Privacy Policy

Habitat for Humanity Newfoundland and Labrador (“HFHNL”) is dedicated to protecting your privacy and maintaining the trust that you have placed in us. As such, our privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”) incorporates the standards as set out in applicable federal and provincial legislation across Canada.

1. Collection and Use of Personal Information

HFHNL generally collects personal information as necessary to administer our programs and services, including as described below.

1.1  We may collect banking and credit card information to receive and process  donations. In addition, we may collect contact information to acknowledge  donations and issue tax receipts. We deeply appreciate your financial support.  We may contact you to inform you of and to request your support for our future  endeavours because you have demonstrated an interest in supporting HFHNL’s  mission, unless you ask us not to.

1.2  We may collect family and neighborhood statistics to raise awareness of and  increase potential for fundraising and new family applicants.

1.3  We may collect your name, mailing address and email address in order to send  you newsletters that you have signed up for.

1.4  We may collect family selection information (such as names and ages of  family  members, current mailing address and email address, work history,  income, assets, debt, credit history, general health, condition and size of current  dwelling) to determine if a family qualifies as a house recipient. The family  selection information assesses credit-worthiness, need, stability of relationships,  steady income, willingness and ability to partner with HFHNL.

1.5 We may collect mortgage application information to grant mortgage funds,  collect mortgage payments and property taxes, transfer ownership to the family,  engage professional mortgage administration and confirm payment of current  property insurance.

1.6 We may collect personal information from past, present and prospective  volunteers, employees and members for administrative or management  purposes, such as to establish, manage or terminate a volunteer, employment or  member relationship.

1.7  We may collect other personal information with your consent or as permitted or  required by law.

2.  Disclosure of Personal Information

HFHNL may disclose or transfer personal information as necessary in order to administer its programs and services, including as described below.

2.1  We may transfer personal information to our service providers who need access  to personal information to carry out their work for us, including to process  donations, send communications, data hosting, data processing and information  technology and other similar purposes. We use contractual or other means to  require service providers to provide a level of security comparable to that  provided under our Privacy Policy.

2.2  We may use and disclose personal information in connection with the proposed  or actual financing, securitization, insuring, sale, assignment or other disposal of  all or part of our organization or assets, for the purposes of evaluating and/or  performing the proposed transaction. Assignees or successors of HFHNL or our  organization or assets may use and disclose your personal information for  similar purposes as those described in this policy.

2.3  We may disclose personal information as necessary to meet legal, regulatory,  insurance, audit and security requirements, or otherwise with your consent or as  permitted or required by law.

3. Obtaining Consent

HFHNL is committed to obtaining your consent for the collection of your personal information and the subsequent use or disclosure of this information, unless otherwise permitted or required by law.

3.1   In obtaining consent, we make a reasonable effort to ensure that you are advised,  in a manner that can be reasonably understood, of the purposes for which the  information will be used, including by explaining our personal information  handling practices in this Privacy Policy.

3.2  Consent can be obtained in many ways. Consent can be express or implied. You  may also provide your consent in some circumstances where notice has been  provided to you about our intentions with respect to your personal information  and you have not withdrawn your consent for an identified purpose, such as by  using an “opt out” option provided, if any. In determining the appropriate form  of consent, we will take into account the sensitivity of the personal information  and the reasonable expectations of individuals with whom we deal with.

3.3  Generally, by providing us with personal information, we will assume that you  consent to our collection, use and disclosure of such information for the purposes  described in this Privacy Policy or otherwise at the time of collection. By  providing us with personal information about another individual, you represent  that you have consent from that person to provide his or her personal  information to us.

3.4  You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual  restrictions and reasonable notice, by contacting our Executive Director or Board  Chair. Please note that the withdrawal of your consent may impact on our ability  to serve you and to maintain our relationship.

3.5 In certain circumstances personal information can be collected, used or disclosed without your knowledge and consent. For example, to comply with a court order, local or federal regulations, or a legally permitted inquiry by a government agency or to collect a debt owed to us.  We may also collect, use and disclose information without your consent if it is reasonable for the purposes of establishing, managing or terminating an employment or volunteer relationship.

3.6  We may rely on third parties to obtain your consent to our collection, use and  disclosure of personal information when we cannot seek consent directly from  you. For example, seeking consent directly from you may not be possible when  we acquire a mailing list from another organization.  In such cases, the  organization providing the list would be expected to obtain your consent  before  disclosing personal information to us.

4.   Protection of Personal Information

HFHNL is committed to protecting your personal information by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.

4.1  We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against loss or theft, as  well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification, regardless  of the format in which it is held, including by using: (i) physical security  measures, such as locked filing cabinets and restricted access to areas where  personal information is stored; (ii) organizational security measures, such as  employee training, security clearances and limiting access to a “need-to-know”  basis; and (iii) technological security measures, such as passwords and  encryption, to prevent unauthorized access to personal information stored on  computer systems.

4.2  When disposing of or destroying personal information which is no longer  needed, we ensure that appropriate measures are taken regarding the disposal or  destruction so as to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to the  personal information.

5.  Retention of Personal Information

HFHNL is committed to retaining your personal information only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes outlined above, to satisfy legal or regulatory requirements or for the fulfillment of legitimate business purposes.

6.  Access to and Correction of Personal Information

6.1  HFHNL may establish and maintain a file of your personal information for the  purposes described above, which will be accessible at the address listed below.  Upon receipt of a written request, HFHNL will inform you of the existence, use  and disclosure of your personal information and will give you access to that  information, subject to applicable legal restrictions. You will also be able to  challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and have it amended  as appropriate.   In responding to your written request, we may require you to  provide sufficient information to permit us to verify your identity before we  provide an account of the existence, use and disclosure of your personal  information, provide access to it, or make corrections. Please forward your  request in writing to our our Executive Director at the address set out below.

7. Questions and Contact Information

7.1  You may direct any questions or complaints concerning HFHNL’s handling of  personal information to our Executive Director at:

 Habitat for Humanity NL

 6 Robin Hood Bay Road

 St. John’s, NL 

 A1A 5V3

Or by e-mail at: privacy@habitatnl.ca

8.  Internet Usage

8.1 When you visit HFHNL’s website at www.habitatnl.ca to obtain information  about it, to research its products and services, or to use its on-line tools, please  rest assured that we do not collect identifying information about you unless you  specifically provide it. The only information we collect is non-identifying  information (such as the ISP, the type of Internet browser used, the referring web  site, the pages requested and the date and time of those requests), which we use  to create aggregate data in order to determine the level of interest in the  information provided on the website and to improve the content of the website.

8.2 We collect this non-identifying information through the use of cookies and server  log files, including IP addresses. Our website does not link IP addresses to any  personally identifiable information. Cookies identify which areas of our website  you have visited or customized, and make these pages readily accessible the next  time you visit. If you do not want non-identifying information collected through  the use of cookies, you can disable it by changing the setting of your Internet  browser.

8.3 In addition, we may provide links to other websites managed by third parties or  permit third parties to offer users subscriptions and registration-based services  through its website. As we cannot control or be responsible for the actions or  policies of such third parties, you should check the applicable privacy policy of  such third parties when visiting their websites or when providing any personal  information to them. Please also note that we cannot control or prevent the use of  cookies or any information obtained through cookies by such third parties.

8.4 Finally, please be advised that information voluntarily disclosed online in  discussion areas and other public areas of our website or on HFHNL-sponsored  pages on social media sites can be collected, used and disclosed by third parties.  Any submissions made to discussion areas or other public areas on our website  or on HFHNL-sponsored pages on social media sites are done at the user’s risk  and with the understanding that such information may be accessible to third  parties. We cannot control and will not be liable for any damages that may arise  from such user activity.

9.  Changes to Privacy Policy

9.1 HFHNL reserves the right to modify our Privacy Policy at our sole discretion. In  particular, the Executive Director or Board Chair may periodically review and  modify our Privacy Policy in response to developments and changes in privacy  law. If we intend to use or disclose personal information for purposes materially  different than those described in this Privacy Policy, we will make reasonable  efforts to notify affected individuals, if necessary, including by revising this  Privacy Policy.  Any modifications shall be effective immediately upon its  publication by any means, including posting on the website. You agree to  regularly review our Privacy Policy posted on the website, be aware of any  modifications and be bound by the same.