1. Purpose

Anahata Wellness Society (AWS) protects the privacy, dignity, and personal information of all individuals with whom we interact, including participants, volunteers, employees, contractors, donors, board members, partners, and the public. AWS uses, stores, retains, discloses, and securely destroys personal data in strict compliance with the British Columbia Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and other relevant laws.

2. Scope

This policy applies to Board Directors, Employees, Contractors, Volunteers, Facilitators, Students, Consultants, Advisory Committee Members, and anyone acting on behalf of AWS.

3. Guiding Principles

• Respect every person's right to privacy.
  • Collect only information necessary for our charitable purposes.
  • Be transparent about why information is collected.
  • Protect information using appropriate administrative, physical, and technological safeguards.
  • Limit access to those with a legitimate need to know.
  • Recognize the legal limits of confidentiality.

4. Personal Information We May Collect

Participant personal information including name, email address, workplace health authority/facility type, accessibility requests, attendance records, self-reported responses to program surveys or assessments, as well as employment and volunteer records, donor information, governance records, and other information necessary to fulfill AWS purposes.

5. Purposes for Collection

Management of platform accounts, communications, secure content delivery, evaluation of completion rates and program effectiveness, governance, legal compliance, fundraising administration, volunteer and employee management and organizational safety. 

6. Consent

Whenever practical, informed consent will be obtained before collecting personal information. Consent may be expressed or implied depending on the nature of the interaction. For fundraising and marketing communications, individuals will always be provided with a clear, immediate option to opt-out (unsubscribe). Consent may be withdrawn at any time subject to legal, contractual, or operational requirements.

7. Use and Disclosure

Personal information will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected, with consent, or as required or authorized by law. AWS does not sell, rent, or share personal information.