Last updated 2025-05-25

1. Introduction

Empower To Thrive Youth & Women’s Network (“we”, “our”, “us”) is a Canadian nonprofit organization committed to supporting abused women and youth through emergency services, education, housing resources, food assistance, and community empowerment. We are dedicated to protecting your privacy and ensuring your personal information is handled responsibly.

2. Who We Are

We are a grassroots nonprofit organization focused on helping women and youth recover from abuse by providing holistic support systems, including food, shelter assistance, safety training, education, storytelling circles, and access to community programs.

3. What Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following information:

  • Personal Details: Full name, mailing address, email address, and phone number
  • Donation Information: Donation history, donation method, and amount (but not direct credit card or banking details)
  • Email Addresses: Collected when individuals sign up or donate, used to keep in touch with supporters and provide updates. You can easily unsubscribe anytime using the unsubscribe link in our emails.
  • Communication Preferences: Information submitted through surveys, forms, or event RSVPs
  • Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, and usage data via cookies

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data such as health details, religious beliefs, or criminal records unless required by law or with explicit consent.

4. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used solely for purposes aligned with our mission, including:

  • Processing and acknowledging your donations
  • Sending charitable tax receipts and impact updates
  • Responding to your inquiries, concerns, or feedback
  • Informing you about volunteer opportunities, events, campaigns, or program developments
  • Emailing newsletters and updates to individuals who sign up to stay informed. You may unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send.
  • Meeting legal, regulatory, and CRA obligations
  • Improving our website experience, outreach, and community engagement

5. Donation Processing & Financial Security

All financial transactions relate to donations only, not purchases. We accept the following donation methods:

Important: We do not store any banking or credit card information on our servers.

Online Stripe, PayPal, or Google payments are processed using tokenization and encryption. We only receive confirmation of the transaction, never full banking details. These platforms are PCI-DSS compliant and maintain their own privacy and security practices.

For wire transfers, e-transfers, and mail donations, we retain only the transaction record required for receipt, auditing, and compliance with Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) regulations.

6. Do We Use Cookies & Other Tracking Technologies?

We may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information.

To enhance your experience and ensure our website functions as intended, Empower To Thrive Youth & Women’s Network uses cookies and similar technologies, such as web beacons, pixels, and scripts. These tools help us understand how visitors interact with our site, improve security, fix bugs, and maintain basic features like navigation and accessibility.

Some cookies are essential for our website to operate, such as remembering your preferences or keeping you signed in to a donor or volunteer portal (if applicable). Others allow us to analyze web traffic, identify which areas of our site are most helpful, and measure the effectiveness of our outreach.

We may also work with trusted third-party service providers—such as analytics platforms and email campaign tools—that use their own tracking technologies on our site. These third parties help us:

  • Monitor engagement and site traffic
  • Identify technical issues and improve site performance
  • Understand user interests so we can deliver more relevant content

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note, however, that disabling certain cookies may limit some features or reduce the overall functionality of our site. How to Manage or Delete Cookies in Your Browser

If you’d like to delete or manage cookies manually, here are helpful links to instructions from the major browsers:

7. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. Your trust is critical to our mission, and we are committed to maintaining your privacy.

However, we may share your information in the following limited and lawful circumstances:

  • With Authorized Staff and Volunteers
    Access is limited to individuals who need the information to perform organizational tasks and who have signed confidentiality agreements.
  • With Trusted Third-Party Service Providers
    These include platforms used for email communications, cloud storage, analytics, payment processing, and customer relationship management. We only share the minimum data necessary and ensure these providers comply with strong data protection standards.
  • To Fulfill Legal or Regulatory Obligations
    We may disclose personal data if required by law (e.g., in response to a subpoena, court order, or regulatory investigation) or to protect the legal rights of our organization, supporters, and users.
  • To Prevent Fraud or Harm
    If we believe there is a risk of harm to individuals, fraud, or misuse of our services, we may share data with appropriate authorities to prevent or respond to those threats.
  • In the Event of a Merger, Acquisition, or Organizational Change: If Empower To Thrive Youth & Women Network is involved in a merger, consolidation, acquisition, asset sale, or organizational restructuring (including a transition of services to another nonprofit or community entity), your data may be transferred to the new entity or successor organization. In such cases, we will ensure your data continues to be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and notify you of any significant changes to how your data will be used or protected.

8. Your Privacy Rights

  • Request a copy of your personal data
  • Correct inaccurate or outdated records
  • Withdraw consent to receive marketing communications
  • Request deletion of your data (subject to regulatory obligations)

To exercise these rights, email us at request-data-deletion@empoweringtothrivenetwork.org

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable physical, technical, and administrative measures to secure your information. Our data partners utilize encryption, access control, and monitoring to prevent unauthorized access. No system is foolproof, so we encourage you to use strong passwords and keep your login information confidential.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect or retain personal data from minors. If such data is identified, it will be deleted immediately.

11. International Users (EU & UK)

If you are in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you are entitled to specific rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or UK Data Protection Act.

Legal Basis for Using Your Data:

We only process your personal data when one of the following applies:

  • You have provided clear consent
  • It is necessary for the performance of a contract or donation process
  • We are fulfilling a legitimate interest that is not overridden by your rights
  • We are complying with a legal obligation

Your Data Rights:

As an EU or UK-based user, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Correct any inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request erasure of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
  • Object to or restrict how your data is processed
  • Request data portability (i.e., to transfer your data to another provider)
  • Withdraw consent at any time, where applicable

If you believe your rights have been violated, you may also file a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority.

How to Exercise These Rights:

To request access, correction, restriction, or deletion of your personal information, please get in touch with us directly at:

Email: request-data-deletion@empoweringtothrivenetwork.org

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.

12. Donor Policy

At Empower To Thrive Youth & Women’s Network, protecting our donors’ and supporters’ privacy and trust is a fundamental part of our commitment to ethical and compassionate service.

We recognize that while our mission is rooted in healing, empowerment, and community, we also operate in a digital landscape where data security challenges are real. Despite our best efforts, risks such as fraud, cyberattacks, and data breaches do exist. That’s why we take a proactive and transparent approach to safeguarding the personal information our donors and partners entrusted to us.

12.1 Our Commitment to Donors

  1. Confidentiality First: All donor and supporter information is treated with the utmost confidentiality. No personal data is used or disclosed without consent, unless legally required.

  2. Confidentiality Agreements: Every staff member, volunteer, and third-party contractor with access to donor data must sign a confidentiality agreement and follow strict data privacy protocols.

  3. Building Trust Through Transparency. We deeply value the trust placed in us by those who support our mission. We are fully committed to being open and transparent about how donor information is collected, used, and stored.

12.2 What We Collect and Why?

We only collect information necessary to support your donation experience and maintain compliance with legal and regulatory bodies such as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This may include:

  • Name and Address – To issue official charitable tax receipts

  • Phone Number and Email – To communicate updates, acknowledgments, or volunteer opportunities based on your preferences

  • Payment Details – Including banking or credit card information, used solely for processing donations (never stored on our servers)

  • Donation Notes – Any comments or preferences you voluntarily include when making a gift

We may also document additional information voluntarily provided to help strengthen our relationship with you and improve future communications.

12.3 How We Protect Your Information

  • We use a secure and encrypted donor management system with rigorous access controls.
  • Sensitive payment data (e.g., credit card numbers) is processed using encrypted, tokenized technology through platforms like Stripe, PayPal, Interac, and banking partners, ensuring it is never stored on our systems.
  • Our vendor partners undergo ongoing security testing, monitoring, and infrastructure upgrades to uphold high data protection standards.

12.4 Communications & Updates

We send regular updates, campaign announcements, and invitations to events or volunteer opportunities through a secure and professional email platform. Supporters who provide an email address are added to our mailing list by default and can unsubscribe at any time by:

12.4 Third-Party Partners

From time to time, we may work with trusted external vendors to assist with fundraising, outreach, or donor engagement. If donor information is shared in these contexts, we ensure that:

  • All transfers are secure and limited to the necessary data
  • Appropriate safeguards and privacy agreements are in place
  • No data is sold or disclosed without consent

12.5 Respecting Your Public Recognition Preferences

Without explicit permission, we will never publicly recognize or list a donor (e.g., in an annual report or on our website).

12.6 Access to Your Donation Records

We respect your right to know what information we keep. Donors can request a copy of their personal giving history or donor record at any time by emailing: donations@empoweringtothrivenetwork.com

Our website may link to external partners and services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies before submitting any personal information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll update the effective date and notify you of any material changes via our website or email.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, privacy concerns, or wish to update your personal information, please contact:

Empower To Thrive Youth & Women’s Network
2313 Bur Oak Ave.
Markham, ON
L6E1L7
Email: info@empoweringtothrivenetwork.org
Phone: 1-647-568-5982

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