Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Sayam Foundation ("we," "us," "our") is a registered non-profit organization committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, volunteers, partners, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website at www.sayam.org, make a donation, or interact with our programs and services.

By accessing or using our website, you consent to the practices described in this policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically for any changes. Your continued use of our website after any modifications indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services. The information we gather falls into the following categories:

2.1 Personal Information

When you donate, register, volunteer, or contact us, we may collect personally identifiable information including but not limited to:

• Full name and contact details (email address, phone number, mailing address)
• Payment information (credit/debit card details, UPI IDs, bank account information) — processed securely through third-party payment gateways
• PAN card number and tax-related information (for Section 80G receipt issuance)
• Date of birth and age (for child beneficiary records and volunteer eligibility)
• Employment and educational background (for volunteer and partner applications)

2.2 Non-Personal Information

We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website, including:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system and device type
• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
• Referring website or source

2.3 Sensitive Information

We may collect limited sensitive information about beneficiary children and families, including health records and educational status, solely for program delivery and impact assessment purposes. This information is handled with strict confidentiality and is never shared with third parties for commercial purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Purpose	Data Used
Process and acknowledge donations	Name, email, payment details, PAN
Issue tax-exemption receipts (Section 80G)	Name, address, PAN, donation amount
Send program updates and newsletters	Email address, name
Manage volunteer and partner applications	Name, contact info, background details
Improve website functionality and user experience	Non-personal usage data, cookies
Comply with legal and regulatory obligations	All relevant information as required by law
Deliver programs and assess impact	Beneficiary data (with consent)

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

Sayam Foundation does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Payment Processors: We share payment details with secure, PCI-DSS-compliant payment gateways solely to process donations.
• Legal Compliance: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or regulatory authorities.
• Service Providers: We may share information with trusted vendors who assist in website hosting, email delivery, and analytics, bound by confidentiality agreements.
• Government Reporting: We share donor information with tax authorities as required for Section 80G compliance and FCRA reporting.
• With Your Consent: We may share information for specific purposes when you provide explicit consent.

5. Data Security

We implement robust administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through our website
• Secure payment processing through PCI-DSS-compliant gateways (we do not store credit card details on our servers)
• Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel only
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Encrypted storage for sensitive data such as PAN numbers
• Staff training on data protection and privacy best practices

While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to maintaining the highest practicable standards.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how you use our site.

6.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Cookie Type	Purpose	Duration
Essential	Required for website functionality and security	Session
Analytics	Help us understand visitor behavior and improve the site	Up to 2 years
Preference	Remember your settings and preferences	Up to 1 year

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

7. Third-Party Services

Our website may contain links to third-party platforms such as payment gateways, social media sites, and analytics tools. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information. Third-party services we use include:

• Google Analytics (website usage analysis — data anonymized)
• Razorpay / Stripe / PayU (payment processing)
• Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for community engagement
• Email service providers for newsletters and communications

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing how they handle your data. We ensure that any third-party processor we work with adheres to applicable data protection standards.

8. Children's Privacy

Sayam Foundation is deeply committed to protecting children's privacy. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age without verified parental or guardian consent. Information about beneficiary children is collected only for program delivery purposes and is handled with the highest level of confidentiality.

If we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without proper consent, we will promptly delete such information from our records. Parents and guardians may contact us at any time to review, update, or request deletion of their child's information.

9. Data Retention

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

• Donor records are retained for a minimum of 8 years as required under Indian tax laws
• Beneficiary data is retained for the duration of program involvement plus 3 years for impact assessment
• Website analytics data is retained in anonymized form for up to 2 years
• Volunteer and partner records are retained for 5 years after the last interaction

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website.

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

11. Your Rights

Under applicable Indian data protection laws and international best practices, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Right to Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously given consent for data processing

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 12 below.

12. Contact Us

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

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 business days.