Privacy
1. Introduction
We, Collective Being, are committed to protecting the privacy of our program participants, donors, volunteers, partners, and community members. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information.
By interacting with us—including visiting our website (www.collectivebeing.org), donating, volunteering, registering for our programs, or otherwise engaging with Collective Being—you consent to the practices described in this policy.
2. Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of personal information:
Contact Information: Name, email address, postal address, phone number.
Donation Information: Payment details, donation amounts, and dates.
Volunteer Information: Skills, availability, and other relevant details.
Program Participation Information: Information shared in the course of participating in our programs, including attendance records, demographics (if voluntarily provided), and any feedback or reflections offered.
We collect this information directly from you, through your engagement with our website and programs, or via trusted third-party platforms that support our operations.
For program participants, additional information about how we collect, use, and protect your data is available in our Program Participant Privacy Statement. This document outlines how we handle personal information shared in a program context, including confidentiality expectations in group settings, consent, and trauma-aware practices.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
To fulfil your requests: To process donations, register program participants and volunteers, or provide membership and community services.
To communicate with you: To send program updates, newsletters, thank-you notes, event invitations, or other relevant communications.
To improve our services: To analyse program and website usage, improve accessibility, and develop more responsive support offerings.
To comply with legal obligations: To adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
We may share your information with trusted third parties, such as payment processors, email service providers, evaluation partners, or other organisations, only with your consent or where required by law.
4. Data Security
We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, misuse, loss, or disclosure. These measures include:
Secure technologies such as encryption and firewalls
Physical and digital access controls
Secure storage of records and minimal data retention policies
We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law. After this period, data is securely deleted or anonymised. Our data protection practices are reviewed regularly in line with evolving best practices.
5. Your Rights
You have the right to:
Access the personal information we hold about you
Request corrections to your personal information
Request deletion of your personal information
Object to or restrict the processing of your personal information
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below.
6. Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us:
Email: hello@collectivebeing.org
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your personal information, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.
7. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, operations, or legal obligations. Any updates will be posted on our website with a revised effective date.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.
8. Governing Law
This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia, and any disputes arising under this policy shall be resolved in the courts of Victoria.
9. Compliance
Collective Being complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), where applicable.
We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). These principles govern the way we collect, use, disclose, store, secure, and dispose of your personal information.
A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles is available from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): www.oaic.gov.au.
We also adhere to the Health Privacy Principles (HPPs) under the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), particularly in relation to sensitive or health-related information collected through our programs.