Close

Our commitment to donors

Data protection

All personal data concerning alumni and donors is held securely by the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) and is treated confidentially, stored on secure servers, with access restricted to authorised personnel only, and in accordance with UK Data Protection Law and GDPR. The data we hold is used to promote close links between LSHTM and its supporters through a full range of donor activities including the sending of publications, the promotion of services and benefits available to donors, notification of donor events, programmes involving academic and administrative departments, and fundraising programmes which may include an element of direct mailing.

Find out more about how we collect, store and use data.

Our commitment to you

The Development & Alumni Relations Office is committed to supporting the relationship between our alumni and friends and LSHTM, building an involved community with the aim of improving health worldwide at its heart.

The London School of Hygiene is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and we comply with the standards set out in the Code of Fundraising Practice. We work to ensure our fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful. Our fundraising promise outlines the commitment we make to our donors and the public.

We commit to high standards
  • We will adhere to the Fundraising Code of Practice.
  • We will monitor fundraisers, volunteers and third parties working with us to raise funds, to ensure that they comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice and with this Promise.
  • We will comply with the law as it applies to charities and fundraising.
  • We will display the Fundraising Regulator badge on our fundraising material to show we are committed to good practice.
We are clear, honest and open
  • We will tell the truth and we will not exaggerate.
  • We will do what we say we are going to do with donations we receive.
  • We will be clear about who we are and what we do.
  • We will give a clear explanation of how you can make a gift and change a regular donation.
  • Where we ask a third party to fundraise on our behalf, we will make this relationship and the financial arrangement transparent.
  • We will be able to explain our fundraising costs and show how they are in the best interests of our cause if challenged.
  • We will ensure our complaints process is clear and easily accessible.
  • We will provide clear and evidence based reasons for our decisions on complaints.
We are respectful
  • We will respect your rights and privacy.
  • We will not put undue pressure on you to make a gift. If you do not want to give or wish to cease giving, we will respect your decision.
  • We will have a procedure for dealing with people in vulnerable circumstances and it will be available on request.
  • Where the law requires, we will get your consent before we contact you to fundraise.
  • If you tell us that you don’t want us to contact you in a particular way we will not do so. We will work with the Telephone, Mail and Fundraising Preference Services to ensure that those who choose not to receive specific types of communication don’t have to.
We will be fair and reasonable
  • We will treat donors and the public fairly, showing sensitivity and adapting our approach depending on your needs.
  • We will take care not to use any images or words that intentionally cause distress or anxiety.
  • We will take care not to cause nuisance or disruption to the public.
We are accountable and responsible
  • We will manage our resources responsibly and consider the impact of our fundraising on our donors, supporters and the wider public.
  • If you are unhappy with anything we’ve done whilst fundraising, you can contact us to make a complaint. We will listen to feedback and respond appropriately to compliments and criticism we receive.
  • We will have a complaints procedure, a copy of which will be available on our website or available on request.
  • Our complaints procedure will let you know how to contact the Fundraising Regulator in the event that you feel our response is unsatisfactory.
  • We will monitor and record the number of complaints we receive each year and share this data with the Fundraising Regulator on request.

Fundraising complaints procedure

We are committed to supporting the relationship between our alumni and friends and LSHTM, building an involved community with the aim of improving health worldwide at its heart.

Despite our best efforts, we understand there may be an occasion when our fundraising activity does not meet the standards you expect. We take complaints seriously, and if you wish to make a complaint, we welcome your feedback to help us improve the quality of our work.

Fundraising complaints are complaints which are specifically about an action or area which is within the remit of the Development & Alumni Relations Office where you feel we have failed to demonstrate the commitment we have made in our fundraising promise.

A complaint might include:

  • Concern or criticism about the quality of our fundraising work.
  • Concern or criticism from about a particular fundraising approach or campaign.
  • Concern about the behaviour of staff and students when fundraising on LSHTM’s behalf.

How to complain

Throughout the complaint process, we will treat you fairly and with respect, keep you informed of progress, respond promptly, and let you know how to escalate a complaint if you wish to pursue it further.

Step one: tell us

You can register a complaint with us by:

Please include your name and contact details in your email or letter so that we can get back in touch with you easily.

Step two: we will respond

We will try to resolve your complaint right away, however, some complaints will require further investigation before a full response can be made and we will keep you informed of progress.

Your complaint will be fully investigated and the outcome of our investigation will be communicated to you within 10 working days of the receipt of your complaint. If it is not possible to give a response within that timescale, we will contact you to explain why and to provide an indication of when a full response can be expected.

Step three: if you are not satisfied

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can address your concern directly to the Director of Development & Alumni Relations:

Step four: the Fundraising Regulator

The Fundraising Regulator is the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in the UK. It sets and promotes the standards for fundraising practice and adjudicates complaints from the public about fundraising where these cannot be resolved by the charities themselves.

LSHTM is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and subscribes to the Code of Fundraising Practice.

If you are still not satisfied and would like to make a complaint to the Fundraising Regulator regarding LSHTM, please contact them via their online complaint form.