Cancellation & Refund Policy

At Sahyog Foundation Trust ("SFT", "Trust", "we", "our", or "us"), operating under the official portal sahyogfoundationbharat.com, we maintain the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and accountability in managing all philanthropic financial contributions. Every rupee donated to Sahyog Foundation Trust is directly allocated toward our grassroots humanitarian initiatives, educational programs, healthcare camps, and environmental drives across India.

This Cancellation and Refund Policy clearly outlines the principles, guidelines, and procedures governing voluntary donations, automated recurring contributions, technical payment disputes, and exceptional refund scenarios. By making a financial contribution through our website, online payment gateways, or direct bank transfers, you explicitly acknowledge and agree to the terms specified within this policy document.

1. General Principles Governing Non-Profit Donations

Sahyog Foundation Trust is a registered non-profit organization governed by strict statutory charity laws and tax regulations in India. Because financial contributions are voluntary gifts dedicated immediately to active community welfare projects, all donations made to Sahyog Foundation Trust are considered final, absolute, and non-refundable under normal circumstances.

Once a donation transaction is successfully processed and funds are received into our bank accounts, the resources enter our program deployment pipeline. Therefore, requests for refunds based on a change of mind, personal financial adjustments, or general post-donation reconsiderations cannot be entertained.

2. Exceptional Circumstances Eligible for Refund Review

Sahyog Foundation Trust acknowledges that technical glitches, banking errors, or administrative oversights may occasionally occur during online digital transactions. We will thoroughly evaluate and consider refund claims strictly under the following exceptional conditions:

• Duplicate Charges / Multiple Debits: If a donor attempts to make a single contribution, but due to a network lag, banking server error, or payment gateway timeout, the transaction amount is debited multiple times from the donor's bank account or credit card for the same single donation intent.
• Unauthorized Financial Transactions: If a payment is executed fraudulently using stolen banking credentials, compromised payment cards, or unauthorized account access, provided the account holder notifies us immediately upon discovering the breach and presents verified banking/police records.
• Data Entry Input Errors: If a donor accidentally inputs an extra zero or incorrect numerical figure (e.g., intending to donate ₹1,000 but accidentally processing ₹10,000 due to a typographical error), provided the mistake is reported immediately within the specified notification window.
• Technical Gateway Failures: Instances where a transaction is marked as debited from the donor's account but failed to generate a valid system receipt or confirmation due to server dropouts.

3. Strict Timeframe for Submitting Refund Requests

To ensure proper accounting and compliance with Indian statutory audit schedules, any eligible refund request must be submitted in writing within seven (7) calendar days from the exact date and time the transaction took place.

Regrettably, any claim or refund request received after the expiration of the 7-day window cannot be processed or approved, as funds are systematically audited, reconciled, and allocated to ongoing field campaigns at the close of weekly financial accounting cycles.

4. Required Verification Documents & Application Procedure

To initiate a formal refund review, the donor must send an official email request directly to our dedicated finance desk at Contact@sahyogfoundationbharat.com with the subject line "URGENT: Donation Refund Application - [Donor Name]".

The application email must contain the following mandatory details and supporting documentation:

• Full Name of the Donor: Matching the primary account holder's name.
• Contact Information: Registered Phone/WhatsApp number and Email Address.
• Transaction Identifiers: Payment Gateway Reference Number, Transaction ID, Bank Reference Number, or UTR Number.
• Date & Time of Transaction: Exact timestamp of the debit.
• Donation Amount: The exact monetary value debited.
• Proof of Debit: Official bank statement excerpt, UPI confirmation screenshot, or payment gateway SMS alert clearly showing the deduction.
• Detailed Justification: Clear explanation detailing the nature of the error (e.g., duplicate charge or keying error).

5. Verification Process and Refund Decision Timeline

Upon receiving your complete refund application along with all requisite proof documentation, our administrative and finance team will initiate an internal audit review. The procedure follows these structured stages:

• Initial Acknowledgment (24 to 48 Hours): Our support desk will issue an email acknowledgment confirming receipt of your refund request and ticket generation.
• Bank & Gateway Verification (3 to 5 Working Days): We cross-verify the transaction details with our payment gateway partners (e.g., Razorpay, Paytm, CCAvenue) and banking institutions to confirm genuine duplicate debits or unauthorized activity.
• Final Decision Notification (Within 7 Working Days): Upon completing the audit, Sahyog Foundation Trust will inform the donor in writing whether the refund request has been approved or rejected based on policy compliance.

6. Mode of Refund and Disbursement Timeline

If a refund request is officially approved by the Board of Trustees or authorized finance officer, the reimbursement will be executed exclusively through the original payment method utilized during the initial transaction (e.g., credited back to the original Bank Account, Credit Card, Debit Card, or UPI ID).

• Under no circumstances will refunds be issued in physical cash, bearer checks, or transferred to third-party accounts not matching the original donor profile.
• Approved refunds are typically initiated within 10 to 14 business days following official approval.
• Please note that actual realization of funds in your account may depend on processing timelines governed by your issuing bank or card provider.

7. Statutory Tax Exemption (Section 80G) Implications

Under Indian Income Tax regulations, tax deduction certificates (80G receipts) carry legal weight. The issuance of 80G receipts directly impacts the processing of refund requests:

• If an official 80G Tax Exemption Receipt has already been generated and dispatched to the donor prior to the refund request, the donor must formally return or surrender the tax certificate and undertake not to claim tax benefits on the refunded amount.
• Sahyog Foundation Trust will notify the relevant Income Tax authority regarding the cancellation and nullification of the corresponding donation receipt to maintain statutory compliance.
• Any administrative charges, bank processing fees, or gateway transaction convenience charges incurred during the initial payment or refund cycle may be deducted from the final refunded sum where applicable.

8. Cancellation of Recurring & Auto-Debit Donations

Sahyog Foundation Trust offers supporters the convenience of setting up monthly or periodic recurring auto-debit contributions via e-NACH, Standing Instructions (SI), or payment gateway subscriptions.

• Donors retain complete autonomy to cancel or pause their recurring donation subscription at any time without incurring cancellation penalties.
• To cancel an active recurring contribution, the donor must submit a cancellation request at least five (5) business days prior to the next scheduled auto-debit date.
• If a cancellation request is received after an auto-debit instruction has already been transmitted to the bank, that specific month's contribution will be processed as non-refundable, and auto-debit termination will take effect starting from the subsequent billing cycle.

9. Chargebacks, Unilateral Disputes & Legal Jurisdiction

We strongly encourage donors to connect with our internal support desk directly to resolve any payment discrepancies amicably before initiating external bank chargebacks or credit card disputes.

Filing unfounded, false, or malicious chargebacks against a registered charitable trust creates unnecessary legal and administrative strain. Unilateral chargebacks raised without prior communication with SFT will be contested with full transaction logs, IP addresses, and communication records provided to banking institutions and regulatory authorities.

This Cancellation & Refund Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India. Any legal claims, arbitrations, or disputes arising out of financial transactions or refund policies shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in Thane / Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

10. Modifications to This Policy

Sahyog Foundation Trust reserves the right to review, update, or modify any section of this Cancellation & Refund Policy at its sole discretion to reflect changing legal mandates, banking policies, or organizational guidelines. Any updates will become effective immediately upon posting on this page.