Effective from: February 2026
Last revision: 18th May 2026
Contact: coordinator@earlychildhoodfunders.co.uk

1. Who we are

The Early Childhood Funders Partnership (ECFP) is a network of UK-based funders collaborating to improve outcomes in early childhood.

This notice also applies to individuals who contact ECFP, express interest in the Partnership, participate in events or activities, or engage with our website and communications.

ECFP acts as the data controller for the personal data of its members and participants in ECFP activities.

For certain activities where decisions about personal data are made collectively — such as elements of programme oversight, surveys, and strategic development — the ECFP Steering Group acts as a joint controller with ECFP. These activities are governed by a Joint Controller Arrangement compliant with Article 26 of the UK GDPR.

Point of contact and regulatory coordination

For the purposes of data protection law, ECFP acts as the primary point of contact for individuals and coordinates regulatory engagement with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in relation to the processing described in this notice, including processing carried out jointly with the Steering Group.

2. The personal data we collect

We collect and store the following types of personal data:

• Name, job title, and organisational affiliation
• Email address and other contact details
• Website enquiries and expressions of interest in the Partnership

For members and participants in ECFP activities:

• Information provided via surveys (e.g. funder mapping)
• Notes and video recordings from interactions, meetings, or working groups
• Participation records in ECFP activities
• Inputs to evidence-sharing, working groups, or collaboration processes

We do not collect special category data unless it is explicitly provided for a specific purpose (for example, dietary requirements for an event).

We collect personal data directly from individuals when they join ECFP, participate in activities, or communicate with us.

3. How we process your personal data

We process your personal data to:

• Administer ECFP membership
• Coordinate meetings, events, and working groups
• Circulate newsletters, updates, and opportunities
• Facilitate connections between members
• Manage the membership database
• Conduct surveys (e.g. annual funder mapping)
• Support governance through the Steering Group
• Deliver the programme of activities described in the Terms of Reference
• Monitor and evaluate our work
• Respond to enquiries and expressions of interest

We will never sell your data or use it for commercial purposes.

We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. Lawful bases for processing

We process personal data under the following lawful bases:

Legitimate interests (primary basis)

• Coordinating a membership network
• Emailing updates, opportunities, and events
• Facilitating collaboration and connections between members
• Maintaining a membership database accessible to other members
• Conducting surveys to inform the network's work

We have considered and balanced our legitimate interests against your rights and freedoms, and we do not process personal data in ways that would be unexpected or intrusive.

Legal obligation

• Where required for safeguarding, financial controls, or statutory purposes

Consent (used rarely and only where required)

• Where we share contact details outside the membership community
• For photography or quotes used publicly

You may withdraw your consent at any time.

Where activities are overseen jointly by the Steering Group, processing takes place under the same lawful bases and is governed by the Joint Controller Arrangement, which sets out respective responsibilities.

5. Who we share your data with

We may share personal data with:

• Other ECFP members, where relevant for collaboration, introductions, working groups, or via the membership database
• Steering Group members (who act as joint controllers for Steering Group activities)
• The ECFP Secretariat, which operates as part of ECFP and carries out the day-to-day administration and management of personal data for ECFP activities, including governance and coordination supported by the Steering Group
• Consultants or contractors supporting ECFP systems, under appropriate contractual arrangements to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal data

We may also share personal data where required by law or in connection with legal proceedings or legal claims.

ECFP will not share your details with external organisations without a lawful basis and, where relevant, without your consent.

Where the Steering Group acts as a joint controller, Steering Group members may access or receive personal data relevant to their oversight role, strictly within the scope of the Joint Controller Arrangement.

6. International transfers

Some service providers (for example, cloud-based platforms) may store personal data outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or other lawful contractual arrangements, as required by law.

7. How we protect your data

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We have internal controls in place to reduce the risk that your data is lost, accidentally destroyed, misused, disclosed, or accessed without authorisation.

Where we engage third parties to process personal data on our behalf, they act only on our written instructions, are subject to duties of confidentiality, and must implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures. They are not permitted to use your personal data for their own purposes.

8. How long we keep your data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this notice. Typically:

• Active membership: for as long as the organisation remains a member
• After departure, website enquiries and expressions of interest: up to three years, unless we are required to retain specific information for longer

You may request deletion of your personal data at any time.

9. Your data protection rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your data
• Restrict or object to processing
• Request the transfer of your data to another organisation (data portability), where applicable
• Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent
• Ask us not to share your details further

To exercise your rights, including raising a complaint, please contact: coordinator@earlychildhoodfunders.co.uk

Where personal data is processed under the Joint Controller Arrangement with the Steering Group, ECFP acts as the primary contact point for handling data subject requests on behalf of the joint controllers. You may, however, exercise your rights in respect of joint processing against any of the joint controllers.

Also, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

10. Joint Controller Arrangement (Steering Group)

The Steering Group members collectively determine certain purposes and means of processing personal data, including in relation to surveys, programme oversight, and strategic development. In respect of these activities, the Steering Group members and ECFP act as joint controllers under Article 26 of the UK GDPR.

A Joint Controller Arrangement is in place which sets out respective responsibilities for compliance with data protection obligations, including transparency, data subject rights, and data security. This arrangement designates ECFP as the coordinating controller for external communications, regulatory engagement, and the handling of data subject requests.