Privacy & Terms of Use

1. Information we collect and why

Personal information means information about an identifiable individual. We limit our collection to information reasonably needed for the purposes explained to you.

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact information, such as your name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address, to respond to inquiries and communicate with you.
• Membership and organizational information, such as your organization, role, membership category, and designated contacts, to administer memberships and member services.
• Donation and transaction information, such as billing details, payment status, and transaction records, to process payments, acknowledge contributions, and maintain financial records.
• Registration and participation information, such as event registrations, volunteer interests, and accessibility or accommodation requests, to organize activities and support participation.
• Information you choose to share through surveys, consultations, service inquiries, or other communications, for the purposes explained when we request it.
• Technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, pages requested, and visit times, to operate, troubleshoot, and protect the website.

Please do not include unnecessary sensitive information in general contact forms or email. Only provide another person’s personal information if you have their permission or another lawful basis to do so.

2. Consent and communication preferences

We explain why we need personal information when we collect it and obtain consent where required. Providing information for one purpose does not give us unrestricted permission to use it for other purposes.

You may withdraw consent to optional uses of your information by contacting us. Where information is necessary to provide a requested service, withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide that service. We will explain any relevant consequences or legal restrictions.

You can unsubscribe from newsletters and promotional messages using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us. We process these requests without delay and no later than 10 business days after receiving them.

Unsubscribing from promotional messages does not necessarily stop essential communications about a membership, transaction, service, or event you have requested.

3. Sensitive information, research, and lived experience

Information about homelessness, housing insecurity, poverty, health, identity, or personal circumstances can be particularly sensitive. We take this sensitivity into account when collecting, using, sharing, and protecting information.

Where a survey, research project, or consultation requests this information, we provide an explanation of its purpose, who will have access, how results will be used or shared, and the choices available to participants. Project-specific consent materials also explain any limits on confidentiality, anonymity, or withdrawing information.

Participation does not, by itself, authorize us to publish your identity or personal story. We seek specific permission before using identifiable personal accounts or testimonials in public communications, unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Please review the relevant project notice before participating. This general policy does not replace research consent or authorize unrestricted sharing of research data.

4. Sharing information and using service providers

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information or our donor, member, or subscriber lists.

We use service providers to help deliver functions such as website hosting, membership administration, payment processing, email communications, event registration, and online forms. We share information with them as needed for those functions and require appropriate privacy and security protections.

We remain responsible for personal information under our control when a provider processes it on our behalf.

Where an activity involves another organization, we explain relevant information-sharing arrangements through the registration process, project notice, or consent form. Joining the Alliance or participating in an activity does not automatically authorize us to share your contact information with all members, sponsors, or partners.

We identify information intended for public display, such as member-directory details or donor acknowledgements, and obtain permission where required.

We may also disclose information where required or permitted by applicable law, including in response to a valid legal demand.

5. Cookies and website analytics

Our website uses cookies to support functions such as remembering your language preference. We also use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and use our website and to improve our content and navigation. Google Analytics uses cookies and collects information such as pages visited, browser and device details, and approximate location, which Google processes to provide website usage reports. Learn more about how Google collects and uses this information.

We do not display advertising on our website.

Embedded features, such as YouTube videos and third-party forms, may also collect information and use cookies when loaded or used. Their providers’ privacy policies apply to their handling of that information.

6. Storage, security, and retention

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we hold. Access is limited to people who need the information for authorized purposes.

Some service providers may store or process information outside Canada. Information processed in another country may be subject to that country’s laws and lawful access by its authorities.

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including applicable legal, financial-recordkeeping, and contractual requirements. When it is no longer needed, we securely dispose of it or remove identifying information, as appropriate.

No online system is completely secure. If a privacy breach occurs, we assess it, take steps to address it, and notify affected individuals and authorities as required by applicable law.

7. Access, corrections, and privacy concerns

You may contact us to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you and how it has been used or shared.
• Request access to your information or corrections to inaccurate information.
• Withdraw consent or ask us to delete information that is no longer needed.
• Raise a concern about our privacy practices.

We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Access or deletion may be limited by legal requirements, another person’s privacy, or other lawful exceptions. We will explain any applicable limitations and respond within the time required by law.

You may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the relevant provincial privacy authority, as applicable to your concern.