Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 16, 2025

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

Swim Drink Fish Canada ("SDF," "we," "us," "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information of our donors, volunteers, program applicants, and other stakeholders. We value the trust you place in us and recognize that maintaining this trust requires us to be transparent and accountable in how we treat the information you share.

This Privacy Policy has been developed in compliance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and also considers the principles of the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation. SDF regularly reviews its practices to ensure ongoing compliance with Canadian federal privacy legislation.

2. Scope and Definition of Personal Information

This policy applies to all personal information collected by SDF, including through our websites (e.g., swimdrinkfish.ca, theswimguide.org), mobile applications, in-person interactions (e.g., events like Artists for Water), mail, email, telephone, and through our programs and services.

"Personal information" means any information about an identifiable individual — data that can be used to distinguish, identify, or contact a specific person. Examples include:

  • Name, address, email address, phone number, and gender.

  • Date of birth, social status, and family relationships.

  • Donation history and financial information.

  • Skills, abilities, educational background, and availability (for volunteers/applicants).

Exceptions include business-related information and certain publicly available information, such as a business address, name, title, and telephone number. Anonymous or non-personal information (data that cannot be tracked back to a specific individual) is also excluded.

3. What Information We Collect and Why

We only collect personal information that is necessary for the purposes of our organization.

3.1. For Donors

Information CollectedPurpose for CollectionName, contact information, donation amount, date, and nature of gift.To process your donation and issue tax-deductible receipts as required by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).Financial information (e.g., billing details, payment methods).To process transactions. Note: Full credit card numbers are processed by secure third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe) and are not stored on SDF servers.Name (with explicit consent).To communicate with you about impact, send updates, and publicly acknowledge your contribution.

Donor Anonymity: All requests for donor anonymity will be honored, except to the extent that SDF is required by law to disclose the identity of donors.

3.2. For Volunteers, Sponsors, and Partners

Information CollectedPurpose for CollectionName, contact information, address, skills, interests, availability, educational background, and CV details.To administer and manage your role, including matching you with suitable opportunities, scheduling, and communication.References or background check information (if required).To ensure the safety and security of our programs and participants.

3.3. For Program Participants (e.g., Blue Flag, WAVE Prize)

Information CollectedPurpose for CollectionName, professional title, work email, work phone number, and other program-specific application materials.To administer, manage, and evaluate program applications (e.g., Blue Flag, WAVE Prize) and manage the ongoing relationship with certified/awarded entities.Relevant contact information.For the Blue Flag program, contact information may be shared with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) International as part of program administration.

3.4. For Job Applicants

Information CollectedPurpose for CollectionName, contact information, educational background, abilities, and other CV and application materials.To administer the job application process, evaluate candidacy, and communicate with you about your application.

If your job application is refused, the organization retains information for historical purposes and to provide context for future correspondence and openings. If you become an employee, your data is processed in accordance with PIPEDA, CCPA, GDPR, and applicable Canadian federal and provincial employment and privacy laws.

3.5. For Website Visitors and Newsletter Subscribers

Information CollectedPurpose for CollectionEmail address.To send you newsletters, event invitations, and other communications you have consented to receive.Non-personal information via cookies (IP address, browser type, pages visited, click behaviors).To improve website functionality, user experience, and monitor usage trends through statistical analysis (e.g., Google Analytics).

4. Consent, Use, and Disclosure

Consent
We will obtain your consent to collect, use, or disclose personal information. Consent can be express (e.g., checking a box, signing a form) or implied where the purpose is obvious (e.g., providing your address for a tax receipt).

Withdrawing Consent
You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. You can opt out of electronic communications directly via the unsubscribe link in emails or by contacting us. We will retain only your name and old email address in our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to suppress your email from future mailings.

Limiting Use and Disclosure
Swim Drink Fish Canada does not sell, rent, or trade our mailing lists or any personal information with third parties.

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers (e.g., payment processors, email marketing platforms) who are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and secure and use it only for the purposes we define.

5. Retention and Security

Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as it is required to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law (e.g., CRA requirements for donation records). Volunteer data is generally retained for no longer than two years after the volunteer role ends. Application information may be retained for historical purposes to provide context for future correspondence.

Security and Safeguards
Your personal data is treated as strictly confidential. We employ physical, electronic, and administrative security measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. These safeguards include secure servers, firewalls, and encryption, designed to protect your information against loss, theft, and unauthorized access, disclosure, or modification. Access is only given to employees who must use the personal information to perform their job function.

6. Your Rights and Access to Your Information

You have the right to:

  1. Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you at any time and without cost.

  2. Accuracy: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

  3. Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent for the use and disclosure of your personal information.

  4. Data Portability: You have the right to data portability.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact details below. We will respond to your request within the time limits established by PIPEDA. If your concerns are not resolved, you can ask for a review or file a complaint with the appropriate Privacy Commissioner.

7. Children's Privacy

Persons below the age of 16 may only provide personal data to the Organization if they have the permission of one of their parents or their legal guardian. The parent or legal guardian is responsible for reading this notice.

8. Cookies and Third-Party Services

The Website uses cookies (small text files) to recognize your browser and collect data about website usage to improve your user experience. We use both session cookies and permanent cookies.

  • Essential Cookies: Used for optimizing the functionalities of the Website.

  • Non-Essential Cookies: (e.g., Google Analytics) collect aggregated information about your use of the Website. By continuing to use the Website, you consent to the use of cookies. You can change your browser's settings to stop accepting cookies, but some features may not function properly.

  • Third-Party Links: If you follow links to other websites (including social media or payment processors), only the terms and conditions of those sites apply. SDF is not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites. These include:

    • Jotform

    • Raisely (Keela)

    • Givergy

    • Stripe

    • Benevity

    • CanadaHelps

    • ESRI Suite of Softwares

    • And others linked to by SDF from time to time

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. When we make changes, we will post the revised policy on our website and update the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Privacy Officer, Swim Drink Fish Canada
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto, ON M5J 2G8
Email: Sandy@swimdrinkfish.ca
Phone: 416-861-1237