Legal
Refund & Donation Policy.
Donations are received by UPI only. This page sets out when a donation can be refunded, what to send us, and how long each step takes.
Read this first
How a donation reaches us.
Every donation is received by UPI — you scan the Trust's QR code in PhonePe, GPay, Paytm or your bank app, and the money moves into the Trust's bank account. There is no card gateway and no recurring billing. Wherever this policy says transaction reference, it means the UTR (the UPI transaction ID your app shows you after the transfer).
Our commitment: Every donation is deployed transparently, reported monthly, and will be audited by a Chartered Accountant at each financial-year close. If we have made a processing error, we will correct it — promptly and without argument.
The policy in full
1. General policy
Sanatan Kutumb Foundation ("SKF") is a public charitable trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act 1882 (Reg. No. 903/2025, Greater Noida). All donations are voluntary contributions to a registered Trust and are therefore subject to the following policy, which is consistent with standard practice for Indian charitable organisations and guidelines issued by the Income Tax Department.
Because donations fund active field programmes (education, healthcare, livelihood) that deploy funds within two weeks of receipt, refunds are generally not possible once funds have been deployed. However, SKF handles all genuine error cases fairly and swiftly.
2. Eligible refund scenarios
| Scenario | Eligible? | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate payment (the same amount transferred twice) | Yes — full refund | Within 7 working days of report |
| Wrong amount debited (bank or UPI app error, not donor error) | Yes — full refund of excess | Within 7 working days of report |
| Payment debited but no receipt received within 48 hours | Yes — receipt reissued or refund | Within 3 working days of report |
| Donor changed mind before funds deployed (within 48 hours) | Case-by-case | Contact us within 48 hours of payment |
| Donor changed mind after funds deployed | Not eligible | — |
| Donation made in error by a minor without guardian consent | Yes — full refund | Within 14 working days with proof |
3. How to request a refund
To request a refund, write to sanatani@sanatankutumb.com with the subject line "Refund Request — [your transaction reference]". Include:
- Your full name and the email address you gave us when you donated.
- Your UPI transaction reference — the UTR / transaction ID shown in your UPI app (PhonePe, GPay, Paytm or your bank app) or on your bank statement.
- Date and amount of the transaction.
- Reason for the refund request.
- Bank account or UPI ID for the refund (if different from the account the payment came from).
We aim to acknowledge all refund requests within 2 working days and resolve eligible cases within 7 working days.
4. Refund process and timelines
Approved refunds are processed via the original payment method where possible:
- UPI (INR): Refund returned to the UPI ID or bank account the payment came from, within 5–7 banking days after approval.
- Bank transfer: Where original method is unavailable, NEFT/RTGS transfer within 10 working days.
SKF does not operate a payment gateway, so no gateway processing fee is deducted from an approved refund.
5. Tax receipts and 80G
All donations of ₹500 and above receive an acknowledgement receipt via email within 48 hours of payment confirmation. Once SKF's 80G registration is approved (currently in process with the Income Tax Department), donors will receive Form 10BE for 50% tax deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961.
We will proactively notify all donors who have donated since August 2025 when 80G is approved, and issue Form 10BE for all eligible past donations retroactively, as permitted by law.
Note: if a donation is refunded, any associated 80G receipt or Form 10BE will be cancelled and must be returned or destroyed. SKF will inform the Income Tax Department of the cancellation as required.
6. Recurring donations
SKF does not currently offer recurring / subscription donation functionality. All donations are one-time. If recurring billing appears on your statement, please contact us immediately — it is an error and will be refunded in full.
7. International donations
SKF cannot accept foreign contributions. Under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, an Indian trust may accept a contribution from a foreign source only once it holds FCRA registration. SKF does not hold FCRA registration — this is targeted for Phase 03 (2028–30). Until it is granted, donations are accepted in Indian rupees only, by UPI, and no foreign-currency payment route is offered. If a foreign-source contribution reaches the Trust in error, it will be returned to the sender.
International supporters can still help without sending funds — share our monthly field reports, introduce us to an Indian donor or a CSR programme, or offer your skills as a volunteer. Write to sanatani@sanatankutumb.com or start at Join Us.
8. Pillar-specific donations
When you designate a donation to a specific pillar (e.g., Education, Healthcare), SKF makes best efforts to deploy those funds to that pillar. However, as an early-stage Trust with limited operational reserves, in exceptional circumstances we may re-allocate funds internally to cover emergency programme needs. In such cases, we will notify affected donors in the next monthly report and provide a credit preference for their next donation. This is consistent with our mandate under the Trust Deed.
9. Fraud prevention
SKF does not use a payment gateway, so no automated gateway fraud screening applies to your donation — a UPI transfer reaches the Trust's bank account directly. If a payment of yours is queried, or cannot be matched to a donor, contact us and we will resolve it within 2 working days.
If you suspect fraudulent use of SKF's name or donation pages, report it immediately to sanatani@sanatankutumb.com.
About this revision. This policy was revised on 14 August 2026 to describe the only payment rail the Trust operates. References to a payment gateway were removed; clause 3 now asks for the UPI transaction reference (UTR); clause 4 states that no gateway fee is deducted from a refund; clause 7 states that the Trust cannot accept foreign contributions until FCRA registration is granted; and clause 9 describes fraud handling without a gateway. The effective date is unchanged.
Read alongside our Privacy Policy and the Transparency Log.
Section 10
Contact.
For all refund and donation policy queries: