At FICS, we recognise that, in the digital age, information is key to how society consolidates and redistributes power. We know that information technologies can be used to surveil and censor and are exploited by the powerful to silence and restrict the civic space of dissenting voices. Privacy and information management are core to defending and expanding civic space and we take your rights seriously.
Funders Initiative for Civil Society (FICS) respects your rights to privacy, and this Privacy Notice reflects these rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This Note is prepared for FICS’ external contacts and partners, and explains when and why we collect personal data, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others, and how we keep it secure. This Note covers all activity by FICS and our connected projects, including the Global Narrative Hive (formerly known as the Narrative Networks Initiative or NNI), and Civic Futures. Please read it carefully and contact us if you have any questions or concerns by emailing operations@global-dialogue.org.
FICS uses analysis, convening, incubation, and experimentation to shift funder strategy and practice on the drivers of closing civic space. FICS strives to give funders the tools they need to expand civic space for those advancing democracy, human rights, social and economic justice, and environmental protection for the future. We want to galvanise and influence a broader cross-section of funders to direct resources to disrupt, reform, and transform civic space. FICS is a programme hosted by Global Dialogue.
Civic Futures is hosted by the Funders Initiative of Civil Society (FICS) a programme of Global Dialogue (a charity 1122052 and limited company 5775827 registered in England and Wales).
As both the Data Controller (the organisation that determines how your data is managed) and Data Processor (the organisation processing the data), Global Dialogue handles and processes the data you provide in accordance with UK and EU Data Protection legislation.
Global Dialogue has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fund for Global Human Rights (FGHR – a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and a charity 1151043 and limited company 08357053 registered in England and Wales) which governs our work together on Civic Futures. As part of this, FGHR are joint data processors.
As FICS we obtain information about you in the following ways:
We are required by the GDPR to have a legitimate reason – a “lawful basis” – for any personal data that we collect or hold on you. The table below describes the types of data that we collect at FICS, how we may use it, and what we understand to be the lawful basis for our
processing it:
Data type: Contact details for contractors and staff
Processing purpose: To facilitate signature of contracts, and to fulfil our duties as an employer/contractor
Lawful basis for processing: Contractual
Data type: Contact details for contractors and staff
Processing purpose: To facilitate signature of contracts, and to fulfil our duties as an employer/contractor
Lawful basis for processing: Contractual
Data type: Staff and consultant- payment details
Processing purpose: To facilitate payments to our staff and consultants
Lawful basis for processing: Contractual
Data type: Contact details for applicants for our staff, consultancy, or governance roles
Processing purpose: To facilitate prompt feedback on recruitment and the status of their applications
Lawful basis for processing: Legitimate interest
Data type: Contact details for subscribers to our mailing lists
Processing purpose: To ensure delivery of regular newsletters
Lawful basis for processing: Consent
Data type: Contact details for online and in-person event attendees
Processing purpose:To ensure accurate records of attendance and to ensure attendees retain their places
Lawful basis for processing: Legitimate interest
Data type: Grant recipient contact details
Processing purpose: To consider grant applications and undertake appropriate due diligence
Lawful basis for processing: Legitimate interest
Data type: Grant recipient financial details
Processing purpose: To facilitate payment where grants are awarded
Lawful basis for processing: Contractual
Data type: Contact details for people who have expressed interest in our programmes and the communities we facilitate
Processing purpose: To facilitate relationship building between us and external colleagues. To facilitate connection and relationship building between people and organisations working towards the same aim.
Lawful basis for processing: Legitimate interest
Data type: Contact details for people and organisations referred to us by members of our network, for the purpose of building community.
Processing purpose: To facilitate relationship building between us and external colleagues. To facilitate connection and relationship building between people and organisations working towards the same aim.
Lawful basis for processing: Legitimate interest
Data type: Contact details for people and organisations referred to us by members of our network, for the purpose of making grants.
Processing purpose: To identify prospective grant applicants and to invite grant applications.
Lawful basis for processing: Legitimate interest
Data type: Contact details for people and organisations referred to us by members of our network, for the purpose of conducting research.
Processing purpose: To identify and invite research participants. To coordinate and conduct research activities.
Lawful basis for processing: Legitimate interest
You can find more information about data processing by our host Global Dialogue here.
Our host, Global Dialogue, keeps retention periods for personal information under review. We are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory obligations. We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, or as long as is set out in any relevant contract or agreement you hold with us. We routinely update our data to ensure those who are not engaged in our work are removed.
We may share your data with certain third parties where appropriate, however any third party your data is transferred to is contractually obliged to follow GDPR regulations regardless of their location. We may disclose your personal data if required to do so by UK law and will endeavour to give you notice prior to doing so.
When we use a third-party processor, for example Mailchimp or Survey Monkey, your personal data may be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA). It will only be transferred to countries that have been identified as providing adequate protection for EEA data (like New Zealand), or to a third party where we have approved transfer mechanisms in place to protect your personal data, for example by entering into the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses. For further information please contact us.
You have a number of rights under data protection law, including the right to access, rectify, and erase your personal data. The accuracy of your information is important to us and you have a choice whether or not you wish to receive information from us. Find out more about your rights here.
If you do not want to receive communications from us about our work, events, surveys, and other information which we think you might be interested in, you can unsubscribe on each of the communications themselves. Alternatively, please send an email to operations@global-dialogue.org.
If you would like to exercise any of your rights under data protection law, if you change email address or any of the other information we hold is inaccurate or out of date, please email us at operations@global-dialogue.org or fics@global-dialogue.org.
If you are concerned about the way we have collected and used your personal data, please contact us – we will do our best to help. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK.
When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that it is treated securely. Non-sensitive details (your email address etc.) are transmitted normally over the internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your information, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems. Where we have given (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our websites, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.
We keep this Notice under regular review. This Notice was last updated in May 2024.