Your privacy is important to us and we are committed to protecting it. Localgiving is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office in the United Kingdom and our processing and retention of personal information is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR). For the purpose of GDPR, the data controller is Localgiving Ltd Shurland Castle, High Street, Eastchurch, Sheerness, ME12 4BN.

This Privacy Policy provides information about how your personal information will be processed by Localgiving on this website as well as when you use our services as a supporter or as a charity, community group or as a not for profit. This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated in October 2024 and is reviewed annually.

• What information do we collect
• Personal information collected when you visit our website
• Personal information processed when you register as a supporter
• Personal information processed when you donate
• Personal information processed when you register as a charity
• Personal information processed when you supply images, photos and videos for PR and marketing purposes
• Our lawful basis for processing your data
• Marketing to supporters
• Marketing to our clients
• Cookies
• Using your information
• Disclosing your information
• Storing and protecting your information
• Your rights
• Charities' use of your personal information
• Sharing your information with trusted partners
• Third party websites
• Updates
• Breaches
• Additional information
• Contact

What information do we collect

We collect data in several ways:

• data that is automatically collected from all visitors to our website;
• personal data that visitors voluntarily submit on registration so that we can provide you with a service;
• personal data that individuals submit when registering or accessing a charity or community group account on Localgiving.org; and
• financial data that visitors voluntarily submit to pay a membership fee or make a donation.
• personal and company data required to complete an account registration and complete checks such as anti-money laundering

Personal information collected when you visit our website

We collect some information about the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from visitors to our website. The information that we collect includes the browsers visitors use, what time they visit and which pages are most viewed. Some of this information is stored within web traffic logs, we do this to detect issues and illicit activities on the website. This log data is kept for no more than 6 months.

Our website uses Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting to collect information about your age, gender and interests.

Personal information processed when you register as a supporter

When you register with us as a supporter (e.g. to make a monthly donation) we collect: your title, your first and last name, your email address and your password.

When you register with us a supporter using Facebook we obtain access to your basic profile and email address. We use this information to allow you to login and populate basic information about you.

Personal information processed when you donate

When you make a one-time donation using our website we collect: your first and last name and your email address.

When you make a card payment for your one-time donation your credit or debit card details (including card type, card number and expiry date) are only collected by our third party payment provider (e.g. PayPal). We always ensure any payment providers we work with have appropriate data protection policies. We do not store your credit or debit card details.

To make a monthly donation using our website or set up a fundraising page, you must register as a supporter and personal information is collected during registration as set out in the paragraph above. We also collect the following additional information when you set up your monthly donation: your bank account name, your bank sort-code and your bank account number.

If you choose to claim Gift Aid on your donation we will also collect: your declaration of tax status and your home address.

You may choose to remain anonymous when you make a donation and we will not disclose your name on any public section of the website, or to the charity or community group you donate to. You will still need to provide us with your personal details so that we can process your donation and, if applicable, your Gift Aid claim.

Personal information processed when you register as a charity

When a charity or community group registers with us we collect: the name, email address and telephone number of a primary contact and of a finance contact (if supplied). For unregistered charities we also collect the following information about two bank signatories for the purposes of performing an ID check: full name, address, address history (if applicable), date of birth and telephone number.

When you register with us as a charity user we collect: your title, your first and last name, your email address, your telephone number and your password.

When you register with us as a charity user we gather data form publicly available sources such as the charity commission, your website and companies house etc. We use various third parties to assist us in setting up your account. 

These include: 

• Go Cardless to assist us in confirming we are sending your donations to the correct bank account, confirm ownership and run anti money laundering activities. 
• True Layer help us avoid fraud, theft of donations and anti money laundering

We require your bank account details such as name of the account, account number and sort code in order to send your donations. We also require you to access your bank account via True Layer for the purposes above. When you do this, no third party has access to, processes, or has visibility of your log in details. The API we have employed to do this via True Layer is transactional. We will never ask you for your bank account log in details.

If you are unable to use internet banking to complete the process above, we will require bank statements and further documentation. We retain these only for as long as necessary. 

We use Open AI to assist us with the above processes. 

Personal information processed when you supply images, photos and videos for PR and marketing purposes

Where we process images or marketing materials supplied by you, you warrant that you have appropriate consent form the individuals whose images or likenesses are shared. This includes parental or guardian consent if the image is of a minor. 

Our lawful basis for processing your data

We have set out a lawful basis for processing data in our Record of Processing Activities (ROPA). The ROPA guides how we process data. 

Typically we rely on one of the following basis: Consent, Legitimate Interests, Contract and Legal.

• We rely on consent for activities such as cookie management and direct marketing when a legitimate interest does not apply.
• We rely on legitimate interests to build relationships with our clients and to provide our services.
• We rely on contract when we have entered into or are negotiating a contract with a new or existing client to provide them with services on an ongoing basis.
• We rely on legal to ensure we comply with the law, for example by sharing data with HMRC or for anti money laundering. 

Marketing to supporters

We would love to keep in touch with you when you become a supporter. When you provide us with your details or where we have collected your data lawfully, we will send you marketing emails to keep in touch and keep you updated on our products and services. We will also display customised advertising when you log in to your social media profiles. 

Our marketing messages are sent via a specialist marketing tool. You can opt-out of marketing at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in your emails or by contacting us directly. 

There will be occasions when we send administrative messages such as thank you messages for donating. These messages are not deemed marketing and cannot be opted out of.

 Marketing and administration emails you receive from us contain a tracking pixel. This pixel lets us know things such as our email campaigns' open rates and click rates.

The pixel also lets us know if an email has not been delivered to update our records and keep them current.

When we analyse the data, we do so from an aggregated perspective, meaning that we report upon an overall number of open rates and click rates. 

You also have the option to consent to your data being shared with third parties, such as the charity you have donated to. When your data is shared with the third party, they will become a separate controller and you will need to contact them directly to discuss things like access requests, to object to marketing or to delete your data. 

Marketing to our clients

All of the above marketing formation applies, with the exception that we rely on a legitimate interest to send marketing messages, meaning we do not gather your consent. 

Marketing can still be opted out of at any time. 

Cookies

Our website uses cookies for some of its features. Cookies are small text files that let you interact faster and more easily with websites you've visited before by identifying you when you return. There are three types of cookies that are stored on your computer when browsing Localgiving.org:

Strictly Necessary Cookies. These cookies are set by Localgiving.org and these are required in order for the website to operate correctly. Here is the table of these cookies:

Analytical Cookies. These cookies are set by Localgiving.org and allow us to track various statistics about the website usage. We use Google Analytics as our analytics platform, which tracks:

• How long the visit lasted, which and how many pages have been visited and duration of the visit per page
•  Where the user has come from - direct, email, advertising, etc
•  Type of a browser, device, operating system and version number for each  Screen resolution and screen colours
•  Version of Flash and JavaScript support
•  Network location and IP address (anonymised, last octet is removed)

 Can include country, city, state, region, county, or any other geographic data  Bandwidth (internet connection speed)
 Hostname

This information is used to optimise the use of the website and does not contain any personalised identification information. 

Third Party Cookies. These cookies are set by third parties when interacting with third party applications on Localgiving.org website. These would include: PayPal cookies that allow you to stay logged in for faster donation process, Twitter and Facebook cookies that are set when using Twitter and Facebook share buttons. Their primary focus is to provide some extra functionality when interacting with third party applications that are used within Localgibing.org website. Localgiving does not have control over these cookies and depending on interaction third parties may set extra cookies that are not listed below. 

To see a list of a cookies in operation you can right click on the website and click inspect or press F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I for windows or command + option + J for mac to open the developer console. Go to applications > storage. Expand the cookies dropdown and select the website to see details of the cookies present. 

To opt out from cookies on your browser, please click “Reject All” via the cookie banner or select which cookies you would like to use by clicking “Customise”, also via the cookie banner:

Using your information

 We use the personal information we collect and that you provide to us for the following purposes:

1. to administer donations made (and to make claims for Gift Aid);
2. to personalise the look and feel of the website to fit personal preferences which you have told us about. You can use Ads Settings to opt out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising and customise the Google Display Network ads; and
3. to evaluate the website and work to improve it. We do not link any of the anonymous technical data collected automatically when you visit Localgiving.org with any personal data that you may provide to us; and to send you emails from time to time containing important information about our service, and newsletters with tips, stories and competitions. Please see the Marketing section for further details. You will also always be given the option to unsubscribe from marketing emails when you receive them and can manage your communications settings within your account, and you may do so at any time.
4. To fulfil a service we offer

Disclosing your information

When you make a donation you are able to decide whether you would like this to be anonymous or not. If you do not make the donation anonymous then we will share your name with the charity or community group that you donated to. If you do make an anonymous donation then your name will not be shared with the charity or community group.

When you make a donation you also have the opportunity to opt in to sharing further details with the charity or community group that you donated to. If you decide to do this, and your donation is not anonymous, we will share your email address and home address.

You can manage your communication preferences within your Localgiving account and decide which charities and community groups you wish to share your details with. If you wish to stop receiving communication from a charity or community group that you have previously chosen to share your details with, please contact them directly.

Charities often ask us to thank an individual on their behalf. If your donation is anonymous we may message you directly to thank you on the behalf of the charity. These messages will be administrative and are not classed as marketing emails. Your data will not be shared with the charity during the sending of anonymous thank you emails. 

If you make a Gift Aid declaration, we will pass your details on to HM Revenue and Customs for the purpose of reclaiming tax on behalf of the charity that you're donating to. Your Gift Aid declaration includes your name and home address along with confirmation that you are paying enough tax to allow you to make a Gift Aid declaration.

We may also be obliged to make operational, personal or financial data accessible for compliance or legal reasons:

1. to employees or operational partners of Localgiving to deal with any accounts or services provided to you;
2. to other organisations involved in the processing of donations (PayPal, GoCardless and Stripe); and
3. where we are required to do so by law.

If you register as a charity, we will share the charity’s details with our trusted partners in accordance with the clause – Sharing Your Information With Trusted Partners - below.

Storing and protecting your information

Any information that you send to us via Localgiving.org is encrypted (scrambled). We use industry standard security technology which protects your data from interception and misuse by third parties whilst it is being sent over the internet. Whenever we receive information from you, we store it on a secure server, only accessible to authorised personnel. Although we make every effort to create a secure environment for transmission of your personal information, we cannot guarantee the safety of any information you transmit online.

It is your responsibility to keep your password secure at all times to avoid unauthorised use of your account.

For operational reasons, the data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Economic Area (the EEA). It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our service providers (such as payment processors). Such staff maybe engaged in, among other things, the processing of your payment details and the provision of support services.  We always ensure we have a lawful basis or safeguard in place to comply with the GDPRBy submitting your personal data to us, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. Localgiving will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

We will only keep your information for as long as we have a legitimate reason to hold it.

Your rights

You have the right to access information we hold on you.

If any of your details are incorrect, let us know and we'll amend them right away.

You have the right to ask us at any time not to process your personal data for marketing purposes.

You have the right to be forgotten and for the information that we hold on to be deleted. Please note that it may not be possible for us to delete all of your data, as we may need to keep it for legal reasons. For example, we are required by HMRC to keep Gift Aid claim records for 6 years.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact our help desk on 0300 111 2340 or via help@localgiving.org.

Charities' use of your personal information

Where you have opted to pass on your personal details to a charity or community group through our website, Localgiving declines all responsibility for the subsequent use of your personal information by them. If you wish to stop receiving further communications from a charity or community group, please contact them directly.

Sharing your information with trusted partners

When you register as a charity you are allocated to a supporting Foundation so that Gift Aid may be claimed on donations made to your group. We will share your contact details with the supporting Foundation. Their use of your information will be governed by their own data protection policy. They will only use your information to contact you; they will not share your information with a third party without your permission.

In all cases of data processing carried out by Localgiving we use third parties to assist us. These range from database services to website optimisation and AI tools. We also share data with partners as part of grant processes. 

We also work with anti-money laundering and fraud prevention companies. 

All third parties are assessed, vetted and logged to ensure they apply the same level of security to your data as we do. Whilst we have listed several of these third parties throughout this policy, you are welcome to contact us via help@localgiving.org to understand which third parties process your data further. 

Third party websites

This Privacy Policy only applies to Localgiving.org. Our website may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our partners. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.

Updates

 We keep this Privacy Policy under review. Any updates we may make to it will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by email. Please check periodically for any changes to this Privacy Policy.

Breaches

Should a breach of your data occur that is likely to result in harm to the rights and freedoms of you as an individual or group of individuals, we will notify you within 72 hours along with the ICO, where applicable. 

Additional information

 Localgiving has not appointed a statutory Data Protection Officer as we are not required to by law. However, we have committed resources to manage our compliance with all applicable Data Protection laws.

A Record of Processing Activities (ROPA), in which the lawful basis for processing all of our data is maintained. Wherever Legitimate Interests is relied upon, an impact assessment has been created, available upon demand to those whose data is included.

As of January 1st, 2021, the UK left the European Economic Area (EEA). As Localgiving does not process the data of EU Residents/Citizens we are not required to appoint a European representative to comply with Article 27 of the GDPR.

Contact

Localgiving is a controller of your data. As such we are registered with the ICO and support queries and questions, should you have any. Please email us at help@localgiving.org or write to us at Localgiving, Shurland Castle, High Street, Eastchurch, Sheerness, ME12 4BN.