Privacy Policy

Last Updated: February 22, 2026

1. Introduction

International Gaudiya Vedanta Society Houston (IGVS), doing business as Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha ("SGGM," "we," "us," "our"), is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website (sggm.org), register as a volunteer, sign up for our Sunday School, make a donation, or otherwise interact with our temple community. Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect information about you in a variety of ways. The information we may collect on the Site includes:

Personal Data

Personally identifiable information, such as your name, shipping address, email address, and telephone number, that you voluntarily give to us when you register for an event, sign up to volunteer, make a donation, or request a catering quote.

Spiritual Profile Data (for Volunteers)

For volunteers who wish to perform specific services, we may collect details regarding your initiation status, initiated name, spiritual master, and date of initiation. This information is considered sensitive and is used exclusively for the purpose of coordinating temple services (seva) in a manner that is respectful to Vaishnava tradition and your personal practice.

Financial Data

Financial information, such as data related to your payment method (e.g., valid credit card number, card brand, expiration date) that we may collect when you donate. We use a third-party payment processor to handle transactions, and we do not store your full financial information on our servers.

Catering & Dietary Data

When you submit a catering request, we collect details regarding your event and any specific dietary requirements or allergies. This information is used solely for the purpose of preparing a quote and ensuring the safety and suitability of the food provided.

Data From Children

We collect information from parents/guardians for children enrolling in our Sunday Vedic School, such as the child's name, age, and any relevant medical information, for the sole purpose of ensuring their safety and providing a positive educational experience.

3. How We Use Your Information

Having accurate information about you permits us to provide you with a smooth, efficient, and customized experience. Specifically, we may use information collected about you to:

• Create and manage your account.
• Send you emails, text messages, or WhatsApp notifications regarding temple events, newsletters, and other updates.
• Process donations and send you tax-exempt receipts.
• Coordinate volunteer schedules and assign appropriate services based on your qualifications and interests.
• Process catering quotes and orders.
• Respond to your questions and service requests.
• Ensure the safety and well-being of children in our educational programs.

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We are committed to being trustworthy stewards of your data. We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties.

We may share information we have collected about you in certain situations:

• By Law or to Protect Rights: If we believe the release of information about you is necessary to respond to legal process, to investigate or remedy potential violations of our policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of others, we may share your information as permitted or required by any applicable law, rule, or regulation.
• Third-Party Service Providers: We may share your information with third parties that perform services for us or on our behalf, including payment processing, email delivery, and hosting services. These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes for which it was disclosed.

5. Security of Your Information

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information. While we have taken reasonable steps to secure the personal information you provide to us, please be aware that despite our efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other type of misuse.

6. Your Rights Regarding Your Information

You have the right to:

• Review or Update: Request to review or update the personal information we hold about you.
• Opt-Out: Opt-out of future email or text communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or replying "STOP" to text messages.
• Request Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information from our records, subject to our need to retain data for legal or tax purposes (e.g., donation records).

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below.

7. Policy for Children

We do not knowingly solicit information from or market to children under the age of 13 without parental consent. The registration for our Sunday Vedic School is intended to be completed by parents or legal guardians. If you become aware of any data we have collected from children without parental consent, please contact us immediately.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

International Gaudiya Vedanta Society Houston (IGVS)
DBA: Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha
16628 Kieth Harrow Blvd
Houston, TX 77084
Email: info@sggm.org