What personal information does Habitat Victoria collect?

Habitat Victoria collects and maintains different types of personal information about individuals with whom it interacts. The collection of personal information is limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by Habitat Victoria.

This information includes:

• Contact and identification information, such as a person’s full name, birth date, home address, telephone number(s) and email address(es);

• Donation information such as date of gift, amount of gift, appeal (the campaign an individual contributed to), name of spouse or partner if it was a joint gift;

• Financial information such as a person’s payment methods and preferences, billing and banking information (credit card number and expiry date or chequing account transfer numbers, whichever payment type the individual prefers in order to process their donation), information that allows us to determine a partner family’s creditworthiness and their eligibility or appropriateness for an ongoing Habitat Victoria mortgage, relationship with Habitat Victoria (e.g., employment and financial history with others, annual income statements, net worth, and credit reports, police checks and banking details).

• Legal – information and signatures of consent used for the purpose of formalizing legal agreements relating to mortgage relationships (e.g. lawyer contact details and updated income documents for grant applications.)

• Product and service related information concerning the sale of Habitat Victoria branded merchandise that we provide to an individual;

• Personal information required to ensure an individual’s safety when working as volunteers in our ReStores, build sites or offices in compliance with health and safety regulations and our Habitat Victoria Health and Safety Program;

• Relationship – information that helps us to understand more about an individual including how they like to do business (e.g., language and communication preferences, location and demographics). Personal details and photographs of Habitat Victoria homeowners for use to promote Habitat Victoria publicly.

• Another Individual – information we request, or that an individual provides, about an individual other than themselves (e.g., spousal information and employer information). If the individual provides us with information about another individual, they must have the authority to provide this information and to allow us to collect, use and/or disclose such information in accordance with this privacy policy.

• Other personal information used for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.

When an individual visits the Habitat Victoria website, our organization also collects aggregate data to better understand how our website is used, to make sure our information and dynamic content are served correctly, and to improve the performance of our site for our users, particularly the way search pages are delivered. Further information is available below under the heading “Cookies”. 

Why does Habitat Victoria collect personal information?

Habitat Victoria collects personal information to further its mission of mobilizing volunteers and communities to help working, lower income families build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. Habitat Victoria collects this information through fundraising, public education and advocacy, and volunteer programs, as well as to establish, maintain, and manage its relationship with individuals. Certain information is collected to satisfy the requirements of Canada Revenue Agency.

The main reasons Habitat Victoria collects information from individuals are to:

• Process donations or provide customer service relating to purchases;

• Contact an individual regarding their participation with Habitat Victoria as a volunteer;

• Collect information such as name, address, phone number, email addresses, work history, resume, references, educational background, etc. for human resources hiring processes;

• Determine a partner family’s eligibility to become Habitat Victoria homeowners;

• Compile statistical information such as age, gender, financial information, etc. to report on the outcomes and progress of our work to support low-income families;

• Maintain Habitat Victoria’s relationship with its supporters and provide them with general information about Habitat Victoria’s programs, progress and opportunities for them to support Habitat Victoria’s mission.

How does Habitat Victoria use personal information?

Habitat Victoria does not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as permitted or required by law. As described above, Habitat Victoria uses an individual’s personal information for establishing their identity and determining their eligibility for our home ownership program, fundraising, to process donations, to facilitate your volunteerism with Habitat Victoria, for employment purposes, to respond to requests for information, and to periodically keep stakeholders informed and up to date on Habitat Victoria’s successes in advancing its mission. In addition, if an individual chooses via our website (www.habitatvictoira.com) to subscribe to receive electronic communications from us, Habitat Victoria will use their personal information to send them, on occasion, special offers, updates, and service announcements relating to our website, and to invite them to participate in surveys or contests. Habitat Victoria may also periodically send individuals appeals and updates on current fundraising campaigns.