Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your personal information
This page, together with our Cookies Policy for this website, sets out the basis on which we will process any personal information that we collect, or that you provide to us.
Who are Prospecting for Gold?
Prospecting for Gold provides fundraising consultancy and research services to a range of charities, not-for-profit and membership organisations, including political parties (collectively referred to as not-for-profit organisations below).
The work we do supports the development of relationship fundraising. This usually involves developing a dialogue through face-to-face meetings with donors or potential donors who have been carefully researched in preparation for the meeting. Research is not stand-alone, it is always part of an overall fundraising approach. One benefit of this approach to fundraising is that it leads to fewer direct marketing communications from charities as fundraising is conducted on a one-to-one basis in a way that is sensitive to the expectations of that particular supporter.
Our prospect research focuses on high net worth individuals, where we are commissioned by not-for profit organisations to research prospective major donors. These people may provide financial or other forms of support. Some of the research we undertake is referred to as wealth screening. In the last six years, we have completed more than 700 wealth screenings for around 550 not-for-profit organisations.
In addition, we carry out trust and corporate research where we identify suitable grant-making trusts and companies who might support a particular not-for-profit organisation.
Prospecting for Gold Ltd is committed to complying with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, Number Z7945617.
Data we collect directly from you
We use the information we collect from you via cookies on our website in accordance with our Cookies Policy.
If you sign up to our newsletter, we collect your personal information for the purpose of sending you our newsletter and associated marketing and service updates. The information we collect includes your name, email address, job title and organisation to enable us to keep you up to date on issues affecting the not-for-profit sector and our services.
When you contact us for research or consultancy services, we collect your name, email address, job title, organisation name, postal address and telephone number. We will use this information for the purposes of communicating with you for any business we are conducting with you, and to inform you about our services.
Information (including contact details) that you supply to us about yourself, whether via our website, by email, or by other means, will be securely stored by us.
By using the Prospecting for Gold website, or by providing any personal information to Prospecting for Gold, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy.
You may opt out of any of our mailing lists at any time by emailing us at info@prospectingforgold.co.uk with a note of your requirements.
We will not disclose your contact information to anyone who is not an employee or contractor of Prospecting for Gold unless we have your permission, or are required to do so by law.
You may ask us to delete your contact information at any time by emailing us at datacontroller@prospectingforgold.co.uk
If we undertake work for you, we may name your organisation in our client list that we use from time to time, where you give agreement for this in our contract with you.
Data our clients send to us for research services
As a client, use of our services may require that you send us personal data pertaining to your supporters to enable us to undertake research on your behalf.
We will sign a Contract and Data Security Agreement with you prior to receipt of any such data. Under this Agreement:
- All data that you send to us remains your property.
- We will provide, via a subcontractor, a secure method for receipt of data from you and for the return of results to you.
- All data you send to us will be treated in confidence.
- Your data will be stored on our secure server.
- No part of your data will be disclosed to anyone who is not an employee or contractor of Prospecting for Gold, either physically or verbally, unless we are required to do so by law.
- Your data will not be transferred or held by us outside of the UK.
- We will securely delete data you send to us for screening within 6 months of receipt, or at any time on request.
Data we collect for research purposes
For our research, we use data gathered entirely from publicly accessible sources including:
- Public Registers: Companies House, the Electoral Commission (Political Donations), the Electoral Roll (Open Register), the FCA (Financial Services Register), the Law Society, the Land Registry.
- Trade & Industry References, Professional directories, Charities Commission.
- UK Reference Volumes: Who’s Who, Debrett’s People of Today, Debrett’s Peerage, City of London Livery Company information, Trustfunding.org.uk.
- Reliable print and broadcast media; newspapers (The Telegraph, The Times and Sunday Times, City AM), magazines, rich lists.
- Internet; general google searches, company websites, online-only articles, social media, justgiving.com, linkedin.com
We store some of this information in our Wealth Intelligence Database, which contains information on around 270,000 high net worth and well-connected individuals. The information we keep includes estimated wealth band as well as indicators of philanthropic, business and social interests. All information is from publicly accessible sources. See our webpage Recommended Reference Sources for some of the sources we use in our work.
From time to time, we conduct data cleaning via a third party to ensure that details are up to date. This is against nationally recognised data sets such as the National Change of Address register and mortascreen.
Legitimate Interest
Prospecting for Gold’s interest in helping charities find major donors is a lawful legitimate interest under both the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation. How we collect and use data in respect of our Wealth Intelligence Database is clearly defined in this Privacy Policy. This interest is real and present; the government has objectives to increase philanthropy in the UK.
Prospecting for Gold collect publicly accessible data on individuals we believe are capable of making or influencing a charitable donation of £5,000 or more. These individuals are typically in the top 1%-3% by wealth in the UK and would reasonably expect to be contacted by charities that they already support, local charities or those where a common interest is revealed from the data available. Major donors expect not-for-profit organisations to be well informed. The people on our database are financially aware, busy individuals who would expect research to be carried out on them before any approach for a major donation was made.
The privacy rights and interests of the data subject are not negatively affected; the data used is already easily accessible within the public domain. The interests of Prospecting for Gold, the charity and the individual are closely aligned. A Data Protection Impact Assessment has been completed to ensure that the data subject’s rights are considered and protected.
From time to time we undertake cleaning and updating of personal data, again using public sources of data and for cleaning, with the assistance of specialist third party providers.
How we store information
Our business depends on handling data confidentially. We have taken technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal information we hold remains secure at all times.
Prospecting for Gold may use the services of subcontractors to ensure that your data is held in a secure environment.
Your data will remain within the European Economic Area (“EEA”) at all times unless you consent otherwise for a specific research task.
Third party use of data we hold
Data in the Wealth Intelligence Database is shared with authorised resellers in order that they may provide our products and services to their customers. A list of these authorised resellers can be found here.
We may supply information or data on researched individuals, companies, or trusts and foundations to not-for-profit organisations as part of our services, either directly or via subscription services. Any such information or data supplied by us will be from publicly accessible information sources only. The information is provided subject to conditions of use.
We will never share data we collect directly from you or that you provide to us for research with any third parties for marketing purposes.
We may disclose your personal information to third parties if we are under a duty to comply with any legal obligation; or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use for this website or other agreements; or to protect the rights or property of Prospecting for Gold. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud detection and protection.
How to access your personal information
We will always try to ensure that the data we hold is up to date, reasonable and not excessive. You have the right to:
- Request a copy of the information we hold about you (Subject Access Request)
- Update or amend the information we hold about you
- Change your communication preferences at any time
- Ask us to remove your personal information from our records
- Withdraw consent where consent has been given
- Object to the processing of your information for any of the purposes outlined above
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, or would like to receive a copy of the information we hold about you, please contact Kerry Rock at: datacontroller@prospectingforgold.co.uk
or by writing to:
Data Protection Officer
Prospecting for Gold
Registered Office:
Cherwell
Remenham Lane
Henley-on-Thames
Berkshire
RG9 3DB
We do not make a charge for this. It will help us if you tell us something about the nature of your contact with us.
See our guide to accessing your personal information for more detailed instructions.
For further information on the UK’s Privacy Principles, you can visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
Updates or changes to this Privacy Policy
We will regularly review and update this Privacy Policy. Each time you visit this site you should review our Privacy Policy to check that no changes have been made to any sections that are important to you. This policy was last reviewed on 13th January 2022.
