Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA) Privacy Policy
Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of B.C. (“AMSSA”, “we”, “our” or “us”) is committed to protecting and respecting the personal information entrusted to us by our clients, members, and visitors to our website, in compliance with applicable privacy laws. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) explains how we collect, use, and share Personal Information, whether obtained via the Websites or otherwise.
What is Personal Information?
For the purposes of this Policy, “Personal Information” means any information about an identifiable individual.
Personal Information does not include (and this Policy does not apply to) business contact information, such as name, position, title, business telephone number, business address, business email or business fax number, except as required by applicable law.
Any capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Policy shall have the meanings set out in AMSSA’s Terms of Use.
Consent to Privacy Policy Terms
By accessing or using any features or functions of our Websites, including to request or engage one of our services or offerings, or registering to receive email communications from us, you acknowledge and consent to the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
What Personal Information do we Collect?
AMSSA collects Personal Information when you access or use our Websites or their features, or engage with our services or offerings including registering to receive our newsletters, applying for membership, purchasing a multifaith calendar or diversity and inclusion workshop, donating to the AMSSA Community Education Society, signing up or registering for an account on one or more of our Websites, posting or submitting information, proposals, applications, reports and documents, and/or User Content to AMSSA via one of our Websites.
The Personal Information collected may include your name, email address, address, phone number, and other contact information, and other information including payment and/or credit card information you choose to provide in connection with engaging our services or offerings.
AMSSA may collect some or all of the Personal Information described above from third party services (e.g. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn), if you use a third party service to link, connect, or log in to the Websites. The information provided by third party services varies and is controlled by that service or as authorized by you via your privacy settings at that service.
Cookies and Browsing our Websites
When you browse our Websites, some of the information we collect is collected automatically through the use of cookies and other similar tracking technologies on our Websites (e.g. web beacons, pixels, and software tokens). We also collect aggregated website usage data, including form analysis, engagement rate, and clickthrough information.
Our website uses cookies to differentiate one user from others that visit our website. We use this information to provide a better user experience when browsing our site. Cookies can also provide us with information to improve our website.
By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a packet of data that is sent and stored in your browser or on your computer. Cookies keep track of your visits and activities on a website to help improve your experience on the site.
We use the following cookies:
- Absolutely necessary cookies. These cookies are essential to enable you to move around a website and use its features. Without these cookies, services and offerings you have asked for cannot be provided.
- Analytical/performance cookies. These allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our Websites when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
Most internet browsers are set up by default to accept cookies. However if you want to refuse or delete them (or similar technologies), please refer to the help and support area on your browser for instructions on how to block or delete cookies. Keep in mind that each browser has a different procedure for managing and configuring cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including necessary cookies), you may not be able to access all or parts of our Websites, or certain features or functions on the Websites.
You can find more information about cookies at http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
What are the Purposes for Collecting, Using and Disclosing Personal Information?
We will only use or disclose personal information for the purposes for which that information was collected, or as otherwise permitted or required by law. The purposes for which we collect, use or disclose personal information include:
- to administer the Websites and its content to you;
- to provide, coordinate, plan, test, improve and otherwise administer services or offerings requested or engaged by you;
- to provide requested information and to manage communications relating to marketing, surveys or other email communications (including our newsletters and any other information that may be of interest to you), including where we have obtained consent to send such communications if required;
- to manage and maintain accounts related to services or offerings, including processing billing, payment and donation information;
- to provide you with notices about your Account on the Website, and any changes to the Websites or any of our services;
- to carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any agreements entered into between you and AMSSA, and to collect debts that may be owed to AMSSA;
- to help us understand usage patterns and other activities on our Websites any services or offerings, and to assist with, diagnose potential issues or enhance usability and security of services or offerings;
- to comply with legal and regulatory requirements;
- to detect, prevent or address fraud or other security concerns, to protect against personal or property harm, or to obtain legal or other professional advice; and
- as otherwise required or authorized by law.
If your Personal Information is to be used or disclosed for any other purpose, you will be notified about the new purpose prior to such use or disclosure, and your consent will be sought unless the use is authorized or required by law.
How do we Secure Personal Information?
We are committed to protecting personal information in order to prevent unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal or similar risks. We use reasonable physical, technical and security measures to protect personal information.
Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the Internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect personal information, we cannot absolutely guarantee security of information.
We will continually review and update our security policies and controls as technology changes to ensure ongoing personal information security.
How Long do we Retain Personal Information?
Personal information is retained only for the period of time necessary to meet the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, or as long as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law or contract. Personal Information used to make a decision affecting an individual will be retained for a minimum of one (1) year following the date of the decision, or as otherwise required by applicable law.
Accuracy of Personal Information
We use reasonable efforts to keep personal information collected directly from you accurate and up to date. You are responsible to provide updates to your personal information as soon as possible.
How to Correct or Access your Personal Information
We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that Personal Information we collect, use or disclose in accordance with this Policy is accurate and complete. However, in most cases we will rely on you to ensure that certain information, such as your physical address, e-mail address or telephone number, is current, complete and accurate.
If you notify us of the inaccuracy or incompleteness of Personal Information, we will review and amend the information as required. We will annotate the Personal Information under our control to indicate the requested amendment and whether or not it was made.
You can also request to access your Personal Information in our custody or control. Requests to access information should be made in writing, and may require verification of identity. We will respond to access requests as quickly as possible, and in accordance with statutory requirements. Information access rights are subject to the requirements and terms of applicable privacy law.
Questions, Corrections or Requests for Access
Requests to access, correct, or delete personal information will be handled as promptly as possible, in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
We have designated a Privacy Officer who is accountable for our compliance with this Policy. Questions about this Privacy Policy, requests for access to or corrections of personal information may be made in writing to:
Privacy Officer
Melissa Jay
Director of Operations and Communications at communications@amssa.org
Changes to Policy
To keep pace with economic and technological changes, AMSSA may revise this Policy from time to time. Any revisions to this Policy will be posted on our website. Please review this Privacy Policy regularly to stay informed of any updates.
