The cost of living crisis is bringing research-based major gift fundraising to the fore. These tips will help you get it right.
With the cost-of-living crisis impacting charities everywhere, research-based fundraising is in the spotlight. Research helps charities make educated major gift asks, boost online fundraising, and find aligned corporate funders.
But if you rush into it without laying the groundwork, you run the risk of not creating a best practice foundation and not complying with regulations and guidance. Here’s how to remain GDPR compliant when undertaking research-based fundraising.
Undertake a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
Undertaking a DPIA for your major gifts programme is a vital step to ensuring you understand the impact of your data processing. A DPIA is an assessment of the ways your organisation uses personal data for specific activities. It should describe the purpose for which you collect the data and look at information flows, e.g. how data will be obtained, used and retained.
It should also identify the privacy risks and evaluate solutions to those risks. Once the recommended actions are agreed upon, they should be incorporated into the overall project plan. This will help you develop and implement research processes that are compliant with data protection requirements.
Get familiar with legitimate interest and document your rationale
Under GDPR, there are six lawful grounds for processing data: consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, public task, and legitimate interest.
The ones we use most frequently when processing data for fundraising are consent, legitimate interest, and occasionally contracts. One is not better than the other, and all may be appropriate for use at different times. Most organisations use legitimate interest as grounds for processing their supporters’ data.
Undertaking a Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) helps you verify that you do have a legitimate interest. You need to be able to demonstrate your legitimate interest and that the data processing you are undertaking is necessary.
The LIA takes into account the reasonable expectations of data subjects and the impact of the processing on individuals’ interests, rights, and freedoms and weighs this against your legitimate interests. You should document the outcome of this balancing test (and any mitigating steps).
Update your privacy notice
Update your privacy notice with the research you plan to undertake and the lawful grounds you will use to process data. Once it’s been updated, you must notify your supporters of any changes and give them the option to opt out of processing. After you’ve given them enough time to do this, you can start your research.
At Prospecting for Gold, we specialise in research, wealth screening, consultancy and regulatory compliance, making fundraising more effective and successful.
Wealth screening can help you expand your donor base and boost your fundraising. By understanding your supporters, you can personalise your approach, making your fundraising efforts more effective and efficient.
Successful major gift fundraising isn’t just about securing a donation. It’s about building relationships, understanding people’s motivations and aligning their interests with your cause.
Ready to transform your major gift fundraising? Get in touch with us today.