Privacy Policy

The Kalgidhar Society (“The Kalgidhar Society”, “Society”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information entrusted to us.

The Kalgidhar Society is an India-based charitable organisation working in education, healthcare, women empowerment, environment, social welfare, community development, rehabilitation, disaster relief and related charitable activities.

Our work involves interaction with individuals and organisations in India and other countries, including donors, sponsors, supporters, volunteers, students, parents and guardians, beneficiaries, corporate partners, institutional partners and other stakeholders.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store and protect personal information when you visit or use www.barusahib.org, contact us, make a donation, sponsor a programme or child, participate in our activities, volunteer, subscribe to communications or otherwise interact with us.

We aim to process personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection laws.

1. Who We Are

For personal information collected through www.barusahib.org, the primary organisation responsible for processing is:

The Kalgidhar Society – Baru Sahib
Baru Sahib, Tehsil Pachhad,
District Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, India – 173101

Privacy Contact

Privacy Officer / Data Protection Contact
Jaspreet Singh
Email: jaspreetsingh@barusahib.org
Phone: +91 9811108329

For general enquiries: info@barusahib.org

Where a donation, fundraising activity or service is administered by an affiliated or partner organisation in another country, that organisation may have separate legal and privacy responsibilities.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

2.1 Website Visitors

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

– IP address
– browser type
– device information
– operating system
– referring website or search engine
– pages visited
– date and time of access
– duration of visit
– website interaction information
– approximate location information
– information collected through cookies and similar technologies

This information is used primarily to operate, secure, analyse and improve our website.

2.2 Contact and Enquiry Information

When you contact us through our website, email, telephone, WhatsApp or other communication channels, we may collect:

– name
– email address
– telephone or mobile number
– country or location
– your enquiry or message
– IP address where collected through the website
– communication preferences
– other information you voluntarily provide

2.3 Donors and Sponsors

When you make a donation, sponsorship contribution or other financial contribution, we may collect:

– name
– address
– email address
– telephone number
– country of residence
– PAN or other tax identification information where required
– donation amount
– transaction details
– donation or programme selected
– information required for tax, accounting or regulatory purposes
– communication preferences

The information collected may differ according to the donor’s country, donation method and payment provider.

3. Student, Child and Beneficiary Information

Our charitable programmes include education and support for children, students and other beneficiaries.

Where necessary for programme administration, sponsorship, education, safeguarding, reporting or donor communication, we may process limited information relating to beneficiaries.

This may include:

– name or first name
– age or age category
– school or programme information
– educational information
– sponsorship information
– photographs or videos
– programme participation information
– impact-related information

We take additional care when processing information relating to children and vulnerable individuals.

We seek to collect, use and publish only information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant charitable, educational, safeguarding, reporting or communication purpose.

Where required by applicable law, appropriate consent or authorisation from a parent, guardian or other authorised person will be obtained.

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information:

– directly from you through website forms
– when you make a donation or sponsorship contribution
– when you contact us
– when you register for an event or programme
– when you volunteer
– when you subscribe to communications
– through authorised service providers
– through affiliated or partner organisations where permitted
– from publicly available sources where appropriate and lawful
– automatically through cookies, analytics and similar technologies

5. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information for the following purposes.

Donations and Sponsorship

We use donor information to:

– process donations and sponsorships
– administer donor and sponsor relationships
– issue donation receipts and acknowledgements
– provide sponsorship or programme updates
– maintain financial and charitable records
– resolve transaction-related matters
– process refunds where applicable
– meet legal, tax and regulatory requirements
– prevent fraud or misuse

Charitable Programmes

We may use information to:

– administer our programmes
– support beneficiaries
– manage sponsorships
– monitor programme outcomes
– prepare impact reports
– communicate programme developments
– maintain appropriate programme records

Communication

We may use contact information to:

– respond to enquiries
– provide information requested by you
– send transactional communications
– provide donation or sponsorship updates
– send programme updates
– communicate about events and volunteering
– send fundraising or awareness communications where permitted

Website and Security

We may use technical information to:

– operate the website
– improve website functionality
– analyse website usage
– maintain website security
– detect fraud, abuse or malicious activity
– investigate technical incidents
– protect our systems and users

Legal and Regulatory Purposes

We may process information when necessary to:

– comply with applicable law
– comply with lawful government or regulatory requirements
– maintain accounting and audit records
– comply with tax requirements
– meet charitable organisation reporting obligations
– establish, exercise or defend legal claims
– prevent fraud or other unlawful activity

6. Legal Basis for Processing

Depending on the circumstances and the law applicable to the processing, we may process personal information based on:

– your consent
– your request to receive a service or information
– performance of a donation, sponsorship or other transaction
– compliance with a legal obligation
– legitimate interests where permitted by applicable law
– protection of vital interests
– another lawful basis recognised under applicable law

Where consent is required, we will seek it in an appropriate manner.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent. Withdrawal does not affect processing that occurred lawfully before the withdrawal.

7. International Donations and Fundraising

The Kalgidhar Society receives donations and support from individuals, organisations and partners located in India and other countries.

Depending on the donor’s country and the donation method, a donation may be processed through The Kalgidhar Society, an affiliated or partner organisation, a payment provider or another authorised service provider.

International fundraising and donation activities may involve organisations or service providers located in countries including India, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other jurisdictions.

Personal information may therefore be processed by:

– The Kalgidhar Society
– affiliated or partner charitable organisations
– payment processors
– banks and financial institutions
– accounting and audit providers
– technology and hosting providers
– authorised fundraising platforms
– communication service providers

The organisation responsible for processing your information may depend on the country from which you donate and the method used.

Where another organisation independently collects or processes your personal information, its own privacy policy may also apply.

8. International Transfers of Personal Information

Because our donors, supporters, partners and service providers may be located in different countries, personal information may be transferred to, stored in or accessed from countries outside the country in which you reside.

International processing may occur through:

– cloud hosting
– payment processing
– email and communication services
– website analytics
– information technology services
– donor management systems
– affiliated organisations
– fundraising platforms
– other authorised service providers

Where applicable law requires safeguards for international transfers, we will use an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism and reasonable technical, organisational and contractual safeguards.

Depending on the applicable jurisdiction, these safeguards may include:

– contractual data protection provisions
– standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms
– adequacy decisions
– transfer assessments where required
– confidentiality obligations
– access controls
– encryption and other security measures
– other lawful transfer mechanisms recognised by the relevant jurisdiction

We will not rely solely on acceptance of this Privacy Policy as a blanket authorisation for every international transfer. International transfers will be handled in accordance with the legal requirements applicable to the relevant information and transaction.

9. India – Digital Personal Data Protection

The Kalgidhar Society is committed to implementing appropriate privacy practices under India’s applicable data protection framework, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, as applicable to our processing activities and as the relevant provisions become effective.

Where applicable, individuals may have rights concerning their personal data, including rights relating to access to information, correction and erasure, grievance redressal and withdrawal of consent, subject to the conditions and exemptions provided by law.

We will implement applicable notice, consent, security, breach and other requirements within the timelines prescribed by the applicable legal framework.

10. European Union and EEA – GDPR

Where the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to our processing of personal data, we will comply with applicable GDPR requirements.

Depending on the circumstances, individuals may have rights including:

– the right to be informed
– the right of access
– the right to rectification
– the right to erasure
– the right to restriction of processing
– the right to object
– the right to data portability
– the right to withdraw consent
– rights relating to certain automated decision-making

The availability of a particular right depends on the circumstances and applicable law.

Individuals may submit privacy requests to our Privacy Officer using the contact details provided in this policy.

Where applicable, individuals may also lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority.

11. United Kingdom – UK GDPR

Where UK data protection law applies to our processing of personal information, we will comply with applicable requirements of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Depending on the circumstances, individuals may have rights relating to:

– access
– correction
– deletion
– restriction
– objection
– data portability
– withdrawal of consent
– other rights provided by applicable UK data protection law

Where a restricted international transfer is subject to UK GDPR requirements, we will use an appropriate transfer mechanism and safeguards recognised under UK law.

12. Canada

Where applicable Canadian privacy legislation applies to our processing activities, we will follow the requirements applicable to that processing.

Our privacy practices are based on principles including:

– accountability
– identifying purposes
– meaningful consent where required
– limiting collection
– limiting use, disclosure and retention
– accuracy
– appropriate safeguards
– openness
– individual access
– complaint handling

Where personal information relating to Canadian individuals is processed by service providers outside Canada, appropriate contractual, organisational and technical safeguards will be considered and implemented as required by applicable law.

13. Australia

Where Australian privacy law applies to an organisation or processing activity associated with our work, we will take appropriate steps to comply with applicable requirements, including the Australian Privacy Principles where applicable.

Where personal information is disclosed to or processed by an overseas recipient, appropriate safeguards and contractual or other measures will be considered in accordance with applicable Australian privacy requirements.

14. United States

Privacy requirements in the United States vary between federal law and individual states.

Where a US privacy law applies to our processing activities, we will comply with the requirements applicable to that processing.

We do not represent that every US state privacy law applies to every donor or website visitor.

Applicability may depend on factors including the individual’s location, the nature of the processing, the organisation involved and applicable statutory thresholds or exemptions.

Where a US-based affiliated or partner organisation independently processes personal information, its own privacy policy may apply.

15. Payment Information

Donations may be processed through third-party payment providers.

We do not ordinarily store complete credit card, debit card or similar payment credentials on our own systems.

Payment providers may collect and process payment information in accordance with their own privacy policies, security practices and applicable legal requirements.

Depending on the donor’s location and payment method, different payment providers may be used.

16. Third-Party Service Providers

We may engage third-party service providers to support our operations.

These may include providers of:

– website hosting
– cloud infrastructure
– payment processing
– email delivery
– SMS
– RCS
– WhatsApp or messaging services
– analytics
– website security
– donor and supporter management
– IT services
– accounting and auditing
– event registration
– fundraising technology
– data storage

Where such providers process personal information on our behalf, we seek to ensure that appropriate contractual, technical and organisational safeguards are in place.

Third-party providers may also have their own privacy policies and legal obligations.

17. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to:

– authorised employees and representatives
– service providers acting on our behalf
– payment processors and financial institutions
– professional advisers
– accountants and auditors
– affiliated or partner organisations
– government authorities
– tax authorities
– regulators
– law enforcement authorities
– courts or other lawful authorities

We seek to limit disclosures to information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose, subject to applicable law.

We do not sell personal information.

18. Fundraising and Communications

Where you have provided consent or where otherwise permitted by applicable law, we may communicate with you about:

– charitable programmes
– education initiatives
– healthcare initiatives
– fundraising campaigns
– sponsorship opportunities
– impact updates
– events
– volunteering
– organisational developments

Communications may be sent through channels such as email, WhatsApp, SMS or RCS.

You may withdraw marketing consent or request that we stop non-essential communications at any time.

Transactional, legal or essential service communications may continue where necessary.

19. Photographs, Videos and Beneficiary Stories

We may document our charitable activities through photographs, videos, stories, testimonials and impact reports.

Where such material identifies an individual, we seek to use it responsibly and in accordance with applicable law, consent requirements and our safeguarding practices.

We take particular care with children and vulnerable beneficiaries.

Where appropriate, we may reduce identifying information or anonymise the individual.

20. Children’s Privacy and Safeguarding

We recognise the importance of protecting children’s personal information.

Our programmes include education and support for children and students. Information concerning children may therefore be processed as part of legitimate programme administration, education, sponsorship, safeguarding and reporting activities.

Where required by applicable law, we will seek appropriate consent or authorisation from a parent, guardian or other authorised person.

We do not intentionally use children’s personal information for unrelated purposes.

21. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies.

These technologies may be used for:

– essential website functions
– security
– remembering preferences
– website analytics
– understanding website usage
– improving website performance
– communications and other functionality where permitted

Some technologies may be provided by third parties.

Where applicable law requires consent for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, we will provide an appropriate consent mechanism.

You may also manage cookies through your browser settings.

22. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or as required for legal, regulatory, accounting, audit, safeguarding, dispute resolution or other legitimate purposes.

Different categories of information may have different retention periods.

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete, anonymise or securely dispose of it in accordance with applicable law and our internal retention practices.

23. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, misuse or destruction.

Depending on the nature of the information and processing activity, these measures may include:

– SSL/TLS encryption
– access controls
– authentication mechanisms
– password security
– encryption where appropriate
– secure hosting and storage
– restricted access to personal information
– monitoring and security controls
– staff confidentiality requirements
– employee awareness and training
– backup and recovery procedures

No internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

24. Personal Data Breaches

If we become aware of a personal data breach, we will assess the incident and take appropriate steps to contain, investigate and remediate it.

Where applicable law requires notification to affected individuals, regulators, authorities or other parties, we will make the required notification within the applicable timeframe.

25. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your country and the law applicable to your information, you may have rights including:

– access to your personal information
– information about how your information is processed
– correction of inaccurate information
– deletion or erasure
– restriction of processing
– objection to certain processing
– withdrawal of consent
– data portability where applicable
– choice regarding certain communications
– complaint or grievance redressal

These rights may be subject to legal limitations, exemptions and verification requirements.

26. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise a privacy right or ask a question about our processing of your personal information, contact:

Jaspreet Singh
Privacy Officer / Data Protection Contact
Email: jaspreetsingh@barusahib.org
Phone: +91 9811108329

For security purposes, we may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.

We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

27. Withdrawal of Consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us.

You may also request to stop receiving fundraising, marketing or other non-essential communications.

Withdrawal of consent does not affect processing that is permitted or required under another lawful basis, including legal, regulatory, accounting, security or transactional requirements.

28. Complaints and Grievances

If you have a concern regarding the handling of your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer first.

We will review the concern and respond in accordance with our applicable obligations.

Where applicable law provides a right to complain to a privacy or data protection authority, you may also contact the relevant authority in your jurisdiction.

29. Links to External Websites

Our website may contain links to external websites, including affiliated organisations, payment providers, social media platforms, fundraising platforms and other third-party services.

This Privacy Policy applies to information processed by The Kalgidhar Society through our website and activities.

External websites have their own privacy policies, terms and practices.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of an external website before providing personal information to it.

30. International Affiliates and Partner Organisations

The Kalgidhar Society works with supporters, affiliated organisations and partner organisations in different countries.

The presence of an international organisation, donation route or fundraising link on our website does not necessarily mean that The Kalgidhar Society controls that organisation’s processing of personal information.

Where another organisation independently collects or processes your personal information, that organisation may act as a separate data controller and its own privacy policy may apply.

Where personal information is shared between organisations for an authorised purpose, we will seek to ensure that such sharing is lawful and appropriately safeguarded.

31. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

– changes in our activities
– changes in technology
– changes in our service providers
– changes in international fundraising arrangements
– changes in privacy and data protection laws
– regulatory guidance
– changes in our internal privacy practices

When we make material changes, we will publish the updated Privacy Policy on this website and update the “Last Updated” date.

32. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal information, please contact us.

The Kalgidhar Society – Baru Sahib
Baru Sahib, Tehsil Pachhad,
District Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, India – 173101

General Enquiries
info@barusahib.org

Privacy Officer / Data Protection Contact
Jaspreet Singh
jaspreetsingh@barusahib.org
+91 9811108329

Website
www.barusahib.org

Last Updated: 5th Oct 2026