Privacy policy

Who is responsible

Each institution decides what information it keeps about its members and donors and is responsible for it. [Company legal name] processes that information on the institution's behalf, only to provide the service.

For information about staff accounts and the public donation page, [Company legal name] is responsible. Our person in charge of the protection of personal information is: [Name], privacy@[yourdomain].ca.

What information

Staff accounts: name, email, password (stored encrypted), language, role.

Members and donors (entered by the institution): names, Hebrew names, contact details, family relationships, important dates (birthdays, yahrzeits), notes, donations, pledges and receipts, and email consent.

Online donors: name, email, mailing address (for tax receipts), the gift and any dedication. Card details are entered on Stripe's secure page and are never stored by us.

Why we use it

To let the institution manage its community, record donations, issue official tax receipts, and send the emails it chooses (receipts, thank-you notes, pledge and yahrzeit reminders).

We do not sell personal information, use it for advertising, or share it with other institutions.

Where it is stored

The database is hosted in Canada (Montréal). Some service providers may process information outside Quebec or Canada: Stripe (payments), our email provider (sending emails), our web host and, when a synagogue turns on its AI features (reading photos or scans of paper lists, help writing emails, questions about its records, sorting voice notes), Anthropic, which receives only what a person chooses to send (for questions about the records, only the question). Text messages and WhatsApp messages travel through Twilio; when members text a synagogue's number, Kehila keeps only a fingerprint of the phone and the kind of question, not the number or the message. Phone notifications travel through the phone maker's notification service (Google, Apple or Mozilla), encrypted so that service can't read them. We assess these providers and require them to protect the information.

How long we keep it

Donation and receipt records are kept as long as Canadian tax rules require (generally at least 6 years). Other information is kept while the institution uses the service and deleted or anonymized when no longer needed or on request, unless the law requires otherwise.

Security

Information is encrypted in transit and at rest. Each institution's data is separated at the database level; staff only see what their role allows (for example, only finance roles see donations). Important changes are recorded in a permanent activity log.

If a confidentiality incident presents a risk of serious injury, we will notify the institution, the people concerned and the Commission d'accès à l'information as required.

Emails and consent

Receipts and payment emails are sent because of a donation. Other emails are sent by the institution according to the consent it has recorded. Every non-transactional email lets you unsubscribe.

Your rights

You can ask to access or correct your information, to have it deleted or no longer used, or to receive a copy in a common format. Contact your institution first; you can also contact us at the address above. You may complain to the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Changes

We will post any change to this policy here with its date and tell institutions about important changes.