Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective Date

28 May 2026

Last Reviewed

28 June 2026

Business Name

Connected Impact Advisory (ABN: 62 854 990 387)

Contact

hello@connectedimpactadvisory.com

1. About This Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Connected Impact Advisory (referred to as 'we', 'us', or 'our') collects, uses, stores, and discloses personal information in the course of providing monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) advisory services and operating the She Thinks initiative (including the Her Algorithm program).

We are committed to protecting privacy and handling personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This policy applies to all individuals whose information we collect, including clients, research participants, survey respondents, newsletter subscribers, and community session participants.

2. What Information We Collect

2.1 Client and Contact Information

• Full name and job title
• Organisation name and ABN/ACN
• Business and postal address
• Email address and phone number
• Billing and payment information (invoicing only; we do not store credit card numbers)

2.2 Project and Program Data

• Information provided by clients to enable delivery of MEL services (e.g. organisational data, program data, beneficiary data)
• Survey responses, interview transcripts, and focus group notes (typically de-identified prior to analysis)
• Performance indicators, results data, and organisational strategies

2.3 Research and Community Participation Data

For the Her Algorithm AI literacy survey and associated community sessions (run under the She Thinks initiative), we may collect:

• First name or preferred name
• Postcode or general location (state/region)
• Survey responses about AI literacy, digital confidence, and community context
• Facilitated session notes (de-identified)
• Optional consent to be contacted about future sessions or the She Thinks short course

Participation in the survey and community sessions is voluntary. You may opt out or decline to answer any question at any time.

2.4 Newsletter and Marketing Data

If you subscribe to the CIA newsletter (hosted on Beehiiv) or the She Thinks newsletter, we collect:

• Email address and name (where provided)
• Engagement data (open rates, click activity) as provided by the Beehiiv platform

You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any newsletter.

2.5 Website and Communication Data

• IP address and browser data if you visit our website (connectedimpactadvisory.com, hosted on Netlify)
• Email correspondence and meeting notes
• Any information you voluntarily share when enquiring about our services via intake forms or direct contact

3. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information:

• Directly from you when you engage us for services, complete a contact or intake form, or communicate with us
• Through signed contracts, project briefs, and scoping documents
• Via our online survey tool for the Her Algorithm AI literacy survey (hosted externally; see Section 7)
• Via newsletter subscription through Beehiiv
• From publicly available sources (e.g. organisation websites, LinkedIn) when conducting research relevant to a specific project
• Through third-party data collection tools used in MEL project delivery (e.g. survey platforms such as KoBoToolbox, SurveyCTO, or Google Forms)

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Deliver contracted MEL consultancy services
• Conduct AI literacy research and facilitate community sessions under the She Thinks / Her Algorithm initiative
• Communicate with you about projects, deliverables, and invoicing
• Issue invoices and process payments
• Send newsletters and program updates (where consent has been given)
• Improve our services and respond to feedback
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

We will not use your information for direct marketing without your explicit consent. Survey and session data collected under the Her Algorithm program will be used for research, program evaluation, and reporting purposes. Where findings are reported publicly, data will be aggregated and de-identified.

5. How We Store and Protect Your Information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, and loss. Measures include:

• Secure cloud storage (Google Workspace / Microsoft 365) with two-factor authentication enabled
• Password-protected and encrypted file sharing where possible
• Limiting access to personal information to those who need it to deliver services
• Regular review of data holdings and deletion of information no longer required

We retain personal information for seven (7) years after the conclusion of a project or engagement to meet legal and tax obligations, after which it is securely deleted or de-identified. Research and participation data collected under the Her Algorithm program will be retained for the duration of the program evaluation period and then de-identified or deleted.

6. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We may share information with:

• Sub-contractors or specialist consultants engaged to assist with project delivery (bound by confidentiality obligations)
• Legal, accounting, or regulatory authorities where required by law
• Technology providers where necessary to deliver services (see Section 7)

Any third parties with whom we share information are required to handle it in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

7. Use of AI and Third-Party Tools

Third-party tools and platforms currently used in our work include:

• Google Workspace — document storage, email, and collaboration
• Microsoft 365 — document creation and storage
• Beehiiv — newsletter platform (for CIA and She Thinks newsletters)
• Netlify — website hosting
• Claude by Anthropic — AI-assisted drafting and analysis
• Survey platforms (e.g. KoBoToolbox, SurveyCTO, Google Forms) — used for MEL data collection on specific projects

8. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Some third-party tools we use may store or process data outside Australia. This includes platforms such as Beehiiv and Anthropic (Claude), which operate servers in the United States or other jurisdictions. Where this occurs, we take steps to ensure adequate protections are in place, including reviewing provider privacy policies, using data processing agreements where available, and limiting the personal data shared with these platforms.

9. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act, you have the right to:

• Access personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention obligations)
• Withdraw consent for participation in research or to receive communications at any time
• Make a complaint if you believe we have mishandled your personal information

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@connectedimpactadvisory.com. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Complaints

If you are unsatisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, programs, or legal obligations. The current version will always be available at connectedimpactadvisory.com or upon request, and will note the effective date of the most recent review.

Questions about this policy? Contact us at hello@connectedimpactadvisory.com