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Technology & digital tools

Responsible data use policy for nonprofits

Signs you need a responsible data policy

You collect sensitive data from beneficiaries and partners but your storage, access, and consent practices are inconsistent — and you are not confident you could defend them.

What you'll achieve

A clear, ethical data use framework that protects the people whose data you hold and builds trust with donors and partners.

How a Nonprofit Builder consultant helps

  • Review your current data practices, assess risks and gaps, and develop a policy with consent frameworks, access protocols, and staff guidance.

Key deliverables

  • Data use and protection policy, consent form templates, data access protocol, staff orientation materials, recommended review cycle.

From the resource library

Free tools and guides to get started

  • 12.3C160

    Nonprofit AI Policy Builder

    A free online tool that helps a nonprofit draft its own AI policy covering governance, data privacy, risk management and ethics. Users share their mission and AI use, choose a light, standard or advanced policy, and answer tailored questions. The tool uses generative AI to draft the policy, which the team then edits and publishes. A draft takes about 20 minutes and needs no sign-up.

    Start hereCurrentTool or templateFree
  • 12.2C157

    Responsible Data Handbook

    A handbook on the ethics and risks of collecting and using data about people in international development work. It follows the project lifecycle: designing a project, managing data, getting, understanding and sharing data, and closing a project. Chapters can be read alone or in sequence. A team of 12 practitioners wrote it in a 3-day book sprint. It is free under a CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

    Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree