Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Divya Dhara Foundation ("Foundation," "we," "us," "our") is committed to safeguarding the privacy of everyone who interacts with us — whether as a donor, volunteer, beneficiary, website visitor, or supporter. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website (www.divyadhara.org) or engage with our programs and services.

By using our Website or providing us with your personal information, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to read this document in its entirety.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you interact with us, including:

• Donation information: Full name, email address, phone number, postal address, PAN number (for 80G receipts), and payment details
• Volunteer registration: Name, contact information, skills, availability, background check details, and identification documents
• Contact form submissions: Name, email, phone number, subject of inquiry, and your message
• Newsletter subscriptions: Email address and name
• Event registrations: Name, contact details, and any specific requirements

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Website, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies:

• Device information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution
• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, and navigation paths
• Network information: IP address, approximate geographic location, and internet service provider
• Referral data: The website or source that directed you to our Website

2.3 Information from Third Parties

Occasionally, we may receive information about you from third-party sources such as payment processors, social media platforms (when you interact with our social pages), and partner organizations involved in joint programs.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Processing donations: To process your contributions, issue tax receipts under Section 80G, and send donation confirmations
• Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send newsletters, share program updates, and inform you about upcoming events
• Volunteer management: To coordinate volunteer activities, verify identities, and ensure the safety of all participants and beneficiaries
• Website improvement: To analyze usage patterns, optimize website performance, and improve user experience
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal obligations, including tax reporting and audit requirements
• Fraud prevention: To detect and prevent fraudulent transactions or misuse of our services

We will never use your personal information for commercial marketing by third parties, nor will we sell or rent your data to any external organization.

4. Information Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Payment processors: We share necessary payment details with trusted payment gateway providers (such as Razorpay, PayU, or Stripe) to process your donations securely. These processors are contractually bound to protect your data.
• Service providers: We may engage trusted third-party vendors for email delivery, analytics, cloud hosting, or IT support. These providers are given only the information necessary to perform their services and are bound by confidentiality agreements.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, safety, or the safety of others.
• Auditors and regulators: Donor information may be shared with statutory auditors and government regulators for compliance purposes as required under Indian law.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience and gather usage data.

5.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: Required for core website functionality such as page navigation and secure areas
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the Website (e.g., Google Analytics) — data is aggregated and anonymized
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and choices, such as language preferences
• Marketing cookies: Used sparingly to measure the effectiveness of our outreach campaigns

5.2 Managing Cookies

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Website. Most browsers allow you to view, delete, and block cookies from specific or all websites.

6. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through our Website
• Secure, access-controlled storage for digital records
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Restricted access to personal data — only authorized personnel with a legitimate need can access it
• Employee training on data privacy and security best practices

While we take every reasonable precaution, no method of electronic storage or internet transmission is 100% secure. If you have any concerns about the security of your data, please contact us immediately.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Donation records: Retained for a minimum of 8 years in compliance with Indian tax and financial regulations
• Volunteer records: Retained for the duration of your active volunteering and up to 3 years after your last activity
• Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 2 years, unless an ongoing relationship exists
• Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for trend analysis

Once the retention period expires, your data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

8. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to correction: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to deletion: You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention obligations
• Right to withdraw consent: You may withdraw your consent for data processing at any time by contacting us
• Right to unsubscribe: You can opt out of marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@divyadhara.org. We will respond to your request within 30 business days.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through our Website. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it.

For our beneficiary programs that involve minors, all data collection is done with the explicit consent of parents or legal guardians, and is handled with the highest level of care and security.

10. Third-Party Links

Our Website may contain links to external websites operated by third parties (e.g., social media platforms, partner organizations, payment gateways). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party website before providing your information.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or operational needs. When we make significant changes, we will post the updated policy on this page and revise the "Last Updated" date at the bottom.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

We are committed to resolving any privacy-related complaints. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority.