Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 1, 2026

Welcome to the website of Ontario School Safety ("we," "us," or "our"). We are an Ontario-based non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for cleaner indoor air in Ontario Schools and on school buses. We create our own informational resources and advocacy tools, and provide links to trusted external resources. We are an entirely volunteer run organization, and rely on donations from the community to operate.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting any personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you visit our website, click on external links, subscribe to our updates, use our letter generator, or submit your story or volunteer application.

1. Website Hosting & Infrastructure (Wix)

Our website is built and hosted using the Wix.com platform.

Data Collected by Wix: When you visit our website, Wix automatically collects technical data such as your IP address, device type, browser information, and rough geographic location through log files and cookies (through Consentik).
Purpose: This data is used by Wix to securely host our website, monitor and protect network security, ensure proper page loading, and provide anonymous traffic analytics to our organization.
Wix Privacy Practices: Wix processes visitor data as a service provider under strict data protection standards. You can read more about how Wix handles data in the Wix Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us. This includes:

Contact Forms & Updates: Your name and email address when you sign up for updates via EmailOctopus or contact us through email or our website contact form (Google).
‘Share Your Story’ Submissions (and similar Google Forms submissions): Any written narratives, names, or contact information you choose to provide in our story submission form.
Volunteer Application Form via Google Forms: Any personal information such as your name, email address, phone number, availability, and relevant experience or background details that you choose to provide in our Volunteer Application form.
Letter Generator: The name you type into our template generator to create custom letters. When you use our letter generator tool, we use the name you input to customize the template document. This data is handled temporarily to complete the request and is not stored or shared for unrelated marketing purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information strictly to carry out our non-profit mission, specifically to:

Send you informational updates, newsletters, and announcements (only if you have explicitly opted in).
Review, format, or publish user-submitted stories (subject to your chosen anonymity preferences).
Facilitate the functional use of our self-serve letter template generator.
Assess your qualifications as a potential volunteer, contact you regarding opportunities, and manage our volunteer program.

We never sell, rent, trade, or share your personal information or email lists with commercial third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Third-Party Service Providers

To operate efficiently, we partner with trusted third-party service providers in addition to Wix. Your data may be processed through these platforms:

Google Workspace (for Nonprofit Organizations): We use Google Workspace suite to run our organization, including processing form submissions through our website. Story and volunteer application submissions are securely stored within our organization's password-protected Google Workspace environment. Google processes this data in accordance with its privacy standards.
Email Marketing: We use EmailOctopus to securely manage our email subscription lists and send updates. Your email and subscription preferences are governed by EmailOctopus's Privacy Policy.
Donations: Financial transactions are handled entirely off-site. When you click our donation button, you are redirected to either Zeffy or GoFundMe, which processes payments under their own terms and privacy rules. We do not see or store your credit card or financial details.
Cookies: Management of cookie settings is through Consentik, which is an add-on to Wix.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies - Consentik

Our website uses cookies (small text files placed on your device) to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and ensure forms function correctly.

Necessary Cookies: Essential for the website to load and function properly.
Analytical/Performance Cookies: We use basic web analytics to understand how visitors interact with our informational content.
Managing Cookies with Consentik: You can opt in or reject optional cookies at any time by clicking on the Consentik cookie banner or by adjusting your web browser settings.

6. Data Retention and Security

We implement reasonable physical, organizational, and technological safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, or theft. Volunteer Application and Share your Story submissions (via Google Forms) are securely stored within our organization's password-protected Google Workspace environment. Google processes this data in accordance with its privacy standards. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal application data to outside third parties.

We retain your data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected (e.g., maintaining your subscription until you unsubscribe, maintaining our volunteer records in accordance with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA 2010), or keeping a story active on our site).

7. Your Rights and Choices

You retain full control over your personal data. At any time, you have the right to:

Opt-Out: Withdraw your consent to receive emails by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any EmailOctopus message. Update your cookie settings using the Consentik banner on our website.
Access or Delete: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, or request that we delete your submissions or contact information entirely from our records. NOTE: We are a volunteer organization and will do our best to respond to requests for copies of data.
Modify Story Permissions: Change how your previously submitted story is displayed (e.g., changing from first-name attribution to completely anonymous).

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operational practices or legal requirements. The "Effective Date" at the top of this page will update accordingly.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact our volunteer team at:

Email: contact@ontarioschoolsafety.com