PRIVACY & DATA PROTECTION POLICY

PRIVACY & DATA PROTECTION POLICY

Rhoda Foundation - referred to in this policy as "we," "us," or "our" - is dedicated to safeguarding your personal, financial, and device data in compliance with Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other privacy laws. This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information, your legal rights, and our procedures for handling your data. We may use your personal information to maintain records, improve your experience, ensure safety, and enhance our community programs and policies.

How your consent works:

By engaging with Rhoda Foundation (and Rhoda Sufi Garden) through any of our channels - including but not limited to our official website, social media platforms, third-party services, or our Premises - you explicitly acknowledge and agree to the following terms regarding your personal information.

When you engage with our organization—whether through our digital platforms, events, or donations—we may collect certain personal information, including your contact details, usage data (via cookies and analytics), and, for donors, necessary financial information. We handle this information with the utmost care and respect for your privacy.

During events, we often document activities through photography, videography, and occasional audio recording to celebrate and share our community’s experiences. Should you prefer not to appear in such materials, kindly notify our staff at the event, and we will gladly accommodate your request.

We strictly adhere to the principle that your personal information serves only our stated organizational purposes. Your data will never be sold or traded to third parties. The only exceptions to this policy would be if required by law or if you provide us with explicit additional consent for specific uses.

While we implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, please understand that no digital platform can offer absolute security. We continuously work to safeguard your data but cannot guarantee complete protection against all potential risks.

You retain full control over your personal information. Should you wish to withdraw your consent, you may discontinue your use of our services or submit a formal request, and we will promptly address your preferences.

Note: We may use Third-Party Service Providers to provide certain services and assistance on behalf of our organization. Your data, information, and activity may be collected, stored, used, processed and transferred by these Service Providers in accordance with their Privacy Policies. We may also use these Service Providers to analyze and monitor your use of our web platforms.

Types of data collected:

While interacting with our website, we may ask you to provide certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:  

Email address
First name and last name
Phone number
Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City

Your Personal Information also includes any Financial Information you may have entered to make donations, online purchases, service purchases, and/or book event rentals on the Premises.

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain diagnostic information including: 

Your device's IP address
Browser type and version
Visit date, duration, and activity
Unique device identifiers
Operating system details

For mobile users, we additionally collect:

Mobile device type and model
Mobile operating system
Mobile browser type
Device-specific identifiers

This data is transmitted by your browser whenever you access our site, regardless of device type.

When you interact with our websites, our web servers automatically receive and store certain data. To enhance your experience, we may use Cookies and similar tracking technologies (ex: beacons, tags, and scripts) to monitor activity on our site, gather usage data, and improve our services and scripts) to enhance functionality, analyze usage, and improve your experience. Most browsers accept cookies by default, but you can disable them in settings. Blocking essential cookies may limit website functionality.

Types of Cookies We Use:

Necessary / Essential Cookies
- Type: Session Cookies
- Purpose: Required for basic website functions (e.g., login security, fraud prevention). Without them, requested services cannot be provided.
Cookie Consent Cookies
- Type: Persistent Cookies
- Purpose: Track whether you’ve accepted our cookie policy.
Functionality Cookies
- Type: Persistent Cookies
- Purpose: Remember your preferences (e.g., login details, language settings) for a personalized experience.
Tracking & Performance Cookies
- Type: Persistent Cookies (administered by third-parties)
- Purpose: Analyze traffic, user behavior, and test new features. Data may be linked to a pseudonymous identifier.

We may process your Personal Data to:

Provide and maintain our Service, including monitoring usage.
Manage your account, enabling access to registered user features.
Fulfill contracts related to purchases or agreements with us.
Contact you via email, SMS, calls, or app notifications for updates, security alerts, or service-related communications.
Share marketing content about similar products/events (unless you opt out).
Respond to your requests and inquiries.
Facilitate business transfers, such as mergers or asset sales, where your data may be included.
Improve our services through analytics, trend analysis, and campaign assessments.

We may disclose your data in these cases:

Service Providers: For analytics, payments, or communications.
Business Transfers: During mergers, sales, or acquisitions.
Affiliates: With our parent company, subsidiaries, or entities under common control (all bound by this policy).
Business Partners: To offer you relevant products/services.
Public Interactions: Information you share publicly may be seen/distributed by others.
With Consent: For any other purpose you authorize.

As a family-friendly organization, we welcome participants of all ages to our events and services. We are committed to protecting children's privacy and do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information (PII) from anyone under 13 without verified parental consent. Additionally, photos, videos, or other media may be captured during activities for archival and promotional purposes. If you do not wish for your child to appear in such materials, please notify our team in advance. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your preferences while ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all.

General Protections: If we discover PII (e.g., names, contact details) from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete it from our servers. Where legal (e.g., under PIPEDA or provincial laws), we may require parental consent to process a child’s data.

We retain your data only as long as necessary for the purposes in this policy, to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Usage Data is kept shorter unless needed for security, service improvement, or legal requirements.

Your data may be processed and stored outside your jurisdiction, where laws differ. By submitting your data, you consent to this transfer. We ensure all transfers comply with this policy and maintain adequate data protections.

We only disclose your data in the following cases:

Mergers & Acquisitions: If we undergo amalgamation, asset transfers, or dissolutions, your Personal Data may be transferred. You'll receive notice before any transfer subject to a new Privacy Policy.
Legal Requirements: We may disclose your Personal Data when legally obligated (e.g., court orders, government requests). We may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

Comply with a legal obligation
Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company
Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public
Protect against legal liability

Other information: Clicking third-party links will direct you to external sites. We don’t control or endorse their content, privacy policies, or practices—review their policies before proceeding.

We may update this policy occasionally. Changes take effect immediately upon posting, with the "Last updated" date revised accordingly. We’ll notify you of significant updates via email or a service notice. Review this policy periodically to stay informed.