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Privacy Policy

Effective date: September 28, 2026

Mental Health Foundation (Alberta) respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information when you visit the Mental Health Foundation Holiday Shop (the “Shop”) or give a gift through it. In the Shop, each item you choose is a donation to MHF: you are not buying a product for yourself, you are funding events, programs and services on our behalf. By using the Shop, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Who we are

The Shop is operated by Mental Health Foundation (Alberta) (“MHF”, “we”, “us” or “our”), a registered Canadian charity (CRA registration number 821577673 RR 0001). Gifts made through the Shop support addiction and mental health programs and services across Alberta.

Mental Health Foundation (Alberta) Room 127A, Building 9, Alberta Hospital Edmonton 17480 Fort Road NW, Edmonton, AB T5Y 6A8 780-342-7718 · info@mentalhealthfoundation.ca

2. Scope

This policy applies to personal information collected through the Shop, including when you browse, make a gift, contact us or sign up for updates. We handle personal information in keeping with Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where it applies, and the Imagine Canada Donor Bill of Rights.

Links from the Shop to other websites, including our main website, social media pages and third-party payment pages, are governed by those sites’ own privacy policies.

3. Information we collect

Information you give us

  • Gift details: your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, the Shop items you chose to fund, the gift amount and date, and any message you add.
  • Tribute details: if you give in honour or memory of someone, the name you provide and, if you ask us to send a notification, the recipient’s name and email or mailing address.
  • Payment information: card details are entered directly with our payment processor. MHF does not see or store your full card number; we receive only confirmation of payment, the card type and the last four digits.
  • Communications: information you share when you email, call or message us about your gift.
  • Preferences: your choice to receive, or not receive, news and updates from MHF, and whether you wish your gift to remain anonymous.

Information collected automatically

  • Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, referring website and the date and time of your visit.
  • Cookies and similar technologies: see section 9.

We do not ask for, and ask that you do not send us, information about your own or anyone else’s health or mental health through the Shop. If you need support, please contact Access 24/7 at 780-424-2424. In an emergency, call 911.

4. How we use your information

We use personal information only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate, namely to:

  • process your gift and send you a gift confirmation;
  • issue your official donation receipt for income tax purposes, as required by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA);
  • send a tribute notification, if you asked us to;
  • thank you and, with your permission, recognize your support;
  • answer your questions and correct errors with a gift;
  • prevent fraud and keep the Shop secure;
  • understand how the Shop is used so we can improve it;
  • keep financial records and meet our legal, tax and charitable reporting obligations; and
  • send you news, appeals and updates from MHF, but only if you have agreed to receive them.

To issue a tax receipt, the CRA requires us to record your full name and address. If you do not provide them, we cannot issue a receipt.

5. Consent

By making a gift, you consent to our use of your information to process and receipt it. We will ask for your express consent before sending you marketing emails. You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual limits, by contacting us (section 12). Withdrawing consent may mean we cannot process a gift or issue a receipt.

6. How we share your information

We do not sell, rent, trade or share donor lists, and we do not publish your name as a donor without your permission. We share personal information only with:

  • Service providers who help us run the Shop, such as our e-commerce platform, payment processor, donor database and receipting system, email service provider (Constant Contact) and website hosting and analytics providers. They may use your information only to provide services to us and must protect it.
  • Authorities or others when required or permitted by law, for example to the CRA during an audit, to respond to a court order, prevent fraud or protect the rights and safety of MHF or others.
  • A successor organization, if MHF’s operations are merged or transferred, subject to this policy.

If you ask us to send a tribute notification, the recipient will see your name and message, but never your gift amount.

Some service providers store or process information outside Canada, including in the United States. While there, your information may be accessed by courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of that country. You may contact us (section 12) for written information about our policies on service providers outside Canada, or with questions about how they collect, use, disclose or store your information.

7. How long we keep your information

We keep gift and receipt records for as long as needed for the purposes above and at least as long as CRA and accounting rules require, generally seven years. We keep your communication preferences until you change them. When information is no longer needed, we securely destroy or anonymize it.

8. How we protect your information

We use reasonable physical, administrative and technical safeguards to protect personal information against loss, theft and unauthorized access, use or disclosure. These include encrypted (HTTPS) connections, PCI-compliant payment processing and access limited to staff and volunteers who need it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

If a privacy breach creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta as required by law.

9. Cookies and analytics

The Shop uses cookies and similar technologies to keep your cart working, remember your preferences, keep the Shop secure and measure traffic. Some cookies are set by our service providers, such as analytics tools. Essential cookies are required for the Shop to work. You can block or delete other cookies through your browser settings; some features may not work if you do.

10. Email communications

We send commercial electronic messages only in line with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). Every marketing email includes our contact information and an unsubscribe link. You will still receive messages about your gift, including your tax receipt, after you unsubscribe.

11. Your rights

You have the right to:

  • ask what personal information we hold about you and how it has been used and shared;
  • ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete; and
  • withdraw consent to certain uses, including marketing.

To make a request, contact us using the details in section 12. We will respond within 45 days, as PIPA requires, and may need to confirm your identity first. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta.

The Shop is not directed to children. Children under 13 should not provide personal information without a parent or guardian’s involvement.

12. Contact us

Questions, requests or concerns about this policy or your personal information can be sent to our Privacy Officer:

Privacy Officer, Mental Health Foundation (Alberta) Room 127A, Building 9, Alberta Hospital Edmonton, 17480 Fort Road NW, Edmonton, AB T5Y 6A8 info@mentalhealthfoundation.ca · 780-342-7718

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Significant changes will be highlighted on the Shop.