Privacy Policy

This Policy applies to personal information we collect through our Site and social channels; forms (contact, volunteer, donations, program intake/feedback); from donors, partners, volunteers, job applicants; and from individuals in our counselling programs.

Note: Counselling will be delivered by licensed clinicians and partner agencies. Those providers are responsible for their own clinical records and privacy practices (see Section 8).

The personal information we collect depends on your relationship with us:

• Device/usage data (IP address, browser, pages viewed, referrer, time on page, approximate location).
• Cookies or similar technologies (see Section 10).

• Name, email, phone, organization, message content, preferences.

• Name, email, phone, mailing address, donation amount/frequency, campaign attribution, communication preferences.
• Payment data is processed by third-party providers (e.g., Zeffy) and not stored on our servers. We receive confirmation data (e.g., success, amount) to issue receipts and maintain CRA-required records.

• Intake details you choose to provide (contact info, school/district, availability, modality preferences, high-level goals).
• Sensitive information (e.g., mental-health history, session notes) is created/held by the counselling provider (see Section 8).

• Resume/CV details, references, background-check results (where required), role preferences, availability.

• Provide and improve programs, counselling access, and support;
• Process donations and issue tax receipts;
• Respond to messages and requests;
• Manage partnerships, volunteers, events, and outreach;
• Run marketing/awareness with consent (see Section 11);
• Understand Site performance and improve user experience;
• Meet legal, audit, insurance, and regulatory requirements; and
• Produce aggregated, de-identified impact statistics (e.g., sessions served, wait times).

We will request consent for any new purpose not listed here unless permitted or required by law.

Under BC PIPA, we rely on consent (express or implied), reasonable purposes connected to our programs and operations, and legal/required disclosures. You can withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual limits (see Section 13).

We partner with Zeffy, a third-party fundraising platform, to process online donations. When you donate through our embedded forms:

• You may receive (or be prompted to activate) a Zeffy donor account to view history, manage recurring gifts, and update details.
• No platform fees are charged to you or to REACH. You may optionally add a tip to support Zeffy’s service.
• Your payment details (card/bank) are processed and stored securely by Zeffy and/or its payment partners. REACH does not store full financial details.
• Official tax receipts are issued via Zeffy by email on our behalf (see Terms for details).

Other methods: you may give by e-transfer to contact@reachingcanada.com (include full name, email, mailing address, and optional designation), or by cheque payable to REACH mailed to Attn: Donations, #406 — 1415 Kelglen Crescent, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 8P4.

We do not sell personal information. We may share information with:

• Service providers that help operate the Site and programs (e.g., hosting/CDN such as Cloudflare, email tools such as Brevo, analytics such as Google Analytics, fundraising/payment platforms such as Zeffy).
• Counselling partners to schedule you with a clinician and coordinate support. Unless you authorize otherwise, REACH receives only minimal identifying data and de-identified/aggregated outcomes; clinical notes remain with the provider.
• Legal and safety obligations (e.g., court orders, to prevent harm, investigate fraud or security issues).

Some service providers store or process data in other jurisdictions (including the United States). Data in other countries may be subject to lawful access by foreign authorities. We take steps to ensure vendors provide comparable protections.

• Clinical records & confidentiality: Licensed counsellors (and their agencies) are the custodians of clinical records. REACH does not access clinical notes; we may receive de-identified/aggregated data for program evaluation.
• Provider policies: Your counsellor will review their privacy/confidentiality policy and informed consent with you.
• Limits to confidentiality (typical in Canada): imminent risk of serious harm, reasonable suspicion of child abuse/neglect, valid court order/subpoena.
• Youth & consent: Providers follow applicable rules for minors (age of majority in BC is 19).

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described or as required by law. Typical periods (guidance only): donations/finance records: minimum 7 years (CRA); program scheduling/admin data: up to 2 years after last activity unless needed longer; clinical records: maintained by the provider per professional rules.

We use cookies to keep the Site secure and functioning, remember preferences, and measure traffic (e.g., Google Analytics 4). You can manage cookies in your browser and may opt out of certain analytics; blocking some cookies may impact functionality.

We send updates only with consent under Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (CASL). Every message includes an unsubscribe link or instructions. Transactional messages (e.g., donation receipts, booking confirmations) may still be sent to provide services.

• HTTPS encryption; access controls/least-privilege; vetted vendors and data-processing agreements;
• Secure payment processing via Zeffy and/or its payment partners;
• Staff/volunteer confidentiality training. No method is 100% secure; if a breach creates a real risk of significant harm, we will take steps required by law.