This section explains how and why we use personal data to build profiles which enable us to understand our supporters, improve our relationship with them, and provide a better supporter experience.
- We analyse our supporters to determine common characteristics and preferences. We do this by assessing various types of information including behaviour (e.g. previous responses) or demographic information (e.g. age or location).
- By grouping people together on the basis of common characteristics, we can ensure that group is provided with communications, products, and information which is most important to them. This helps prevent your inbox from filling up, and also means we aren’t wasting resources on contacting people with information which isn’t relevant to them.
- We profile supporters in terms of financial, political and practical support. For example, we keep track of the amount, frequency and value of each person’s support. This information helps us to ensure communications are relevant and timely.
- If, based on information that has been provided to us (such as geographical location, demographics, or previous donations), it appears an individual might be willing and able to provide more support we may contact them to see if they wish to do so.
On occasion, we may also combine information about particular supporters with external information (such as directorships listed on Companies House, or news about an individual which has featured in the media) in order to create a more detailed profile about a particular individual.
- We collect information on preferences and interests so that we know what material you are most likely to be interested in.
- We may also obtain information about you from other sources, much of which is available on public and private databases such as Mosaic and Acorn. We do this to enhance and fill in any gaps so that we can understand our supporters better, send you the most relevant communications, and target our resources effectively.
Examples of information we’ll obtain are details of other charities you may support, newspapers you read, shopping habits, financial products, leisure interests, and indicators of financial status such as house value. In some cases we will obtain likely indicators of interest or financial status based on your postcode rather than at an individual level. This information won’t be specific to you, but probable characteristics based on your postcode.
We may aggregate and anonymise personal data so that it can no longer be linked to any particular person. This information can be used for a variety of purposes, such as recruiting new members and supporters, or to identify trends or patterns within our existing supporter base. This information helps inform our actions and improve our campaigns, products/services and materials.
You may opt out of this profiling at any time by contacting the Data Compliance Manager at:
- GWCT, Burgate Manor, Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 1EF
- 01425 652381
- info@gwct.org.uk