Summary of Covenant House Vancouver Privacy Practice
Covenant House Vancouver (CHV) is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information of its employees, volunteers, clients, donors and other stakeholders. We value the trust of those we deal with, and of the public, and recognize that maintaining this trust requires that we be transparent and accountable in how we treat the information that you choose to share with us. In line with this commitment, we will collect, use, disclose and safeguard the personal information in a manner which complies with all applicable laws.
The following is a brief summary of our privacy practices. If you wish to read our privacy policies, please choose the link below to download the full privacy policies.
- Donors (175k PDF file)
- Clients (175k PDF file)
- Employees & Volunteers (217 PDF file)
Collection of Personal Information
Most of the personal information we collect comes to us directly from clients, donors and employees (including volunteers and independent contractors) and only with their consent.
Our Web servers may electronically collect information from our covenanthousebc.org website visitors for research and analytical purposes. The information collected cannot be associated with or traced back to specific individuals or business entities. When you visit our website, no information identifying you personally can be collected unless you choose to provide it. We use password protocols and encryption software to protect personal information we receive online.
Use of Personal Information
Personal information is only collected to enable us to provide the required services and to meet legal and regulatory requirements. Only personal information that is relevant to and necessary for the purposes identified below will be collected. The main purposes for which we collect personal information are:
- To provide crisis shelter and aftercare services to clients. This includes but is not limited to evaluating the eligibility and suitability of at-risk youths to receive or to continue receiving CHV services, and assisting clients to implement a case plan and achieve their goals.
- To develop, enhance and maintain responsible relationships with donors. This includes the issuance of donation tax receipts, communication with donors and potential donors of CHV news, activities and other services to promote donors' relationship with CHV.
- To establish and manage employment, volunteer and independent contractor relationships. This includes Board of Directors and Faith Community members.
- To plan, manage and develop our operations. For example, we analyze client usage of CHV services to help us manage them efficiently and effectively, and plan for future growth when we see the need.
- To meet legal and regulatory requirements. This includes meeting the reporting requirements of government agencies such as the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and Statistics Canada.
- To communicate with government agencies for funding purposes.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Personal information is only disclosed to third parties when it is necessary for the provision of the required services and to meet legal requirements. We exchange mailing lists with other registered charities, and rent mailing lists created or maintained by other organizations for fundraising purposes, but this will only be done with consent from the individuals. Disclosure of personal information for any purpose other than those outlined above will only be made with consent.
There may be situations in which we are legally permitted to disclose personal information without knowledge and consent of the individual. Examples of this are where disclosure is clearly in the interests of the individual and consent cannot be obtained in a timely way, and where disclosure is necessary for the medical treatment of the individual and the individual does not have the legal capacity to give consent.
Protection of Personal Information
Personal information gathered by us is kept in confidence. Our employees are authorized to access personal information based only on their need to deal with the information in order to discharge their official responsibilities. As a condition of employment, all CHV employees must respect and adhere to our established privacy standards. Appropriate security safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorized access to personal information.
We will make reasonable effort to ensure that all personal information is accurate and up to date as is necessary for the purposes identified above.
Questions, Concerns and Complaints
If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about CHV privacy practices, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Covenant House Vancouver
575 Drake Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 4K8
Tel: 604-685-5437
Fax: 604-685-5324
Email: privacyofficer@covenanthousebc.org
