At Helping Hand Initiative Foundation ("we", "our", "us", or "Foundation"), we deeply value the trust and confidence placed in us by our donors, volunteers, partners, and visitors. We are firmly committed to safeguarding your personal privacy in accordance with applicable Indian laws, including the Information Technology Act 2000 and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that is voluntarily submitted by you when using our website, making a donation, or contacting our team:

• Compulsory Donation Data: Full Name, 10-digit Indian Mobile Number, and Donation Amount.
• Optional Information: Email address, Permanent Account Number (PAN) (solely required by Indian tax authorities for claiming Section 80G tax deduction), postal address, city, state, and donation remarks.
• Technical Data: Browser type, device operating system, IP address, and non-identifiable usage statistics collected via server logs to maintain website security.

2. Purpose of Information Collection

Your information is used strictly for legitimate charitable administrative purposes, including:

• Issuing valid 80G tax exemption donation receipts and Form 10BE certificates as mandated by the Income Tax Department of India.
• Sending SMS or WhatsApp acknowledgment and delivery updates regarding our social drives and meal distributions.
• Responding to your queries, volunteer registrations, and support requests.
• Complying with statutory audits, regulatory filings, and legal requirements applicable to registered Indian charitable trusts.

3. Strict Non-Disclosure & Donor Confidentiality

We never sell, rent, trade, or commercialize your personal information to any third party under any circumstances.

Your information is accessed only by authorized personnel and trusted technical service providers (such as official banking partners, SMS gateways, and chartered accountants) who are bound by strict confidentiality agreements to facilitate our operations.

4. Data Security & Payment Safety

We implement standard physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure of your data. All financial transactions conducted via UPI or net banking are processed directly through secure bank channels and authorized payment gateways; our servers never store your credit card numbers, debit card PINs, or UPI passwords.

5. Cookies & Tracking

Our website may use standard session cookies to optimize navigation speed and user experience. You have the right to accept or decline cookies via your web browser settings. Disabling cookies will not affect your ability to make donations or browse our causes.

6. Links to External Sites

Our website may contain links to official government portals (such as the Income Tax Department or NITI Aayog) or social media platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites and recommend reviewing their respective policies.

7. Contact For Privacy Queries

If you have any questions or wish to update or delete your contact records from our communications list, please reach out to our designated Data Grievance Officer: