How Will The GDPR Affect Your Charity?

The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force on 25 May 2018, marks a significant change in the EU data protection regime, with an increased emphasis on transparency and accountability in the way in which organisations (including charities) gather, store and use people's personal information. It is vital that charities act now to ensure that they are compliant before the implementation date.

While all aspects of the new regime require careful analysis, some of the new requirements are likely to affect the charities sector more than others, and will, therefore, warrant special consideration.

Legal bases for processing

The GDPR sets out a range of valid legal bases (which are unchanged from the legal bases set out under current legislation) for processing personal data, including for the purposes of fulfilling a legal obligation, to protect the vital interests of an individual and the administration of justice. Most charities, however,