Privacy Policy

PEN Canada (PEN) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information under its control. This policy applies to all personal information collected, used, or disclosed by PEN concerning donors, fundraisers, event participants, individuals who use the services of PEN, volunteers, staff and subcontractors.

This Privacy Policy explains how and under what circumstances your personal information is collected, used, and disclosed, as well as what PEN Canada is doing to ensure that your information is used according to good business practices and is protected accordingly.

What is Personal Information?

This policy applies to personal information, including the personal information of prospective, current and past donors, board members, volunteers, individuals who engage with us on community initiatives, and our staff.

Personal information refers to information about an identifiable individual. It may include details such as your name, contact details, donation information, and transaction records. It excludes certain business contact information, specifically name, title, business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization, when used for business purposes.

Personal Information Collection and Use by PEN Canada

The information that PEN Canada collects is the minimum information required to establish and maintain a service, volunteer, member or donor relationship with you. This includes:

  •   Contact and identification information (name, address, phone number, email);
  •   Donation information (date of gift, amount of gift, the name of spouse or partner if it was a joint gift);
  •   Financial information (payment methods and preferences, billing and banking information, credit card number and expiry date (this information is encrypted in our database/CRM) or chequing account transit numbers to process your donation); and
  •   Other personal information used for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.

PEN Canada does not collect personal information about you without your knowledge and consent and PEN Canada is committed to ensuring that information is collected by fair and lawful means.

Personal Information Disclosure by PEN Canada

PEN Canada generally collects your personal information directly from you and only with your consent. PEN Canada uses your personal information for fundraising, to process donations and to respond to requests for services and information, and to keep you informed about our programs and activities.

If the purpose for using your personal information changes from the time since such consent was obtained, PEN Canada will advise you of this purpose before such use or disclosure.

If you do not wish PEN Canada to use or disclose your personal information for purposes other than for which it was collected, or if you do not want to receive any materials from PEN Canada, please contact PEN Canada’s privacy officer listed below.

PEN Canada reserves the right to disclose personal information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process, respond to claims or to protect the rights, property or safety of PEN Canada, its members or the public.

When Do We Share Your Personal Information?

There are some circumstances where we may share some personal information about our users, members and donors with a third party. For example:

  1.   Your personal information may be disclosed to a company or individual employed by PEN Canada to perform functions on our behalf such as data processing or document retention. Any such disclosure of your personal information is made on a strictly confidential basis, and the information is to be used only for the purpose for which it was shared. PEN Canada ensures that the company or individual adheres to this Privacy Policy.
  2.   Subject to applicable regulations, we may disclose your personal information to a government agency, court, or law enforcement personnel.

Personal Information Protection by PEN Canada

We recognize our obligations to protect personal information. We have therefore made arrangements to secure against the unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification and disposal of personal information. PEN Canada considers personal information provided by you to be private and confidential and accordingly we treat it with care.

Storage of Personal Information

PEN Canada aims to ensure that any personal information provided is accurate, complete and current as required for the purposes for which the information is used. Personal information is subject to the laws of the country where it is stored.

Consent to Use of Personal Information

By submitting personal information to PEN Canada, you acknowledge and agree that you have consented to the collection, use and disclosure practices set out in this Privacy Policy as they relate to your personal information. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting PEN Canada’s privacy officer as set out below.

Accessing, Correcting or Updating Your Personal Information

At any time, you may request that we correct or update your personal information by contacting PEN Canada’s privacy officer as set out below. PEN Canada will use reasonable efforts to ensure that your personal information is accurate and current.

Contacting PEN Canada

If you have any requests, questions or comments about your personal information or this Privacy Policy, you may contact us in one of the following ways:

By email: queries[at]pencanada.ca

By mail: PEN Canada, 401 Richmond Street West, Suite 244, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8

This policy is subject to change due to changes in organizational practices or legal and regulatory requirements. We encourage you to periodically check our website for updates to this policy.