VVKI

Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Vyakti Vikas Kendra India ("VVKI", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects personal information when you use our website at vvki.org (the "Website").

By using this Website, you agree to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website.

This policy applies only to information collected through this Website. It does not cover any third-party websites linked from our pages. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any external websites you visit.

2. About VVKI

Vyakti Vikas Kendra India (VVKI) is a registered public charitable trust constituted to promote spiritual, educational, cultural, and social development projects for the benefit of the public.

For the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDPA") and other applicable data protection laws, VVKI acts as the Data Fiduciary, meaning we determine the purpose and means of processing your personal data.

Registered Address: Vyakti Vikas Kendra India, The Art of Living International Centre, Gate 1, 21st km, Kanakapura Road, Udayapura, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, 560082.

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal information depending on how you interact with our Website.

Information you provide directly. When you make a donation, fill out a corporate programme enquiry form, subscribe to our newsletter, submit feedback, or contact us, you may provide your name, email address, phone number, postal address, PAN (Permanent Account Number, required for issuing 80G tax exemption receipts), organisation name and designation (for corporate programme enquiries), and any message or feedback content you submit.

Payment information. Online donations are processed by Razorpay, our third-party payment gateway. VVKI does not store your credit card, debit card, or bank account details. Razorpay collects and processes this financial information under its own privacy policy and PCI-DSS compliance framework.

Information collected automatically. When you browse the Website, we automatically collect your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device information, pages visited and navigation paths, date and time of access, session duration and bounce rates, referring website or traffic source, and search terms used on the Website. This information is collected through Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, and similar tools.

Donation history. If you are a returning donor, we maintain a record of your past donations linked to your contact details so you can view your donation history.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Processing your donations and issuing 80G tax exemption receipts
  • Responding to corporate programme enquiries and facilitating programme registration
  • Sending donation receipts, confirmations, and transaction-related communications
  • Sending newsletters, updates on our projects, and communications you have subscribed to (you may unsubscribe at any time)
  • Maintaining your donation history so you can access past records
  • Improving the Website, its content, and user experience through analytics
  • Complying with legal, regulatory, and audit obligations, including those related to charitable trust reporting and donor compliance
  • Preventing fraud and protecting the security of the Website

We will not use your personal data for any purpose other than those stated above without first obtaining your consent, unless required by law.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to understand how visitors use the site and to improve your experience.

Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics. We use Google Tag Manager to manage tracking scripts and Google Analytics to collect aggregated, anonymised usage data such as pages visited, session duration, traffic sources, and device information. Google may set cookies on your browser. You can learn more about how Google uses data at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Facebook Pixel. We may use the Facebook (Meta) pixel for measuring the effectiveness of our outreach campaigns. This may collect information about your browsing activity on our Website. You can manage your Facebook ad preferences at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences.

Managing cookies. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some features of the Website. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies, and you can find instructions for your specific browser through its help documentation.

6. Third-Party Service Providers

We share personal information with the following categories of third-party service providers, solely for the purposes described in this policy:

Razorpay processes online donation payments on our behalf. When you make a donation, Razorpay collects your name, email, phone number, and payment details (card or bank account information) directly. VVKI does not store your financial payment details.

Google Analytics collects anonymised browsing data, including your IP address, device information, and session details, to help us understand how visitors use the Website.

Zoho CRM stores donor and enquiry records, including your name, email, phone number, donation history, and corporate programme enquiry details, to help us manage relationships and communications.

Our email service provider receives your name and email address for the purpose of sending newsletters and transactional emails such as donation receipts.

These providers process data on our behalf under contractual obligations to protect your information. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

We may also disclose personal information where required by law, court order, or government authority.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS) for all pages that collect personal information, restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis, regular review of our data collection, storage, and processing practices, and use of PCI-DSS-compliant payment processing through Razorpay.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law.

Donation records, including your name, contact details, PAN, and transaction details, are retained for as long as required under applicable tax, audit, and charitable trust compliance obligations.

Corporate programme enquiry data is retained for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period afterward to address follow-up enquiries.

Newsletter subscription data is retained until you unsubscribe.

Website analytics data is retained in anonymised or aggregated form and does not identify you personally.

When personal data is no longer needed and no legal obligation requires its retention, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

9. Your Rights

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the following rights as a Data Principal:

Right to information. You may request a summary of the personal data we process about you and the processing activities involved.

Right to correction and erasure. You may request that we correct inaccurate personal data or erase personal data that is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, subject to any legal retention obligations.

Right to withdraw consent. Where we process your data based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal. To withdraw consent, contact us at marketing@vvki.org.

Right to grievance redressal. You may raise a grievance with our designated contact person (see Section 12 below). If your grievance is not resolved satisfactorily, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India.

Right to nominate. You may nominate another individual to exercise your rights in the event of your death or incapacity, in accordance with applicable law.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at marketing@vvki.org. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable legal timelines.

10. Children's Privacy

This Website is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children without verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian.

If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a person under 18 without appropriate parental or guardian consent, we will take steps to delete that information. If you believe we may have collected information from a minor, please contact us at marketing@vvki.org.

11. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a personal data breach, VVKI will assess the nature and scope of the incident and take appropriate steps to contain, investigate, and remediate it.

Where required under the DPDPA 2023 or any other applicable law, we will notify the Data Protection Board of India and affected individuals in the prescribed manner and within the prescribed timeframe.

12. Grievance Redressal

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding the processing of your personal data or this Privacy Policy, you may contact our designated Grievance Officer:

Designation: Secretary, VVKI
Email: marketing@vvki.org
Address: Vyakti Vikas Kendra India, The Art of Living International Centre, Gate 1, 21st km, Kanakapura Road, Udayapura, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, 560082

We will acknowledge your request and aim to resolve it within a reasonable period. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India under the DPDPA 2023.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Your continued use of the Website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Applicable Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by and shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of India, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (and rules notified thereunder), the Information Technology Act, 2000, and any other applicable regulations.