Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada Privacy Policy

The Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada (EDFC) is committed to protecting your personal information. We endorse the following ten privacy principles of the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information, upon which Canadian privacy legislation is based, because we know how important our privacy practices are to you.

1. We are accountable for your personal information

We treat any information that can be used to identify, contact or distinguish a specific individual as “personal information”. The main category of personal information we hold is donor information. Donors include prospective donors.

Business information and certain publicly available information, such as names, addresses and telephone numbers as published in public directories, are not considered personal information.

EDFC is responsible for all personal information under our control and we remain responsible when personal information is processed by third parties on our behalf.

EDFC’s Privacy Officer is the primary contact person for information privacy and security matters. Our Privacy Officer can be reached through our contact page or by calling our office.

2. We identify the purposes for collection of your personal information

The purposes for collection of personal information by EDFC will be identified at or before the time of our collection, usually on the subject materials.

For example, we use personal information to provide services and to keep you — the public, donors and volunteers — informed and up-to-date on the activities of EDFC, including programs, services, special events, funding needs, opportunities to volunteer or to give, open houses, administration and legal compliance.

EDFC collects, uses and discloses personal information for the purposes of charitable fundraising activities such as: direct marketing, public relations activities, publications and communication vehicles, educating and promoting social action of the public, issuing tax receipts, sending electronic and mail reminders of events and opportunities, donor recognition activities, volunteer recruitment and recognition, planning dinners, awards, galas and for performing administrative activities related to these purposes.

3. We obtain consent for the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information

You choose the information you submit to us and control how we use and disclose that information, with a few exceptions as may be permitted or required by law. Donors may choose to be anonymous within certain levels of anonymity. If a donor chooses anonymity, we follow that direction.

By voluntarily providing us with personal information in connection with charitable fundraising activities, you are deemed to have consented to our collection, use and disclosure of such information for processing your charitable fundraising activities. You also are deemed to consent to being added to our contact database to receive news of our activities and to solicit further donations. You can withdraw this consent at any time on written notice to us.

4. We limit the collection of your personal information to the purposes identified

EDFC limits the personal information we collect to only the information which is necessary for the purposes we have identified.

EDFC does not collect any personal health information, other than that which is volunteered directly by the donor, volunteer or other individual, or is otherwise publicly known, or is shared by others voluntarily with EDFC.

5. We limit use, disclosure and retention of your personal information

EDFC does not rent, sell or trade any personal information (including its donor and fundraising lists) to third parties.

EDFC does not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with consent of the individual to whom the information relates or as otherwise permitted or required by law.

If a donor wishes to make an anonymous donation, that request is respected.

We retain personal information as long as necessary for the fulfillment of our charitable fundraising purposes. We dispose of personal information which we no longer require by shredding, in the case of paper records, and by deleting electronic files or otherwise destroying electronic media containing such records.

6. Accuracy of your personal information

EDFC takes reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we hold is accurate, complete and as up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used. From time to time, EDFC may contact donors to update their personal information.

7. We safeguard your personal information

Your personal information held by EDFC is protected with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.

Access to donor and other personal information is provided on a need-to-know basis as appropriate to the EDFC staff member’s or volunteer’s role and purpose for access.

EDFC staff members and volunteers are not permitted to access any donor records or other records of personal information unless authorized, which means only for legitimate reasons. Staff members and volunteers are not permitted to access donor records of their friends, family, neighbours, co-workers or colleagues.

EDFC staff members and volunteers agree through confidentiality agreements to conduct their day-to-day business to protect privacy and to ensure the confidentiality of each donation, request, inquiry, acknowledgment or recognition event with which they are involved. Staff members and volunteers are prohibited contractually from taking donor lists with them to other organizations.

All independent contractors or vendors that have a working relationship with EDFC’s donor database must sign confidentiality agreements.

All personal information collected and inputted electronically is retained on a secured, confidential database. EDFC performs periodic audits on electronic records as required to ensure the protection of personal information.

File cabinets and storage areas that store personal information are locked when unattended. Employees are required to return personal information to their secure storage areas promptly.

Efforts are made to ensure that personal information is not inadvertently disclosed to persons not otherwise entitled to receive such information.

When EDFC hires outside contractors to do data entry or provide information systems or to store, transport or destroy donor or other personal information, we only use those that are bonded and insured and maintain a verifiable commitment to confidentiality. We make sure that the contractor uses the methods documented in the contract we have with them.

We only select contractors who commit under contract to protect the information we share with them.

8. We are open about our privacy practices

EDFC provides the public with general information on our personal information protection policies and practices, and makes it easy to identify and contact the Privacy Officer, the person responsible for personal information protection.

9. You can request access to your personal information

You may request access to your personal information. You may ask whether it is EDFC employees, volunteers or contracted third parties who are seeking your donations on behalf of EDFC. To request access, deletion or to challenge the accuracy of your personal information retained by EDFC, contact EDFC’s Privacy Officer in writing at Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada, Suite 2270, 100 Collip Circle, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, or send an email by using our contact form.

10. Challenging Compliance

Concerns about our compliance with this Policy can be addressed in writing to our Privacy Officer at the Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada, Suite 2270, 100 Collip Circle, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, or send an email to info@edfc.ca. We investigate all complaints. If a complaint identifies a gap in our privacy practices, we take appropriate steps to remedy the situation, including changing our policies and practices if necessary.

Contacting EDFC

Questions or concerns regarding the handling of personal information may be directed to our Privacy Officer at the Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada, Suite 2270, 100 Collip Circle, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, or send an email to info@edfc.ca.

For donor inquiries contact EDFC at (519) 858-5085 or our contact form.

July 2026