Privacy Policy

Sri 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, messages, questions, or requests submitted, donation data (amount, date, method, designation), volunteer data (interests, availability, skills, history), registration info (attendee names, preferences), communication channels choice (Email, WhatsApp), 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.

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. Online donations are processed through secure third-party payment providers. SGGM Houston does not store full credit card numbers or banking credentials on its website. 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. 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. Communications, Email, SMS, and WhatsApp

If you provide your contact information, SGGM Houston may use it to communicate with you about temple activities, events, announcements, seva opportunities, donation acknowledgments, program updates, and community outreach. Communications may occur by email, phone, text message, WhatsApp, or other communication channels depending on the information you provide and the nature of your interaction with us. You may request to stop receiving non-essential communications at any time by contacting us at info@sggm.org.

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, communication service providers, accounting/legal services, authorized temple volunteers, and government authorities when required by applicable law. We expect service providers to handle personal information responsibly.

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, using reputable platforms, and maintaining reasonable access controls. No website 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.

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. To make a request, contact us at info@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. 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.

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. SGGM Houston is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites or services.

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 info@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

Sri 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