Introduction
Community Futures Oxford is a federally supported not-for-profit community organization with a volunteer Board of Directors and professional staff whose purpose is to support community economic development and small business growth through business loans or loan guarantees.

This page summarizes Community Futures Oxford’s privacy policies and procedures that have been developed to comply with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”). PIPEDA sets out rules for the collection, use and disclosure of a client’s or customer’s personal information, as well as safeguarding that information in the course of commercial activity as defined in the legislation.

What Is “Personal Information”
Under PIPEDA, “Personal Information” means any information that is identifiable to an individual, including name, address, telephone number, Social Insurance Number, and date of birth. It also includes, but is not limited to, other information relating to identity, such as, nationality, gender, marital status, financial information and credit history.

Purposes for Personal Information
Community Futures Oxford collects only that personal information required to assess a prospective applicant’s eligibility for financial assistance or other services provided by Community Futures Oxford including but not limited to workshops and business consulting, as well as to report to the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario, the federal department that administers the Ontario Community Futures Program.

Consent
At the time of completing a loan application, the express, written consent of the individual applicant will be sought for the collection, use, retention and disclosure of their personal information for the purposes set out in Community Futures Oxford’s privacy policy.

An applicant may choose not to provide some or all of the personal information requested, but if Community Futures Oxford is unable to collect sufficient information to validate a financing request, the application for financing may be turned down.

Accuracy
Community Futures Oxford endeavours to ensure that all personal information in active files is accurate, current and complete. When a client notifies Community Futures Oxford that his or her personal information requires correction or updating, the necessary changes will be made. Information contained in closed files is not updated.

Limiting Use, Retention & Disclosure
Community Futures Oxford uses and retains personal information for only those purposes for which the individual has consented. Personal information will be disclosed to only those Community Futures Oxford employees, volunteer members of committees and/or Board of Directors that need to know the information for the purposes set out in the Community Futures Oxford Privacy Policy.

Safeguards
Community Futures Oxford utilizes a number of physical, organizational and technological measures to safeguard personal information from unauthorized access or inadvertent disclosure in accordance with its Information Security, Retention and Destruction Policy, including but not limited to:

Physical
Active files are stored in locked filing cabinets located in work areas restricted to Community Futures Oxford employees and authorized volunteers. Closed files are stored in locked cabinets for a period of two years, after which, the information is shredded prior to disposal.

Organizational
Community Futures Oxford employees, volunteers, and third party service providers sign confidentiality agreements binding them to safeguarding the confidentiality of personal information to which they have access.

Technological
Personal information contained on Community Futures Oxford computers and the electronic databases are password protected. As well, the Internet server or router has firewall protection to protect against virus attacks and hacking into the database.

Electronic Transmission of Information
Notwithstanding the technological safeguards implemented by Community Futures Oxford, all Internet transmissions are susceptible to possible loss, misrouting, interception and misuse. For this reason, as part of the application that individual’s sign consenting to their personal information being collected, used, retained, and disclosed, Community Futures Oxford will assume that it has the individual’s consent to communicate via the Internet unless notified to the contrary.

Individual Access
An individual who wishes to review or verify what personal information is held by Community Futures Oxford, may do so by making a request in writing to the Community Futures Oxford’s General Manager. Upon verification of the individual’s identity, the General Manager will provide a written report within 60 days.

Investigating Complaints
Any concern or issue about Community Futures Oxford’s personal information handling practises may be made, in writing, to the General Manager. Upon verification of the individual’s identity, the General Manager will act promptly to investigate the complaint and provide a written report to the individual.

If the individual is dissatisfied with the report provided by the General Manager, or feels that the corrective action taken by Community Futures Oxford is insufficient, the individual may direct a complaint to the Federal Privacy Commissioner in writing. The address of the Federal Privacy Commissioner is provided in this Privacy Statement for your convenience.

Amendments to our Privacy Policy
Community Futures Oxford’s Privacy Policy and this Privacy Statement may be updated from time to time to reflect amendments in applicable Federal and Provincial laws. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted on Community Futures Oxford’s website and will apply to personal information collected from the date of the posting of the revised Privacy Policy.

Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding Community Futures Oxford’s Privacy Policy, Information Security, Retention and Destruction Policy, and/or this Privacy Statement, or you wish to make an access to personal information request, please contact:

Allan Simm, General Manager

Community Futures Oxford
118 Oxford Street Ingersoll, ON N5C1V5
Phone: (519) 425-0401

Other Helpful Privacy Links

For a copy of PIPEDA, or for answers to other questions regarding privacy legislation, below are some helpful privacy links.

Federal Privacy Commissioner
www.privcom.gc.ca
112 Kent Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 1H3

Provincial Privacy Commissioner
www.privcom.on.ca