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Introduction

 

Literacy in Action (LIA) is a not-for-profit volunteer-oriented organization that promotes adult literacy and lifelong learning. LIA designs, delivers, and supports free community-based programs and direct services. Our activities build on core literacy skills and provide hands-on learning opportunities for English-speaking adults and their families in the Estrie region of Quebec.

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We respect your privacy and work hard to protect your personal information.

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To provide our programs and services, we sometimes gather personal information from participants, volunteers, employees, donors, and website users. Whenever possible, we use information that does not identify you personally.

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By providing LIA with your personal information- for example, when you complete a registration form, make a donation, respond to our communications, or interact with us online, you agree that LIA can use it according to this Privacy Policy. By interacting with LIA, whether by registering, donating, or communicating with us, you acknowledge that your information will be processed as described in this policy, which may include storing or transferring your data using trusted digital services necessary to operate our programs (see Section 5.)

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This Privacy Policy applies only to LIA’s website and services. It does not cover other websites, including those of our service provider platforms or independent third parties. If you visit these websites, we recommend that you review their privacy policies before sharing any personal information.

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You are never required to give us information that is not needed for our services. Choosing not to provide optional information will not affect your participation.

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Please read the following sections for more details about how we protect your privacy.

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1. How does Quebec's Law 25 define personal information?

 

Personal information

Personal information is any data that directly or indirectly identifies an individual, such as someone’s name, their personal email or home address, their age, etc. This information must always be protected and kept confidential.

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Business contact information
Basic business contact information, such as a person’s job title, business address, business email, and business telephone number, relating to the performance of their duties, is not considered confidential under Law 25.

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Sensitive personal information
Some personal information is more sensitive than others. This includes information people expect to be kept very private, such as health information, financial information, or information about children under 18. Sensitive personal information requires clear, informed consent and stronger safeguards.

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We collect and retain personal information with informed consent and with explicit consent for sensitive information, in accordance with Law 25’s requirements.

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2. How do we gather your personal information?

 

We get personal information from you and through our interactions with you, including:

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  • When you register for events, activities, training, updates, or newsletters

  • When you donate to our organization, in any form

  • When you register as a volunteer

  • When you apply for employment or are hired

  • In the course of LIA providing services to you

  • From partner organizations we work with when you have given them your consent

  • From public sources, including information made public by law or shared on publicly accessible platforms, where permitted by law and consistent with this Privacy Policy

  • Through inquiries or forms submitted on our website
     

We collect only the information necessary for identified purposes and in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

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3. What personal information does LIA gather?

 

We may collect personal information about you, including:

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Contact and identifying information

  • Name, email, phone number, home address

  • Birth date/Age range

 

Health and accessibility information

  • Allergies, accessibility needs, emergency contacts, dietary restrictions, and other health-related information in case of an emergency/incident

 

Demographics

  • Gender, preferred pronouns, languages spoken

 

Financial information

  • Donations, household income (for funding/statistics), household status, SIN and banking information

 

Program participation

  • Attendance records, preferences and engagement in LIA programs and services 

 

Recruitment information

  • CV, education, work history, professional affiliations, references and accommodations (for staff, intern, and/or volunteer candidates)

 

Photos and videos

  • Taken during programs and events for reporting to funders and for training, promotions and recordkeeping purposes

  • May appear on our website, social media, newsletters, or other LIA materials

  • Participants will be notified before being photographed using signs or announcements if direct notice is not possible

  • You can always decline to be photographed or filmed at any time

 

Website activity

  • We do not use tracking cookies, but some service provider tools used to send emails or embedded videos may collect information to help LIA communicate more effectively

 

Other records

  • Evidence of consent you have given LIA

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About your consent

  • We ask for permission in a clear, simple way

  • You choose freely and know why we need your information

  • You can ask for help to understand before providing consent

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Sensitive information & consent

  • Sensitive personal information (health, financial data, information about children) requires clear, explicit consent and extra safeguards

  • We do not collect personal information from children under 14 without parental consent

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4. How do we use your information?

 

We use personal information only for the following purposes:

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  1. To provide programs and communicate

    • Deliver personalized services and programs

    • Share information about programs, events, and services (with your consent)

    • Inform you about volunteer or job opportunities (with your consent)

    • Send our newsletter (with your consent)

    • To accept your donations (with your consent)

    • To report to our funders about our programs and services

  2. To improve programs and services

    • Understand community needs

    • Review feedback

    • Improve programs and support we offer

  3. For volunteer or job applications

    • Review applications

    • Assess qualifications and references

    • Contact applicants

  4. To meet legal obligations

    • Comply with legal or regulatory requirements

    • Respond to lawful requests from authorities
       

We use personal information only for the purposes listed above, unless the law allows us to do otherwise or you give additional consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time, unless we are required by law to keep certain information.

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5. With whom do we share personal information?

 

We only share personal information when necessary and in accordance with Law 25. 

  • This is limited to authorized personnel and volunteers supporting our programs or government authorities when strictly required by law (such as for tax or regulatory obligations).

  • With your consent, we may share limited information with secure digital services that are responsible for storing the data we collect (such as providers of cloud workspace tools & CRM systems)

  • With your consent, we may share limited information with marketing platforms to market our services.

  • With your consent, we may also share your stories, photos, or feedback on our social media platforms. This might include your name if it appears in a photo or a program name tag.
     

Note: Some service provider platforms may use cookies or tracking tools. We    

           handle all information securely in accordance with Law 25

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Other safeguards

  • We do not sell personal information

  • We do not share personal information for other purposes unless required or permitted by law

  • When sharing personal information outside Québec, we ensure it is protected consistent with Law 25

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6. How long do we keep personal information?

 

We keep personal information only as long as necessary for reporting, legal, or administrative purposes, usually up to 2 years after your last activity with us
 

We may contact former participants only to verify or update information that is still required
 

With your consent, we may keep information longer to send you program updates, newsletters, or information about job/volunteer opportunities and donation options
 

Information may be retained longer if necessary to meet legal obligations or linked with another person’s records (for example, child and parent records)
 

When no longer needed, personal information is safely destroyed

 

Note: Any health information included in an incident report is kept beyond two years, according to Law 25.

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7. Where is personal information stored?

 

Staff devices

  • Limited access, protected by secure logins

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Online / electronic storage

  • Stored on secure servers provided by trusted service providers

  • Servers may be outside Québec or Canada, but strong security measures are in place

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Paper records

  • Stored in locked cabinets and safely shredded when no longer required

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Tracking

  • LIA keeps a data inventory of where and how long personal information is stored

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8. How do we protect personal information?

 

Limited access: Only staff who need your information can access it
 

Physical security: Paper records are in locked cabinets
 

Electronic security: Computers, email, and online systems are protected with secure logins, passwords, and encryption
 

If something goes wrong: We assess risk if information is lost, stolen, or shared by mistake and notify affected individuals when serious harm is possible
 

Compliance: All practices follow Québec’s Law 25 requirements

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9. Information privacy rights of individuals

 

Under Law 25, individuals have the following rights:

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  • Access: Request a copy of personal information we hold

  • Correction: Request that inaccurate information be corrected

  • Deletion: Request deletion, unless legally required to keep it

  • Anonymization: Request that information be used only in anonymous form, when possible

  • Online removal: Request removal of information online if it seriously harms your privacy or reputation

  • Complaint: Lodge a complaint with Québec’s Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI)
     

You can submit a Client Complaint form to LIA if you suspect a possible breach of your personal information; we will review it, take corrective action if needed, maintain a log of steps taken and inform you of outcomes as required by Law 25.

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If unsatisfied with our response, you may contact the CAI directly.

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10. Cookies and similar technologies

 

Website tracking: LIA does not directly use tracking cookies on our website. Any service providers we use follow their contractual obligations and privacy requirements under Law 25.
 

Service provider tools and forms: Some website features, online forms, and other digital tools may collect personal information such as your name and email address, etc. to help us communicate effectively. All personal information collected this way is handled securely and in accordance with Law 25.
 

Newsletters: We use Mailchimp, a trusted service provider, to send our newsletters. Mailchimp may track whether emails are opened or links are clicked to help us improve communications. You can unsubscribe at any time. Mailchimp handles your information securely and only for the purposes described here.
 

Your choices: You can manage or block cookies in your web browser and unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time.

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11. How to contact us

 

For questions, comments, or complaints:

 

Literacy in Action
Attn: Angie Aucoin, Privacy Officer
 

5 Rue Connolly, Sherbrooke, J1M 1L8


(819)346-7009

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privacyofficer@lia-estrie.org

  

12. Privacy Policy updates

 

This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with Québec’s Law 25 and is updated to remain accurate
 

Please check this page regularly for updates
 

If there are important changes, we will post a notice on our website

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Last updated: Sept. 9th, 2026

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