Privacy Notice
Last updated: September 1, 2026
About this notice
This notice explains how ISKCON of Silicon Valley (“ISV,” “we,” “us”) handles personal information collected through our website at iskconsv.com.
ISV is a California nonprofit religious corporation and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, EIN 77-0463781, located at 1965 Latham Street, Mountain View, CA 94040.
What this notice covers: iskconsv.com and the forms, donation pages, and book store on it.
What it does not cover: other ISKCON temples and organizations, which are separately incorporated and manage their own information; other websites we link to; and other ISV websites and applications, unless they expressly link to this notice. It also does not cover information you give us in person, by phone, or on paper.
Our position, stated plainly: ISV does not sell personal information. We do not rent, trade, or share it with data brokers. Information you give us is used to serve you and to support the temple’s activities.
Information we collect
Information you give us. When you use a form on our site, we collect what you enter. Depending on the form, this includes but not limited to:
| What you’re doing | What we collect |
|---|---|
| Signing up for the newsletter | Name, email address, phone number (optional), nearest city, and the types of events you’re interested in |
| Making a donation | Name, email address, donation amount, frequency, and the project you’ve chosen |
| Buying books | Name, email address, billing and shipping address, and order details |
| Registering for an event or class | Name, email address, and the details requested on that form |
| Signing up to volunteer or join a local group | Name, email address, and the details requested on that form |
| Contacting us | Name, email address, and whatever you write to us |
Providing a phone number is optional.
Payment information. Donations made through this website, and book store purchases, are processed by PayPal. We also accept bank transfers by Zelle. Your full card number is entered on the processor’s system, not ours. ISV receives the transaction, donor, and order information that the payment provider makes available to us, which may include your name, email address, billing and shipping address, amount, and a transaction reference.
Donations made in person at the temple are processed through our Square kiosk. That is not a website transaction and is outside the scope of this notice, but we mention it because those donation records are kept alongside the ones described here.
Information collected automatically. When you visit the site, we and the services we use may collect your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, time of visit, and the page or search that referred you.
Cookies and analytics
Google Analytics. We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how people find and use the site — which pages are visited, how long people stay, which events draw interest. This uses cookies and sends data to Google, which processes it in accordance with its own privacy policy. You can opt out for all sites using Google’s browser add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Payment and security services. PayPal runs device-recognition technology on pages where payment is possible. Google reCAPTCHA is used on some forms to block automated spam. Both set cookies, and both process information in accordance with their own privacy policies rather than this notice.
Embedded content. Pages with YouTube video, Google Maps, or our contact-chat widget load content from those providers, which may set cookies and see your IP address.
“Do Not Track.” Some browsers send a “Do Not Track” signal. There is no common industry standard for how sites should respond, and our site does not currently respond to these signals.
How we use your information
- To send you the newsletter, event announcements, and other communications you asked for
- To process donations, purchases, and payments, and to send receipts and tax acknowledgments
- To register you for classes, festivals, and events, and to follow up about them
- To coordinate volunteer service and connect you with a local group
- To answer questions you send us
- To keep the records a nonprofit is required to keep for accounting, tax, and audit purposes
- To operate, secure, and improve the website
We do not use your information to build advertising profiles, and we do not make automated decisions about you.
Who we share it with
We share personal information only with service providers who help us operate, and only as needed:
| Who | Why |
|---|---|
| Elvanto | Our congregation and volunteer management system. Contact details submitted through our newsletter, volunteer, group and event sign-up forms are added to it so we can stay in touch and coordinate service. |
| Mailchimp | Sends our newsletters and email announcements. |
| PayPal | Processes donations and purchases. |
| Zelle | Processes bank transfers where you choose that option. |
| Square | Processes donations made in person at the temple. |
| Analytics, reCAPTCHA, fonts, and maps. Some website form submissions are also copied into Google Sheets so that volunteers can follow up. | |
| SiteGround | Hosts the website and its database. |
| AnyChat | Powers the contact widget on our pages. |
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, in response to a valid legal process, or where necessary to protect the safety of people at our temple.
Children
ISV runs programs for children and youth, including the Vedic Academy and Sunday school. Registration for those programs is handled through separate forms completed by a parent or legal guardian, not through general sign-ups on this website.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through this website without the involvement of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has given us information without that involvement, contact info@iskconsv.com and we will delete it.
Information about children is used only to run the program the child is enrolled in.
Photographs and video at our events
ISV events are frequently photographed, recorded, and livestreamed, and footage may be broadcast or published. If you attend, you may appear incidentally or as part of a crowd. Where we wish to use an image in which someone is individually featured and readily identifiable — particularly in promotional or fundraising material — we ask permission first, and for a child we ask a parent or legal guardian. To request that an image of you be removed, contact info@iskconsv.com.
How long we keep information
- Donation and purchase records are retained for at least seven years. This is ISV’s own retention policy, adopted so that we can meet tax, accounting, and audit obligations.
- Contact and mailing list information is kept while you remain in contact with the temple. If you unsubscribe, we stop sending you marketing email; your record is retained in suppressed form so that we do not contact you again in error. If you want the record deleted rather than suppressed, ask us and we will do that.
- Website analytics data is retained by Google for [INSERT NUMBER] months at the individual event level. Aggregated reports are retained beyond that period.
Your choices
Unsubscribe. Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link. You can also email info@iskconsv.com.
Text messages. ISV does not currently send marketing text messages. If that changes, we will ask for your consent first, and you will be able to stop them at any time.
Access, correction, and deletion. Although ISV is a nonprofit and is not a “business” covered by the California Consumer Privacy Act, we extend these choices to everyone as a matter of policy. You may ask us to:
- tell you what personal information we hold about you;
- correct information that is wrong;
- remove you from our mailing lists and delete your contact record from the systems described in this notice.
Email info@iskconsv.com with your request. We will respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity first. Some information is kept regardless — donation and purchase records, which ISV retains for tax and accounting purposes, and information held in routine system backups, which is overwritten in the normal course rather than edited.
We will not treat you differently for making a request.
Security
We take reasonable measures to protect personal information, including limiting access to the people who need it, using encrypted connections on our website, and relying on established providers for payment processing.
No system is completely secure. If a security breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you as required by California law.
Where your information is held
ISV is based in California. Our service providers may process information in the United States and in other countries. This website and ISV’s programs are not specifically directed to residents of the European Union or the United Kingdom.
Changes to this notice
We may update this notice. The “Last updated” date shows when it last changed. If we make a material change to how we handle personal information, we will post a notice on this page. We encourage you to review it periodically.
Contact us
Questions, requests, or concerns about privacy:
ISKCON of Silicon Valley
1965 Latham Street, Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 336-7993
info@iskconsv.com
Our Terms of Use govern your use of this website.