The Donkey Sanctuary

The Donkey Sanctuary is a United Kingdom-based charitable organization known by its primary alias, The Donkey Sanctuary. It operates adoption programs and therapy services that involve donkeys, serving a diverse group of supporters including children who participate in these initiatives. The organization maintains a supporter database to manage its community, which includes individuals engaged with its animal-assisted activities. Its work centers on the welfare of donkeys and their role in therapeutic and adoption contexts, distinguishing it within the animal welfare and therapy sectors. The charity's programs specifically cater to minors, as evidenced by the inclusion of children's personal data in its records managed through third-party systems.

In 2020, The Donkey Sanctuary experienced a significant data security incident involving its third-party supplier, Blackbaud, which managed its supporter database. Unauthorized access resulted in the compromise of personal information belonging to minors, including names, birthdates, addresses, and contact details. Financial data remained secure due to encryption, but the breach affected families associated with the charity's adoption and therapy services. The notification to affected individuals was delayed by several months, causing concern among those impacted. Blackbaud claimed the stolen data was destroyed and unlikely to be misused, while the charity emphasized its ongoing efforts to enhance security protocols and advised vigilance against potential identity fraud despite assessing the immediate risk as low. This event underscored the data protection challenges faced by charities relying on external vendors for sensitive supporter information.