Databases

More information

Data protection guide (external website link)

This guide explains the purpose and effect of each data protection principle, and gives practical examples to illustrate how the principles apply in practice. It is developed by the Information Commissioner's Office.

It’s helpful to manage your target market contact information in a database even if it’s just an outlook list of email addresses. You also need to be aware of what the Data Protection Laws will allow you to do with your lists. Personal data should not be stored but business data can be.

A lot of small organisations now use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to help keep information together about how you have communicated with your customers. It is essentially an electronic Rolodex and is particularly useful if more than one member of the team is talking to them. All the letters are listed in a history section and you can check when the latest newsletter was sent etc.

Information from the Building Resilience Resource Pack produced for the West Yorkshire Local Development Agency by: Bradford CVS, fit4funding, Voluntary Action Leeds, Social Enterprise Support Unit, Leeds Community Foundation, West Yorkshire Community Accounting Service and the Holistic Partnership Limited.