Privacy Policy

In this policy, “the Foundation”, “SFF”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean The Steele Family Foundation. This policy covers thesteelefamilyfoundation.com and personal information we receive through the public website or related correspondence.

The WISE Scholarship Program™ participant portal and mobile app are separate services. Their own privacy notices explain how participant accounts, learning activities and program records are handled. This website policy does not replace those notices, a partner organization’s policy or a notice provided for a particular program.

The information involved depends on how you use the website:

• Enquiries. Our contact form asks for your first and last name, email address, phone number, subject and message. If you email us directly, we receive your address and the information included in that correspondence.
• Newsletter subscriptions. When you sign up, we collect your name, email address and your agreement to receive updates. We keep a record of the signup source, time and consent wording, along with security and subscription-processing records.
• Donation information. Information you enter in a donation form is handled through Donorbox and the payment services presented at checkout. Donor and transaction information made available to the Foundation may include your contact details, donation amount, date, chosen purpose and receipt information. Payment-card details are entered with the payment provider, not through our contact form.
• Technical and security information. Website infrastructure receives connection details such as an IP address, requested page, browser information and request time. Form protection uses a secured identifier derived from a network address, verification results and submission status to limit abuse and duplicate messages. A contact enquiry may also include an approximate city, region or country supplied by the hosting network. This is not precise GPS location.
• Information you choose to share. A message may contain other personal information. Please include only what we need to help you. Do not send passwords, full payment-card details, identity documents, health records or confidential student records through the public contact form.

We use personal information for the purpose for which it was provided, including to:

• Respond to questions, follow up on your enquiry and send a message acknowledgement.
• Deliver Foundation news and updates when you choose to subscribe, and manage your subscription preferences.
• Support donation enquiries, acknowledgements, record keeping and any receipts for which a donation is eligible.
• Operate the website, troubleshoot delivery, maintain security and prevent spam, fraud or misuse.
• Respond to privacy requests and meet applicable legal, accounting and record-keeping requirements.

We do not sell or rent personal information or subscriber lists. We do not use a contact-form enquiry as consent to another organization’s marketing.

Newsletter signup is voluntary and uses Constant Contact. The optional newsletter box on the contact form is separate from sending your enquiry and is not selected for you. If you subscribe, your name and email address are sent to Constant Contact to manage Foundation updates. A confirmation step may be required before your subscription is complete.

You can unsubscribe using the link in a Foundation newsletter or by emailing info@thesteelefamilyfoundation.com. We honour unsubscribe requests without delay and, for messages subject to Canada’s anti-spam legislation, no later than 10 business days after receiving the request. We may keep a limited record of your preference so that you are not added back unintentionally.

Unsubscribing from newsletters does not prevent a response to a message you send us or a necessary communication about a donation. Email services may provide delivery and engagement information, such as whether a message was delivered or a link was used, according to their settings and privacy practices.

You can also ask to withdraw consent for other uses of your information. We will explain any legal or contractual limits and whether your request affects a service you have asked us to provide. Browsing the website does not, by itself, subscribe you to communications.

Our team and service providers handle information as needed to operate the website and respond to the interactions described in this policy. The services currently used include:

Website hosting and security

The website’s hosting and content-delivery services, including Cloudflare infrastructure, process requests, serve pages and support form security and operational records.

Resend

Delivers contact-form notifications to the Foundation and acknowledgements to visitors. The notification includes the details submitted in the form.

Constant Contact

Manages newsletter subscriptions and email updates. Signup information is sent only when you choose the newsletter option.

Donorbox and payment providers

Provide donation forms and payment processing. Review the information and terms shown in the donation flow before submitting a gift.

Wistia

Provides embedded videos. Loading a player or watching a video can send connection and viewing information to Wistia.

Google Fonts

Supplies website typefaces. Your browser connects to Google’s font servers, which receive the technical information needed to deliver the font files.

Elfsight and Instagram

Elfsight displays our Instagram feed. Loading the widget sends technical connection information to Elfsight, such as an IP address and browser details. Opening a post or following the Foundation on Instagram takes you to services operated by Meta, under their own privacy terms.

Services may process information for their own security, legal or operational purposes under their notices. See the privacy information from Resend, Constant Contact, Donorbox, Wistia, Cloudflare Elfsight and Google.

We may also disclose information with your consent or where required or permitted by applicable law, including to address a lawful request, protect someone’s safety, investigate misuse or establish or defend a legal claim. We limit these disclosures to information appropriate to the circumstances.

We use service providers with operations in Canada and other countries. Your information may therefore be stored or processed outside your province or country, including in the United States. Privacy laws and access rules can differ, and information may be accessible to courts or public authorities where it is processed.

The Foundation remains responsible for the personal information under its control. Contact us if you would like more information about the service providers involved in a particular interaction.

The recognition announcement uses local or session storage in your browser to remember that it has been shown and avoid repeating it on every page. This record is used by the announcement on this website. Our self-hosted form-verification tool checks requests to help prevent automated abuse.

External services, including embedded donation, video and Instagram features, may use cookies, browser storage or similar technologies under their own notices. A connection to a service can occur when its content loads, before you submit a form or play a video. Follow the controls offered by that service where available.

The Instagram feed is supplied by Elfsight. Its widget may use a cookie to avoid counting repeated views. If you open content on Instagram, Meta’s own privacy and cookie choices apply.

Your browser lets you clear site data and control cookies or third-party content. Blocking these technologies may affect video playback, donations or other features. Clearing local storage may cause the recognition announcement to be shown again. You can email the Foundation if you prefer not to use a website form.

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described here, including responding to enquiries, maintaining a subscription, keeping donation or consent records, resolving disputes and meeting applicable legal obligations. The period depends on the record and its purpose. Removing a short-lived website submission record does not also remove the related email or donation record.

When information is no longer required, our approach is to delete it or make it no longer identifiable, subject to applicable retention requirements and reasonable backup cycles. An unsubscribe record may be retained to respect your request not to receive further updates.

Safeguards include encrypted website connections, server-side form validation, anti-abuse controls and protected newsletter-consent records. No website, email service or storage system can guarantee complete security. Please contact us promptly if you believe information has been exposed or misused.

Our public website shares information about education, humanitarian care and community projects. It is not a participant enrolment system and does not ask young people to submit school, health or financial records.

If you are a young person and are unsure about sharing information, ask a parent, guardian or trusted program representative for help. Parents and guardians can contact us about personal information a child has submitted or about an image or story published on this website. We will review the concern and take appropriate steps, including removing information where warranted. Program participation and any related consent are handled through the applicable program’s own processes.

You can ask what personal information the Foundation holds about you, request access or a correction, ask us to delete information we no longer need, or raise a concern about its use. Email info@thesteelefamilyfoundation.com with “Privacy request” in the subject line. Explain the interaction or record involved without sending unnecessary sensitive documents.

We may need proportionate information to confirm your identity or authority before disclosing or changing a record. We will respond within the time required by applicable law. Access or deletion may be limited by legal retention duties, another person’s privacy or other lawful exceptions. If we cannot fulfil a request, we will explain why, where we are allowed to do so.

If a concern is not resolved, you can contact the privacy regulator with authority over the matter. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada provides information about Canadian privacy rights and complaint options.

We may update this policy when the website, our services or applicable requirements change. The effective date identifies the current version. If a change introduces a materially different use of personal information, we will provide any additional notice or obtain any consent required by applicable law. Posting a revised policy does not, on its own, give us consent to a new use that requires it.