Alumni and Supporter Charter

Updated November 2024

Reviewed: Reviewed: May 2018, December 2020, March 2023, November 2024

The Open University (OU) is grateful for the support of our alumni, friends and all our donors. In recent years we have seen a growing tradition of philanthropy, thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

The University is committed to treating all supporters with the highest level of care and respect and this charter outlines our pledge to both existing and prospective donors.

We promise you that we will:

1. Be transparent and informative

  • We will use gifts in accordance with your intentions. If a donation is given for a specific purpose the gift will be used for that purpose. If for any reason it is not possible to use the gift for the purpose originally intended this will be discussed with you or your representative. If a donation is not for a specific purpose the University will use it as will best achieve its mission and objectives.
  • We will provide you with regular reports about the way gifts have contributed to our success and the impact of your philanthropy.
  • We will declare whether The Open University Development Office will disclose your details to anyone else.
  • We will respond in a timely manner to any written complaints about the University’s fundraising.
  • We will keep you abreast of how the needs and priorities of the University develop in response to external and global issues.
     

2. Acknowledge and thank you for any donation, unless you ask us not to
 

3. Respect your wishes and privacy

  • Where appropriate, we publicly recognise donations but will respect your right to remain anonymous if requested.
  • If you no longer want us to contact you, or only want to hear from us in certain ways, we will ensure that we honour your wishes.
     

Other information

The University accepts gifts in line with its ethical and due diligence protocols.
 

Our charity status

The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
 

Data protection

Details are held in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and any other relevant legislation and will be treated confidentially and sensitively for the benefit of the OU and its members. For more information on the OU’s Alumni and Supporter Privacy Policy, visit giving.open.ac.uk/privacy or contact +44 (0) 1908 655 044.

The University does not obtain or buy lists of people from other organisations and we do not share or sell your information to other organisations.

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Contact us

All Alumni and Supporters may update their communication preferences and opt-out of receiving some or all communications from us at any time.

If you are an alumnus, you can:

  • Update your preference via the Communication Preference Website by logging into the alumni portal at alumni.open.ac.uk
  • Email: alumni@open.ac.uk
  • Write to us at The Open University Development Office, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA or call us on 01908 655044.

If you are not an alumnus or a supporter you can:

  • Email us: giving@open.ac.uk
  • Write to us at: The Open University Development Office, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes,MK7 6AA
  • Call us on 01908 655044
  • Respond to any recent correspondence you have received from the Development Office

Please direct any queries about the way we process your personal information, or requests to exercise your rights as a data subject, to our Data Protection Officer using the contact details below.

  • Email: data-protection@open.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44(0)1908 653994
  • By post: The Data Protection Officer, PO Box 497, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AT

Data subjects within the EU can contact:

  • The Data Protection Officer c/o The Open University in Ireland, Holbrook House, Holles Street off Merrion Square, North Dublin 2

To view our fundraising charter, please visit giving.open.ac.uk/privacy

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