Webpage visitors
1. Information We Collect
Personal Information
When you interact with TLS through an applicable route (for example, subscribing to our newsletter, using an authorized payment route or contacting us), we may collect information relevant to that route:
- Name
- Email address
- Mailing address
- Phone number
- Payment information, where an authorized payment route requires it (processed securely through third-party providers)
Route distinction for pledges and payments
TLS may collect payment information only when a person uses an authorized payment route that requires it. Where an authorized payment route is active, the relevant payment processor or TLS may provide an ordinary transaction confirmation or payment receipt. This is not a charitable tax receipt. TLS is not currently a CRA-registered charity.
The non-binding pledge route is separate from donations and payments. No payment is taken through the pledge form, the pledge is not a donation or purchase, and payment information is not required to submit it. Submitting a pledge does not assign or protect a tree or project and does not create a payment entitlement.
Non-Personal Information
We also collect data automatically through cookies and analytics tools:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Pages viewed
- Time spent on the site
- Referring website
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To process authorized payments and provide ordinary transaction confirmations or payment receipts where applicable
- To send updates about our mission, campaigns, and events
- To improve our website and user experience
- To comply with legal obligations
3. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share your data only in the following circumstances:
- With trusted third-party service providers (e.g., payment processors, email marketing platforms) who help us operate our services
- When required by law, regulation, or legal request
- To protect our rights, safety, or property
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies to:
- Ensure our website functions properly
- Analyze website usage and improve functionality
- Deliver targeted messages or advertisements
You can disable cookies in your browser settings. However, some features of our website may not function properly without cookies.
5. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:
- Access: Request access to the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal or operational requirements)
- Opt-out: Opt out of marketing communications or cookie tracking
To exercise these rights, contact us at contact@treelegacysociety.org.
6. Data Security
We use industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including encryption and secure payment processing. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.
7. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies.
8. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us to delete it.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. We encourage you to review this page regularly.
Non-binding pledges and The First 250
The TLS pledge route is separate from any TLS donation or payment route. It takes no payment, is not a donation, creates no debt or purchase, provides no tax receipt, and does not protect or assign a tree or project. TLS may invite individuals to make a non-binding pledge indicating that they intend to consider future participation in an eligible, authorised tree-protection project. Submitting a pledge does not guarantee that a suitable project will become available. The reference amount of CAD 25 is an expression of intended future participation and is not revenue received by TLS.
Information we collect
For a pledge, TLS may collect the email address, country or region, intended amount in Canadian dollars, the required pledge acknowledgement, separate optional choices about future-project contact and newsletter updates, and operational metadata associated with the notification. In the private register, TLS keeps only the minimum administration fields needed to validate the pledge, exclude duplicates, record withdrawal status, administer the Founding 250 cohort, record whether one recognition email was sent and maintain a limited audit note. TLS does not need a full name, telephone number, street address, payment information, date of birth, demographic profile, public ranking or biography for this process.
Purposes
TLS uses pledge information only to receive and validate the pledge; detect tests, spam, invalid submissions and duplicates; administer one eligible pledge per normalized email address; send one Founding Supporter recognition email after validation; respond to withdrawal, access, correction or deletion requests; contact the person about a future eligible project only where that optional consent was given; and produce a public aggregate count that does not identify individuals. Operational deduplication does not prove identity or that a submission came from a unique real person.
The First 250 and recognition
The First 250 is an international cohort of up to 250 valid, non-withdrawn pledges. Recognition is not automatic upon submission. It occurs only after operational validation and approval under the Founding 250 procedure. TLS may then recognise a participant by email as a TLS Founding Supporter. Recognition acknowledges early support for the idea only. It is not membership and gives no ownership, voting, governance, financial, project-priority or other organisational rights. It is not a numbered position, certificate, badge, ranking or public listing.
Validation and duplicate exclusion
A pledge is operationally valid only when TLS has an accepted form notification, a structurally valid email address and the mandatory acknowledgement, and the record is not classified as a test, staff record, spam, invalid submission, duplicate or withdrawal. One eligible pledge may be counted per normalized email address. Internally, the first apparently valid record according to notification_received_at receives priority for the corresponding register position; if timestamps are equal, source_message_id is used only as a deterministic tie-breaker. Optional newsletter and future-project contact choices do not determine pledge validity.
International participation
The First 250 international cohort is approved in principle and may include participants from outside Canada. The suggested intended amount remains CAD 25. Participation does not guarantee that a future project will be available in, relevant to or legally accessible from the participant’s country or region. TLS will not intentionally target EU participation or run EU-directed acquisition until a specific privacy/legal review has been completed. If TLS proceeds with the international cohort, the current country field must be reviewed and changed to a real country/region selector before public launch. Paid advertising remaining Canada-only is a separate acquisition decision.
Storage, service providers and access
Pledge form notifications are received in TLS’s Google Workspace Gmail environment. The minimum operational record is stored in a TLS-owned Google Workspace register in the private [PRIVATE] Volunteers Shared Drive. Access is limited to Carlos Contreras Peinado and Marta Alcalde Gea unless TLS later documents and approves a change. Google acts as a service provider for these systems and may process information in accordance with its applicable service terms and privacy documentation. TLS does not publish email addresses, names or individual positions.
Separate optional choices
Consent to future-project contact and consent to newsletter updates are optional, separate from each other and not required for pledge validity. A Founding Supporter recognition email is an administrative message about the submitted pledge; it does not subscribe the person to a newsletter. TLS should not use pledge information for an unrelated purpose without an appropriate new basis and notice.
Aggregate reporting
TLS may publish only an aggregate count of validated, included and non-withdrawn pledges, such as “25 of 250 Founding Supporters.” The count is derived from the reviewed private register, not website analytics, advertising conversions, page views or raw notification totals. The count does not represent money raised, payments received, trees protected or projects assigned.
Retention, withdrawal and individual requests
TLS keeps identifiable pledge information only while it is reasonably needed for the approved operational purposes and any applicable unresolved request or documented dispute. Retention is event-based rather than indefinite. A person may withdraw the pledge or request access to, correction of or deletion of pledge information by contacting contact@treelegacysociety.org. TLS will verify and process the request using a proportionate procedure, update the register and aggregate count where required, and delete or effectively anonymise information once the applicable operational events and any approved hold are resolved. Deletion from Gmail and Google Workspace will use the deletion mechanisms available in those systems and may not instantly remove technical backups or provider-level copies. An irreversible token or hash must not be assumed anonymous if it can still be linked to the person.
Questions and complaints
Privacy Contact: Chief Executive Officer, The Tree Legacy Society. Email: contact@treelegacysociety.org. Questions, privacy requests or concerns about pledge information may be sent to this contact.
Context note. The current public policy refers broadly to donations, receipts and payment information. The pledge route must remain distinct: it takes no payment, is not a donation, creates no debt or purchase, provides no tax receipt, and does not protect or assign a tree or project.
Volunteers Privacy Policy
1. What Data We Collect
We may collect and process the following data about our volunteers:
Personal Information:
Full name
Contact details (email, phone number, address)
Emergency contact information
Date of birth (if required for specific roles or legal purposes)
Volunteer-Specific Information:
Skills, qualifications, and interests
Availability and schedule
Volunteer agreement forms and records
Performance feedback or role-related assessments
Sensitive Information (only when necessary):
Health or medical information (e.g., for safety during specific activities)
Criminal background checks (if required for certain roles, in compliance with the law)
2. How We Use Volunteer Data
We collect volunteer data for the following purposes:
To manage and communicate with volunteers about roles, schedules, and opportunities
To provide necessary training and resources
To ensure the safety of volunteers and compliance with legal or organizational requirements
To recognize and appreciate volunteer contributions
To comply with reporting and auditing obligations
3. Legal Basis for Data Processing
We process volunteer data based on:
Consent: When you provide explicit consent (e.g., signing a volunteer agreement).
Contractual Obligations: When processing is necessary to manage your volunteer agreement.
Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws and safety regulations.
4. Sharing Volunteer Data
We will never sell or trade your personal information. Volunteer data will only be shared:
Internally: With TLS team members who require the information for managing volunteer roles.
Externally:
With trusted third-party service providers (e.g., background check agencies) for specific purposes.
With authorities, if legally required, to ensure compliance with laws or to protect the safety of individuals.
5. Data Storage and Security
We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure volunteer data is stored securely, including:
Encryption of sensitive data
Regular audits and access control measures
Secure physical storage for paper records (if applicable)
Data will be retained only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined or as required by law.
6. Volunteer Rights
Volunteers have the following rights regarding their personal data:
Access: Request access to the data we hold about you.
Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
Deletion: Request deletion of your data, subject to legal or organizational requirements.
Restriction: Restrict or object to certain types of data processing.
Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@treelegacysociety.org.
7. Consent and Withdrawal
By volunteering with TLS, you consent to the collection and use of your data as outlined in this policy. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us, although doing so may limit your ability to participate in certain roles.
8. Third-Party Data Handling
If volunteer data is processed by third-party services (e.g., background check providers or training platforms), we ensure these providers comply with applicable data protection laws and policies.
9. Policy Updates
We may update this Volunteer Data Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. Volunteers will be notified of significant updates.
10. Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at:
Tree Legacy Society (TLS)
Email: contact@treelegacysociety.org