Holiday Helpers Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 15, 2026

Holiday Helpers ("Holiday Helpers," "we," "us," or "our") is a registered Canadian charity (Charitable Registration #83327 3022 RR0001) dedicated to providing customized Christmas packages to families with young children living in low-income situations. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you interact with our website (holidayhelpers.org), our donor portal, our programs, or our organization generally.

By using our website or participating in our programs, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other applicable Canadian privacy legislation.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information we collect from:

  • Donors — individuals and corporations who make financial or in-kind donations
  • Sponsors — individuals, families, and corporate teams who sponsor a family's wishlist
  • Volunteers — individuals who register to volunteer at our warehouse or events
  • Sponsored families and program recipients — families and individuals who apply for or receive support through our programs
  • Referral partners — social service agencies and organizations that refer families to us
  • Corporate partners — businesses engaging in corporate giving, sponsorship, or volunteering
  • Newsletter subscribers and general website visitors
  • Job applicants applying through our Careers page

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Contact information: name, mailing address, email address, phone number
  • Donor portal information: account credentials, donation history, payment information (processed via our donor portal and payment processors — we do not store full credit card numbers)
  • Sponsor/volunteer registration information: name, employer/company name (for corporate teams), preferences, shift or event sign-up details
  • Family and recipient information: for families applying to be sponsored, we (directly or through referral partner agencies) collect information necessary to build a wishlist and coordinate delivery, which may include household composition, ages of children, clothing sizes, gift preferences, income eligibility information, and delivery address
  • Corporate giving information: company name, contact person, giving preferences, team size
  • Newsletter sign-up: email address, and optionally name
  • Communications: any information you provide when you contact us by phone, email, or contact form
  • Job application materials: resume, cover letter, and related information submitted through our Careers page

2.2 Information About Children

Because our mission serves families with young children, we may receive information about children (such as first name, age, and gift preferences) from a parent, guardian, or referral partner agency for the sole purpose of fulfilling a Christmas package. We do not knowingly collect this information directly from children, and we limit its use strictly to program delivery as described in this Policy.

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we and our service providers may automatically collect:

  • IP address, browser type, device information, and general location
  • Pages visited, time spent on the site, and referring/exit pages
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 7)

We use website analytics tools (such as Google Analytics, via Google Site Kit) to understand how visitors use our site.

2.4 Information from Third Parties

  • Referral partner agencies (e.g., shelters and social service organizations) may share information about families they refer to us
  • Social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, Facebook) may provide us with limited information when you interact with our social content embedded on our site
  • Payment processors and the donor management platform we use for our donor portal may share transaction confirmations and related account information with us

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

  • Process donations, sponsorships, and manage your donor portal account
  • Match sponsors with families and coordinate the fulfillment and delivery of Christmas packages
  • Register and coordinate volunteers and corporate giving teams
  • Communicate with you about your donation, sponsorship, volunteer shift, or inquiry
  • Send our newsletter and updates about Holiday Helpers programs, if you've subscribed
  • Verify eligibility of families applying for support
  • Issue charitable tax receipts where applicable
  • Evaluate and improve our programs, services, and website
  • Comply with legal, regulatory, and charitable reporting obligations (including CRA requirements)
  • Process job applications
  • Protect against fraud, abuse, or misuse of our programs

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share personal information with:

  • Service providers who help us operate — including our donor management/CRM platform, email/newsletter service, payment processors, and website hosting and analytics providers — solely to help us deliver our services. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.
  • Referral partner agencies involved in coordinating family sponsorships
  • Corporate sponsors or volunteer teams, in limited circumstances, where necessary to fulfill a sponsorship (for example, sharing a family's wishlist with the sponsoring team) — we limit this to what's needed for the sponsorship and avoid sharing more identifying information than necessary
  • Professional advisors such as auditors, accountants, or legal counsel, where necessary
  • Government or regulatory bodies, including the Canada Revenue Agency, where required by law or for charitable reporting
  • Successor organizations, in the event of a merger, reorganization, or transfer of our charitable operations

We do not share sponsored family or child information publicly, and we do not share it with sponsors beyond what's necessary to complete gift fulfillment (e.g., first names, ages, sizes, and wishlist items — not full addresses, where operationally possible, unless required for delivery coordination).

5. Photos, Testimonials, and Stories

We may photograph or video volunteer events, and we may share written testimonials or stories from sponsored families (as seen on our website and social media). We only use recognizable images or direct quotes from sponsored families with their consent, and we do not use identifying images of children from sponsored families without a parent or guardian's consent. If you'd prefer we not use a photo or story involving you or your family, please contact us using the information in Section 11.

6. Donor Portal

Our donor portal is operated on a third-party platform. When you create a donor portal account, that provider processes and stores certain information (such as login credentials and donation history) on our behalf, subject to their own security safeguards and our data processing terms with them. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your donor portal account.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Remember your preferences
  • Understand site traffic and usage patterns (via analytics tools)
  • Support embedded content, such as our Instagram feed

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality. We do not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including:

  • Donor and donation records, as required for charitable tax receipting and CRA record-keeping requirements (generally a minimum of 6 years)
  • Sponsored family information, for the duration of the program cycle and a limited period afterward for program evaluation, after which it is securely deleted or de-identified
  • Volunteer and newsletter records, until you ask us to remove you or as long as reasonably needed for our programs

9. How We Protect Your Information

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, including restricted access to sensitive records (particularly family and child information), secured payment processing through PCI-compliant providers, and contractual safeguards with our service providers. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Under PIPEDA, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Withdraw consent to certain uses of your information (subject to legal or contractual restrictions)
  • Request deletion of your information, where we are not required to retain it (e.g., for tax receipting purposes)
  • Unsubscribe from our newsletter or marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 11. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable law.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact:

Holiday Helpers 5407 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 201 Toronto, ON M9C 5K6 Phone: 416-214-3659 Email: info@holidayhelpers.org

If you have unresolved concerns about how we've handled your personal information, you may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca).

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will post the updated version on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

This Privacy Policy is intended to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). It does not constitute legal advice. Holiday Helpers recommends periodic legal review of this Policy to ensure ongoing compliance with applicable privacy laws.