Privacy Policy | Ottawa International Writers Festival

Effective Date: July 6, 2026

The Ottawa International Writers Festival ("the Festival," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding the personal information you entrust to us.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit www.writersfestival.org, purchase tickets, make donations, subscribe to our mailing lists, volunteer, or otherwise engage with the Festival.

Information We Collect

We may collect personal information including:

  • Name
  • Mailing address
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Payment and billing information (processed securely through our payment providers)
  • Ticket purchase history
  • Donation history
  • Membership or patron information
  • Volunteer applications and related information
  • Communications you send to us
  • Website usage information collected through cookies and analytics tools

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to operate the Festival and provide our programs and services.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

  • Process ticket purchases and donations
  • Deliver tickets and event information
  • Respond to inquiries
  • Administer memberships, subscriptions, and volunteer programs
  • Improve our website and services
  • Meet legal and financial reporting obligations
  • Send newsletters and promotional communications where you have consented or where permitted by law

Important Post-Event Communications

If you purchase tickets to one of our events, we may contact you after the event with important follow-up information relating to your attendance. This may include information about event changes, recordings, surveys, lost property, accessibility matters, or other communications that help us improve future events.

These communications are intended to support your experience as a ticket holder and are separate from our general marketing communications.

If you do not wish to receive these post-event communications, you may opt out at any time by writing to info@writersfestival.org.

Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send newsletters, announcements about upcoming events, fundraising appeals, and other Festival news.

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included in our emails or by contacting us at info@writersfestival.org.

Payment Information

Payments made through our website are processed securely by Stripe. The Festival does not store complete credit card or debit card information on its own servers.

Please review Stripe's privacy policy for more information about how payment information is collected, processed, and protected.

Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Remember user preferences
  • Analyze website traffic
  • Improve website performance
  • Measure the effectiveness of our communications

You may disable cookies through your web browser, although some features of the website may not function properly.

Third-Party Services

We use trusted third-party service providers to help operate the Festival. These services may include:

  • Stripe for payment processing
  • Zoho for customer relationship management (CRM), email communications, and organizational administration
  • Website hosting and technical support
  • Ticketing services
  • Website analytics

These providers receive only the information necessary to perform services on our behalf and are contractually or legally required to safeguard your personal information.

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

We may disclose personal information:

  • To trusted service providers acting on our behalf
  • When required by law
  • To protect our legal rights or the safety of others
  • With your consent

Data Security

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

While no method of electronic storage or transmission over the Internet is completely secure, we take appropriate measures to protect the information we collect.

Retention of Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Your Rights

Subject to applicable privacy legislation, you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Withdraw consent to certain uses of your personal information, where applicable
  • Request deletion of personal information where legally permitted

Requests may be made by contacting us at info@writersfestival.org.

Children's Privacy

Our website is intended for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent required under applicable law.

Changes to This Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised Effective Date.

Contact Us

Ottawa International Writers Festival

Email: info@writersfestival.org
Website: www.writersfestival.org

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us using the information above.