Privacy policy

Save First Home (savefirsthome.org) is a CSR initiative run by DotandDash Technologies (“we”, “us”). This policy explains, in plain language, what personal data we collect, why, and the choices you have. We follow India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

The short version

• We only ask for what we need for the thing you’re doing.
• We never sell your data or use it for advertising.
• You can ask us to see, correct or delete your data at any time.

What we collect, and why

• Earth pledge: your first name, city, the promises you choose and your certificate language, to make your certificate and count pledges. Your email, only if you give it, to send your certificate link and one reminder a month, for a year at most. Your first name and city appear on the public pledge wall only if you tick that box (it is unticked by default). If you pledge on a team page (for example your company, school or housing society), only the team’s totals are shown or shared with it, never your name. School pages never ask for an email.
• Drive RSVP: your name, phone number and/or email, and how many people are coming, so the organisers can plan and contact you about that drive. With an email, you also get a reminder the day before and, afterwards, a thank-you with the results and a certificate of taking part.
• Challenges: your first name and email, the days you tick off, and whether you want a short email each morning, to run your challenge page and send its emails.
• Newsletter: your email and the language you choose, to send the monthly newsletter once you confirm with the link we email you. Sign-ups that aren’t confirmed are deleted after 7 days.
• Stories you send us: your name, city, email, story and (if you add one) a photo. We publish only your first name, city, story and photo, and only after we have checked with you. Photos are stored without their location data.
• Volunteer sign-up: your name, phone number, email (optional), city, interests, availability and message, so we can match you with drives and tasks near you.
• Partner enquiry: your organisation, name, email, phone number and message, so we can reply and plan a partnership.
• Contact form: your name, email, phone number (optional), topic and message, so we can reply.

We use your data only for the purpose you gave it for. If we ever want to use it for something new, we will ask you first.

Consent, and changing your mind

We process your data with your consent, which you give when you send a form. You can withdraw it at any time by writing to [email protected], and it is as easy to withdraw as it was to give. Every reminder email also has a link to stop them. Withdrawing consent doesn’t affect what we did before, but we will stop using your data and delete it unless the law requires us to keep it.

How long we keep it

• Pledges: until you ask us to delete them, so your certificate link keeps working and the counter stays accurate. Your email is deleted as soon as you unsubscribe.
• Drive RSVPs: [6 months] after the drive.
• Challenges: [6 months] after the challenge ends.
• Newsletter: until you unsubscribe (there’s a link in every issue); your email is deleted straight away.
• Stories: published stories until you ask us to remove them; stories we don’t publish are deleted within [12 months].
• Volunteer details: while you volunteer with us, and deleted within [12 months] of our last contact.
• Enquiries and messages: [2 years], so we can follow up on partnerships and questions.

Who helps us process it

We use a few trusted service providers, who may only use your data to provide their service to us:

• Website hosting: [hosting provider], which runs the website.
• Database: [database host, e.g. our own MongoDB server in India], where pledges and form entries are stored.
• Email delivery: Resend, which sends our emails.
• Spam protection: Cloudflare Turnstile, which checks that forms are filled in by people, not bots. It processes technical data such as your IP address and browser details.
• Usage statistics: Google Analytics, only if it is switched on, to understand which pages are read. It uses cookies.

Some of these providers may store data outside India, as the law allows. We do not share your data with anyone else, except when the law requires it.

Cookies and your browser

The site remembers the language you choose (a small cookie) and your day or night theme (in your browser). We don’t use advertising cookies.

Your rights

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you have the right to:

• get a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how we use it;
• have it corrected, completed, updated or erased;
• have your complaints resolved by our Grievance Officer;
• nominate someone to exercise these rights for you if you die or are unable to.

To use any of these rights, write to [email protected]. We will reply within [30 days]. If you are not satisfied with how we handle a complaint, you can approach the Data Protection Board of India.

Children

Our forms are meant for people aged 18 and over. Children and young people are very welcome to take part through a parent, guardian or their school, who fills in the forms with the parent’s or guardian’s consent. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal data in any other way, and we will delete it if we find we have.

Keeping your data safe

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), limit who on our team can see personal data, and keep only what we need. If a breach ever affects your data, we will inform you and the authorities as the law requires.

Grievance Officer and contact

Grievance Officer: [Name], DotandDash Technologies, [registered address]. Email: [email protected].

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page, and for important changes we will also let people who gave us their email know.