OPPA Policies
Please find below links to some of our important policies, as well as information on other procedures further below on the page.
- Philanthropy and Recognition Naming Policy and Process (PDF , 271kb)
- In Memory and Reflection Giving and Memorials on Campus Process
- Philanthropic Gifts, Grants and Donations Policy 2023 (PDF , 223kb)
- Philanthropy and Recognition Due Diligence Policy 2023 (PDF , 275kb)
- Departmental Advisory Boards at the University of York Principles and Guidance (PDF , 111kb)
OPPA Privacy Policy
The Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni (OPPA) is here to support you, keep you in touch with the University and provide you with services, benefits and opportunities – whether you are an alumnus/a, a supporter, a volunteer, a scholarship holder, a researcher, or any other student or staff member.
It’s important you know as much as possible about your data and how it is used. So this privacy policy is designed to:
- explain what we do with your data and why we do it
- help you take control of your data and make informed decisions about how we use it
- show how your data is safeguarded: – eg we never sell your data.
The privacy notice is for supporters, volunteers, alumni and other contacts of the Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni (OPPA) at the University of York, including Hull-York Medical School (HYMS) alumni. It sets out the ways in which the University gathers, uses, stores and shares data held by OPPA (‘alumni records’). It also sets out how long we keep your data and what rights you have in relation to your data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The University has additional records and privacy notices for student and staff data. For more information, please read the Student Privacy Notice and Staff Privacy Notice.
Quick Summary
You should read this policy in full, but here are the key points we hope you will remember:
- We’re open about what data we keep about you. Your record may contain contact details, education and business details, and a record of your interactions with us. Most of this was provided to us by you, with some additions from third parties or public sources. You can update your details. You can also request a full copy of your personal data.
- We use your records to provide you with services and keep you in touch with the University. We also use them to offer opportunities, such as events, networking, giving and volunteering opportunities.
- We want to talk to you about things you’re interested in. We use your records to personalise our communications with you and the services we offer.
- You’re in control. You can decide how we communicate with you, and whether we personalise our communications, here: Communication Preferences.
- We never sell your data.
- We never share your data for marketing or fundraising by third parties. The limited data sharing we do is fair, transparent, safe, and prioritises your interests and our legal duties.
- We want you to understand what we do, and why we do it. This privacy policy goes into more detail about how we keep and use data and the purposes we use it for. You can also contact alumni@york.ac.uk with any questions.
Alumni records includes any personal data kept by OPPA about alumni, donors, volunteers, staff, students and other contacts. Alumni records for HYMS are also included.
Most of your alumni records were provided to us by you, either directly or when you gave the University information as an applicant or student/staff member. Some additional information may come from third parties or from public sources such as LinkedIn.
Your alumni records contain your contact details and preferences, education and business details, and a record of your interactions with us. We may also have some payment details or information about your interests, if you have given these to us. We delete or archive your data once it is no longer needed.
Your alumni records are primarily used to keep you up to date with the University and alumni community and offer you services and opportunities, including to volunteer or give to the University. We also keep data to target our services and for auditing, reporting and monitoring. If you visit campus or a University event, your image may be captured in a photo or video.
We keep and use your alumni records because that is necessary for our legitimate interests. Some specific uses of your data have a different legal basis, such as contractual requirements, legal obligations or because you have consented.
Our alumni community is international, so we operate globally to support the community and offer our services. This means that your records may be stored or transferred outside the UK. All storage and transfers are secure.
Your contact details and communication preferences can be edited. Contact alumni
Parts of your alumni records may be shared with selected organisations the University works with and with current and potential employers. We do not sell your alumni records or share them with other fundraising organisations.
We are also required by law to share your records in some circumstances with government and law enforcement agencies. If you are a Canadian national, additional sharing with the CRA applies.
We want you to understand and be happy with how we use your data. Please contact alumni
We may email you from time to time if we significantly change how we use alumni records.
Volunteer Charter
Through their unique experience alumni Volunteers are an important and valued resource in advancing the aims and objectives of the University of York. By engaging and inspiring current students through sharing knowledge and experience, they raise the profile of the University through networks of their peers, current students and the business community.
The University recognises the crucial role Volunteers play, and in return offers them support and resources from colleagues in the Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni.
Volunteers are asked to read the following guidelines about responsibilities connected to representing the University of York.
- Interaction with students
- Volunteers are expected to liaise regularly with their contact in either the Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni or relevant Department, and activities should be approved by the University before being undertaken.
- Volunteers should endeavour to uphold the University’s good name and reputation at all times.
- Act as a role model of good and appropriate behaviour understanding the difference between friendliness and familiarity; bearing in mind that someone else might misinterpret your actions, no matter how well intentioned.
- Use of data, in compliance with the Data Protection Act
- Any personal data received about other alumni must not be divulged or sold on in any way, and must not be used for any other purpose than the furthering of the University’s aims and objectives and those of its constituent alumni communities.
- Contact lists circulated at events have been approved by all participants for that event only and should not be circulated further beyond the event.
- Volunteers are prohibited from keeping their own databases of alumni records.
If you have any queries please email OPPA-Volunteering
Our Pledge to our Supporters
In order to uphold the trust and confidence of our supporters, the University of York pledges to practise the following standards in fundraising:
Number | Our Pledge | What it means to you |
---|---|---|
1 | We will endeavour to know you, our donors, and the sources of your donations. | We will complete a Due Diligence Report, authorised by a senior manager, before accepting your gift of £25,000 or more. We will complete a Due Diligence Report, authorised by a senior manager, before accepting your gift of £25,000 or more. |
2 | We will take special care in our contact with donors and potential donors who may be vulnerable. | We will not solicit donations from those we believe to have diminished responsibility. |
3 | We will help you to fulfil your wishes. |
If you make a gift of £5,000 or more, we will send you a draft Gift Agreement to review, before preparing final copies to be signed by you and an authorised representative of the University. The agreement will state:
In cases where the agreed purpose(s) of your gift can no longer be fulfilled, we will endeavour to use the gift in a manner consistent with your original intentions and in the spirit in which it was given. We will only ask for gifts which help fulfil the vision and values of the University, and only seek funding for projects or causes which have been approved as strategically important by its senior management. |
4 | We will report back on the impact of your support. |
We will report to you on the impact of donations at least once a year, if you allow us to have your contact details. We will give you updates on the impact of your support at other times of the year by email, telephone or post (unless you opt out). |
5 | We will take good care of your information. |
When you provide us with your personal data, we will store it securely and inform you of how we intend to use it. We will publish a detailed outline of how we use personal data in our Privacy Policy. |
6 | We will respect your request to give anonymously | If you ask us to keep your gift anonymous we will not publish any details of it in the public domain, and will restrict sharing of your information within the University where requested. |
7 | We will provide you with the information you need for your tax return. |
We will provide a receipt for credit card donations and a schedule for Direct Debits. We will provide a year-end receipt for regular donors on request (US-based donors are automatically sent a receipt in January). |
8 | We will ensure we deal with any concerns you may have. |
We will provide you with prompt and truthful answers to your questions about any aspect of your gift. We will publish and adhere to our Complaints Procedure. |
9 | We will enable you to cancel your regular donation at any time. |
You can cancel a regular donation at any time by contacting giving Regrettably, we are only able to refund donations in cases where there has been a processing or administrative mistake. If you think there has been a mistake with your donation, please contact us immediately at the following:
Refunds will be made either via the Direct Debit Guarantee or by refunding the debit or credit card that was used to make the donation. This does not affect your rights under the Direct Debit Guarantee or Stripe user agreements. |
10 | We will use the appropriate means to contact you. |
We will ask you how you would like us to contact you, in line with our Privacy Policy. We will endeavour to contact you in the ways you prefer; however we may send you receipts, payment schedules and information request forms by post or email where necessary for processing your donation. |
Volunteers are asked to read the Volunteer Charter about responsibilities connected to representing the University of York
Complaints
If you are unhappy, please tell us.
We know that occasionally things do go wrong and we welcome the opportunity to deal with these situations quickly and put things right.
In cases where an informal solution cannot be found, or if you’re not happy with the first response you receive, you can make a semi-formal or formal complaint.
Feedback from alumni, friends and members of the public is appreciated. If you’d like to send us feedback or comments that aren’t a complaint you can do so in writing to Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom, by email via alumni@york.ac.uk or by phone 01904 324467.
Complaints Procedure
Stage 1 (informal) – If you can, talk to a member of the Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni staff. Anyone experiencing a problem is advised to report it to a staff member as soon as possible. This can be done in person, by phone, by email or post.
If we cannot resolve the problem immediately, we will aim to get back to you within three working days, where possible using the same means that you used to send your complaint. If we cannot respond within three working days, we will contact you to inform you of this.
Stage 2 (semi-formal) - If you are not satisfied with our response, please get back in touch, either by responding to the reply we have sent you, or by writing directly to the Director of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni.
Semi-formal complaints are to be used if:
With a YorkSpace account, you can:
- You are not satisfied with the response you received to your original complaint.
- You believe a member of Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni staff acted inappropriately.
- A member of staff believes the nature of the complaint is too serious for the informal process.
Stage 3 (formal) – In the unlikely event that your complaint is still unresolved, you can use the Formal Complaints Procedure by completing a formal complaint form and sending to the Registrar and Secretary’s Office.
Formal complaints are to be used if:
- You are not satisfied with the response you received from the Director of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni to your complaint.
- You believe the Director acted inappropriately.
- The Director believes the nature of the complaint is too serious for the semi-formal process.
At the end of the process we will contact you to check that we have answered all the points you have raised. If your complaint is upheld, we will also check that you are happy with the outcome.
All complaints will be treated impartially, as set out in the Office of Philanthropic Partnerships and Alumni Complaints Policy.