Privacy Policy

Shri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha (SGGM Houston), operating under the International Gaudiya Vedanta Society Houston (IGVS), respects the privacy of devotees, visitors, volunteers, donors, families, and community members. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, protect, and retain personal information when you visit our website, visit the temple, participate in outreach activities, register for programs, volunteer, make donations, or communicate with us. Our goal is to handle all community information with care, transparency, and respect, while supporting the spiritual, educational, charitable, and community-service mission of SGGM Houston.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect personal information directly from you when you interact with SGGM Houston online, in person, by phone, by email, through forms, or through third-party service providers used to support temple operations. We may collect information when you:

• Visit the temple or participate in outreach activities
• Register for programs, events, classes, or festivals
• Register yourself or a family member for Sunday Vedic School or other educational activities
• Sign up to volunteer or participate in seva activities
• Make donations online, in person, or through another supported channel
• Request tax receipts, donation acknowledgments, or annual giving statements
• Contact us through website forms, email, phone, or in-person communication
• Subscribe to temple updates, newsletters, announcements, or outreach communications

Types of information we may collect include: 

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Mailing address
• Donation amount, donation date, donation method, and donation designation
• Volunteer interests, availability, skills, and participation history
• Program registration details, including attendee names and related preferences
• Communication preferences, such as email, phone, text message, or WhatsApp preferences
• Messages, questions, or requests submitted to SGGM Houston
• Limited website usage information, such as pages visited and general device/browser information

We do not intentionally collect sensitive financial credentials such as full credit card numbers, full bank account numbers, or online banking login credentials. Payment information is generally handled by secure third-party payment processors.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to support temple operations, community engagement, donor stewardship, volunteer coordination, outreach, and communication with devotees and visitors. We may use your information to:

• Communicate about temple programs, Sunday Program, festivals, classes, and outreach
• Register attendees for events, programs, classes, festivals, and educational activities
• Manage volunteer participation, seva schedules, and community service efforts
• Process donations, maintain donor records, and provide annual tax statements
• Respond to inquiries, prayer requests, service requests, and general questions
• Coordinate prasādam, catering, ceremonies, and other temple-related services
• Improve the website, communication process, and community engagement
• Maintain internal records required for nonprofit operations and compliance
• Protect the safety, security, and integrity of temple activities

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We use the information only for temple, nonprofit, community, charitable, educational, devotional, administrative, and legally required purposes. 

3. Donations & Payments

When you make a donation, SGGM Houston may collect information needed to process the donation, acknowledge your contribution, maintain donor records, and provide tax-related documentation. This may include your name, contact information, donation amount, donation date, donation method, and any designation or note associated with the donation.

Donations made online may be processed through secure third-party payment providers. These providers may collect and process payment information in accordance with their own privacy and security practices. SGGM Houston does not store full credit card numbers, full bank account numbers, or online banking credentials on its website.

We may use donor information to send donation receipts, annual tax statements, donation acknowledgments, and occasional updates about temple projects, fundraising needs, seva opportunities, or community initiatives. Donors may request communication changes by contacting us at info@sggm.org. 

4. Outreach, Volunteer, and Program Information

SGGM Houston may collect information from devotees, visitors, volunteers, parents, students, and community members who participate in outreach, seva, educational programs, temple events, festivals, and community activities.

Volunteer information may be used to coordinate seva opportunities, communicate schedules, identify areas of interest, organize teams, and support safe and effective service. Program registration information may be used to confirm participation, manage attendance, plan resources, and communicate relevant updates.

For children’s programs such as Sunday Vedic School or family-oriented activities, we may collect information from parents or guardians to support registration, communication, safety, and program administration. 

5. SMS & WhatsApp Messaging Privacy

Shri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha (SGGM Houston) may offer SMS and WhatsApp communications with you about temple activities, events, announcements, seva opportunities, donation acknowledgments, program updates, and community outreach.

When you opt in to receive SMS or WhatsApp communications, we may use your mobile phone number to send:

• Temple announcements and important updates

• Festival and event notifications

• Ekadasi fasting and calendar reminders

• Volunteer opportunities and service announcements

• Donation and sponsorship updates

• Program reminders and community communications

Message frequency varies based on your interactions with the temple and the programs to which you subscribe. Message and data rates may apply.

5.1. Protection of Mobile Information

Mobile information will not be shared, sold, rented, or transferred to third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes. All categories of data sharing described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy exclude mobile phone numbers, SMS/WhatsApp opt-in information, messaging consent records, and related subscriber data. 

5.2. Opt-Out Instructions

You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any message you receive from us.

For assistance, reply HELP or contact us at:

Email: privacy@igvs.org or privacy@sggm.org

Your messaging preferences can also be updated by contacting the temple directly.

6. Data Sharing

We may share personal information only when reasonably necessary to operate temple services, process donations, communicate with the community, comply with legal obligations, or protect the safety and integrity of SGGM Houston. 

We may share information with: 

• Payment processors and donation platforms used to process contributions
• Email, messaging, website, registration, or communication service providers
• Accounting, tax, legal, or administrative service providers supporting nonprofit operations
• Authorized temple volunteers or representatives who need access to perform assigned responsibilities
• Government, regulatory, or legal authorities when required by applicable law

We expect service providers and authorized representatives to handle personal information responsibly and only for the purposes for which it was shared. 

7. Data Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational steps to protect personal information from unauthorized access, misuse, loss, alteration, or disclosure.

These safeguards may include:

• Limiting access to personal information to authorized individuals
• Using reputable third-party platforms for payment processing and communication
• Maintaining reasonable access controls for systems used to manage temple information
• Reviewing operational practices to improve privacy and security over time

No website, online system, or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. 

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, support temple operations, maintain donor and volunteer records, comply with legal and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and preserve accurate nonprofit records.

Donation records and tax-related information may be retained for the period required or recommended for nonprofit accounting, audit, and tax purposes. Volunteer and program information may be retained as needed for operational continuity, historical reference, and community engagement, unless removal is requested and retention is not legally or operationally required.

9. Your Choices and Requests

You may contact SGGM Houston to request access to your information, request corrections, update communication preferences, unsubscribe from non-essential communications, or request deletion of certain information.

You may request to:

• Update your contact information
• Correct inaccurate information
• Opt out of newsletters or outreach communications
• Request removal from volunteer or outreach lists
• Request deletion of certain personal information, subject to legal, accounting, tax, or operational requirements

To make a request, contact us at privacy@igvs.org or privacy@sggm.org. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

10. Cookies & Website Usage

Our website may use basic cookies, analytics tools, server logs, or similar technologies to help us understand website usage, improve user experience, maintain website security, and identify technical issues.

Website usage information may include general technical data such as browser type, device type, pages viewed, referring pages, approximate location derived from IP address, and time spent on pages. This information is generally used in an aggregated or operational manner and is not intended to identify you personally unless you voluntarily submit information through a form.

You may adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Some website features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

11. Children’s Privacy

SGGM Houston serves families and may offer children’s programs, including Sunday Vedic School and other educational or devotional activities. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without parental or guardian involvement.

Parents or guardians may provide information needed for registration, communication, safety, and program administration. If you believe a child’s information has been provided without appropriate parental or guardian involvement, please contact us at info@sggm.org.

Parents or guardians enrolling children in Sunday Vedic School or related youth activities acknowledge and consent that classes, programs, festivals, performances, educational activities, and community events may from time to time be photographed or video-recorded.

Photographs or recordings may be used in SGGM Houston’s digital and printed communications, including the website, newsletters, social media, promotional materials, event highlights, and community outreach materials intended to support and promote temple and Sunday Vedic School activities.

12. Third-Party Links and Services

Our website or communications may include links to third-party websites, platforms, payment processors, social media pages, maps, video platforms, or event registration tools. These third parties operate independently and may have their own privacy policies and practices.

SGGM Houston is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party platforms you use. 

13. Photography, Video, and Event Media

SGGM Houston may take photographs or videos during temple programs, festivals, public events, classes, outreach activities, or community gatherings. These images or recordings may be used for temple communications, newsletters, social media, website content, event highlights, or community outreach. 

If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please inform event organizers or contact us at privacy@igvs.org or privacy@sggm.org. We will make reasonable efforts to respect such requests, especially in relation to children and sensitive situations.

14. Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Status

Shri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha operates under the International Gaudiya Vedanta Society Houston (IGVS), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Information collected for donations, acknowledgments, donor records, and tax statements may be used to support nonprofit compliance, financial transparency, accounting, reporting, and donor stewardship.

15. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, services, legal requirements, technology, or community operations. When updates are made, the revised policy will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage visitors, donors, volunteers, and community members to review this policy periodically.

16. Contact Us