Introduction
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”) came into force on 1 January 2021 (following the end of the Brexit transition period).
This Regulation aims to standardize data protection laws and processing across the UK, giving people greater rights to access and control their personal information.
Our Commitment
Ihsan Relief is committed to ensuring the protection of all personal information that we hold and to provide and protect all such data. We recognise our obligations in updating and expanding this program to meet the requirements of UK GDPR.
Ihsan Relief is dedicated to safeguarding the personal information under our control and in maintaining a system that meets our obligations under the regulations. Our practice is summarised below.
How We Prepared for GDPR
Ihsan Relief already has a consistent level of data protection and security across our organisation, but we have introduced new measures to ensure compliance.
- Information Audit — We carried out an audit of information previously held and ensured that it was compliant with the new regulations.
- Policies and Procedures — We have revised data protection policies and procedures to meet the requirements and standards of the UK GDPR and any relevant data protection laws, including:
- Data Protection – Our main policy and procedure document for data protection has been revised to meet the standards and requirements of the UK GDPR. Accountability and governance measures are in place to ensure that we understand and adequately disseminate and evidence our obligations and responsibilities, with a dedicated focus on privacy and the rights of individuals.
- Data Retention and Erasure – We have updated our retention policy and schedule to ensure that we meet the “data minimisation” and “storage limitation” principles and that personal information is stored, archived, and destroyed in accordance with our obligations. We have procedures in place to meet the “Right to Erasure” obligation.
- Data Breaches – Our procedures ensure that we have safeguards in place to identify, assess, investigate, and report any personal data breach as early as possible. Our procedures have been explained to all employees.
- International Data Transfers and Third-Party Disclosures – Where Ihsan Relief stores or transfers personal information outside the UK, we have robust procedures in place to secure the integrity of the data. Our procedures include a continual review of the countries with sufficient adequacy decisions, as well as binding corporate rules or standard contractual clauses for those countries without.
- Subject Access Request (SAR) – We have revised our SAR procedures to accommodate the revised 30-day timeframe for providing the requested information and for making this provision free of charge.
- Privacy Notice/Policy – We have revised our Privacy Notice(s) to comply with the UK GDPR, ensuring that all individuals whose personal information we process have been informed of why we need it, how it is used, what their rights are, who the information is disclosed to, and what safeguarding measures are in place to protect their information.
- Obtaining Consent – We have revised our consent mechanisms for obtaining personal data, ensuring that individuals understand what they are providing, why and how we use it, and giving clear, defined ways to consent to us processing their information.
- Direct Marketing – We have revised the wording and processes for direct marketing, including clear opt-in mechanisms for marketing subscriptions; a clear notice and method for opting out; and providing unsubscribe features on all subsequent marketing materials.
- Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) – Where we process personal information that is considered high risk, we have developed stringent procedures for carrying out impact assessments that comply fully with the UK GDPR’s Article 35 requirements. We have implemented documentation processes that record each assessment, allow us to rate the risk posed by the processing activity, and implement mitigating measures to reduce the risk posed to the data subject(s).
- Online Donations & Third-Party Processing (Zeffy) – When you make an online donation to Ihsan Relief via our website, your transaction and personal data are processed through our payment partner, Zeffy (operated by 9355-0861 Québec Inc., based in Quebec, Canada).
- Data Collected for Online Donations – When donating through Zeffy, the following data may be collected:
- Donor Details: Full name, email address, physical address, and phone number (if provided).
- Donation & Gift Aid Details: Amount, frequency, date of transaction, and Gift Aid declaration status (for UK taxpayers).
- Payment Information: Payment credentials are collected directly by Zeffy and its PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways (such as Stripe).
- Note: Ihsan Relief does not view, collect, or store full credit/debit card numbers or bank account details.
- Lawful Basis for Processing – We process online donor data under the following legal grounds:
- Contractual Necessity: To complete your donation transaction and issue an automated receipt.
- Legal Obligation: To claim Gift Aid from HMRC and maintain financial records under UK tax and charity laws.
- Legitimate Interests: To maintain relationships with our supporters and optimise our fundraising efforts.
- Consent: Where you explicitly opt-in to receive news, event invitations, or marketing updates from Ihsan Relief.
- Data Collected for Online Donations – When donating through Zeffy, the following data may be collected:
- International Data Transfers – As part of our online donation services via Zeffy, your personal information may be transferred to and stored on servers located outside the United Kingdom:
- Transfers to Canada: Zeffy is headquartered in Quebec, Canada. The UK Government recognizes Canada’s commercial privacy law (PIPEDA) as providing an adequate level of data protection under UK GDPR Adequacy Regulations.
- Transfers to the United States / Third Countries: Where Zeffy utilises cloud hosting or technical service providers located in the USA or other non-adequate jurisdictions, appropriate safeguards are enforced—including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum (IDTA) executed with payment and hosting partners.
- Processor Agreements & Third-Party Due Diligence – Where Ihsan Relief engages third-party data processors (including payment platforms such as Zeffy, website hosts, and administrative services), we maintain compliant Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) under Article 28 of the UK GDPR to guarantee that all third parties handle personal data securely and lawfully.
- Your Rights Under UK GDPR Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- Access – the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectify – inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Request Erasure – (“Right to be Forgotten”), subject to statutory tax retention rules.
- Restrict or Object – to data processing, including opting out of marketing communications at any time.
- Complain – to the UK regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), at [www.ico.org.uk](https://www.ico.org.uk).
Contact Us – If you have any questions regarding this policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us at:
Email: Info(AT)ihsanrelief.org
Phone: +44 7422 509603
Location: Birmingham, England