with PIPEDA.
   
   
2. Our obligation to identify the purposes for collecting personal information.
   
   Before we collect any personal information from you, we will identify the purpose for the collection. A statement of purposes will be communicated wherever possible.
   
   
3. Requirement for knowledge and consent regarding the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information.
   
   We will only collect, use, and disseminate personal information with your knowledge and consent, except in limited situations as permitted by law. This may be with your express consent (for example, where 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 your personal information. Further, you can withdraw your consent to the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to any legal requirements and reasonable notice.
   
   
4. Limiting information collection.
   
   Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington collects and uses personal information about individuals for purposes authorized or required by the applicable privacy legislation and for the following purposes:
   • Assessing client needs and providing for those needs
   • Determining eligibility and continuing suitability for employment within the agency, client participation, funding and programs, and volunteer participation
   • Distribution of agency information.
   • Issuing tax receipts and donor/sponsor acknowledgment.
   • Financial record keeping.
   We only collect personal information relevant to the purposes that have been identified. We collect information fairly and lawfully, and directly from individuals wherever possible. ** You have the right to provide as much, or as little personal information as you choose to share.
   
   * If you provide information about a family medical history, this information will be considered as your information only and not personal information of other family members.
   
   ** Fund-raising lists may be obtained from third parties.
   
   
5. Limiting use, disclosure and retention of your information
   
   We only use or disclose your personal information for the purposes we have identified to you.
   
   
6. Our responsibility to ensure the accuracy of your personal information. PIPEDA requires that personal information be accurate, complete, and as up to date as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it is used
   
   At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington, other than fund-raising lists, virtually all of the personal information that we collect comes directly from individuals like you. We generally assume this information accurate and complete, unless we are informed otherwise by you.
   
   
7. Our responsibility to safeguard your personal information.
   
   Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton & Burlington uses appropriate safeguards to protect all personal information in its custody and control from theft, loss, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying or use. Safeguards include physical, administrative and electronic security measures.
   
   
8. Our obligation to be open about our Privacy Policy and practices.
   
   We are open about our policies and procedures and make it easy for you to access them. We make reasonable efforts to inform individuals about our policies and procedures, the purposes for which we collect, use or disclose personal information, and how we access your personal information.
   
   
9. Your right to access your personal information.
   
   Upon request, we will inform you if we hold any personal information about you and provide you with access to this information. If we have any personal information about you, we will also tell you for what purposes it is used and disclosed.
   
   You have the right to update any personal information that we hold on you. Should you wish to see the full contents of an information file, you must make a formal written request. In certain exceptional situations, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington may not be able to provide access to certain personal information that it holds about you. If access cannot be provided, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington will notify you, in writing, of the reasons for the refusal.
   
   
10. Your right to challenge our compliance with our Privacy Policy.
    
    If, for any reason, you are concerned about our compliance with our Privacy Policy, please contact the Privacy Officer, Marianne Noakes (Executive Director) at 905.525.3860 or marianne@callbigbrothers.com.