Privacy Policy

Who We Are

The Flourish Emerging Artists & Calligraphers Society ("the Society," "we," "us," or "our") is a not-for-profit organization based in Alberta, Canada. We exist to support emerging visual artists and calligraphers in Alberta through scholarships, workshops, exhibitions, and community programming — connected to the Flourish Festival of Letters & Art and our online learning programme.

This Privacy Policy applies to the website at flourishemergingartistssociety.com and to any personal information you share with us through our website, contact forms, donation forms, or by emailing or calling us directly.

We are subject to the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of Alberta and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where applicable.

What Information We Collect

We collect only what we need to serve you and carry out our mission. This falls into two categories:

Information you give us directly:

• Your name and email address when you contact us, apply for support, or sign up for updates
• Your phone number if you provide it when reaching out
• Payment and billing information when you make a donation (processed securely through our third-party payment processor — we do not store your card details)
• Information about your artistic practice if you apply for a scholarship or programme opportunity
• Any other information you choose to share in a message or application

Information collected automatically:

• Basic website analytics — pages visited, time on site, general geographic region, browser type — collected in aggregate and not linked to your identity
• Standard server log data (IP addresses, access times) retained for security purposes
• Cookies used by our website platform for basic functionality

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiries and messages
• Process donations and issue charitable tax receipts where applicable
• Review and respond to scholarship and programme applications
• Send you updates about the Society, the Flourish Festival, and related programmes — if you have asked to hear from us
• Operate and improve our website
• Fulfil our obligations as a not-for-profit organization under Alberta law

Consent & Communications

We rely on your consent before adding you to any mailing list or sending you communications beyond responding to your direct enquiry. You may withdraw your consent at any time by:

• Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send you
• Emailing us directly at [email protected]
• Calling us at 403-815-8484

Withdrawing consent for communications does not affect our ability to contact you regarding an active donation, scholarship application, or other matter you have initiated with us.

Sharing Your Information

We share your personal information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We use trusted third-party services to operate our website and accept donations (including EventRaptor for donation forms and HighLevel for communications). These providers handle your information on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality agreements. They do not use your data for their own purposes.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, or in response to a valid legal process.
• With your explicit consent: For example, if you agree to have your name listed as a scholarship recipient or donor.

We do not transfer your personal information outside Canada except where a third-party service provider operates internationally (such as cloud infrastructure). Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure equivalent privacy protections are in place.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Donation records are retained for a minimum of seven years to comply with Canada Revenue Agency requirements. Application records are kept for two years after a decision is made. Communications and contact records are retained for two years unless you ask us to delete them sooner.

When information is no longer needed, we delete or securely destroy it.

Your Rights

Under Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you
• Request access to your personal information
• Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
• Withdraw your consent for certain uses of your information
• Ask us to delete your personal information, subject to legal obligations

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond within 30 days.

Cookies & Website Technology

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored in your browser — to ensure the site functions correctly and to gather basic, anonymous analytics about how visitors use the site. We do not use cookies to track you across other websites or to build advertising profiles.

You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Some features of the site may not function correctly if cookies are disabled.

Children's Privacy

Our website and programmes are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently received information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Questions & Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to access or correct your personal information, or have a privacy concern, please reach out. We respond personally to every message.