This policy explains when Hearts of Hope Foundation will refund a donation, how to request one, and how a refund interacts with a tax-deductible receipt that has already been issued. It applies alongside our Donation Terms and our Terms of Use. The Foundation is operated by Islamic Aid Worldwide Project Ltd, ABN 68 686 194 034.
A donation to a Deductible Gift Recipient is, at general law, a voluntary transfer of money or property where the donor does not receive a material benefit in return. Once a gift has been made, the funds are committed to the charitable purposes of the Foundation and the donor does not have a unilateral right to ask for the gift back.
Consistent with that position, our default rule is that donations are not refundable. This rule protects the integrity of giving and ensures that funds allocated to a program can be relied on by the program team. The exceptions in § 02 are the only circumstances in which we will refund a gift.
We will refund a donation in any of the following circumstances:
Outside these categories, the default rule in § 01 applies. We have absolute discretion to refund in additional cases where, in the Board's view, fairness or the proper administration of the Foundation requires it.
Refund requests should generally be made within 30 days of the donation date. Requests made later are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the reason for the delay (for example, a fraudulent transaction discovered on a later statement). Statutory rights you may have under the Australian Consumer Law or under your card-network chargeback rules are not affected by this 30-day window.
Email admin@heartsofhope.org.au with the subject line “Refund request”. Please include:
We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and respond substantively within 14 business days. We may ask for additional information needed to verify the transaction and authorise the refund.
Refunds are issued back to the original payment method (card or account) only. We do not refund to a different method, in cash, or by cheque, except where that is operationally impossible (for example, the original card has expired and the issuer cannot apply the credit). In such cases we will work with you to identify a suitable alternative.
Once authorised, refunds are typically settled by our payment processor within 3–10 business days, depending on the card network and your issuing bank. We do not charge a fee for refunds; processor fees on the original transaction are not generally returned by the processor and are absorbed by the Foundation.
If a tax-deductible receipt has already been issued for the donation we are refunding, we will issue a written receipt cancellation at the same time as the refund, identifying the original receipt number, the refunded amount, and the date.
Once a refund has been issued, you must not claim the refunded amount as a tax deduction in any income tax return. If you have already claimed the deduction, you should amend the relevant return your tax adviser can help with this. Issuing a receipt cancellation satisfies our record-keeping obligation and helps you correct your tax position. See also Donation Terms § 06 Receipt content (TR 2005/13).
You can cancel a recurring (monthly) donation at any time, with no penalty and no further deductions taken. To cancel, email admin@heartsofhope.org.au with the subject line “Cancel recurring donation”, or use the unsubscribe method described in your confirmation email. Cancellation takes effect on receipt and we will not draw any further instalment after that point.
A 14-day cooling-off period applies to the first instalment of a recurring donation: if you cancel within 14 days of the first deduction, that instalment will be refunded in full to the original payment method. Subsequent instalments are treated as completed gifts and are governed by the default rule in § 01, subject to the exceptions in § 02.
Where you purchase goods or services from the Foundation for example, a sealed Pokémon TCG product through a fundraising store, a charity-auction lot, or a ticket to a fundraising event the transaction is a sale, not a gift. Australian Consumer Law (ACL) consumer guarantees apply to those goods or services regardless of anything in this policy. In particular, we will repair, replace, or refund where:
For minor faults we will, at our option, repair or replace; for major faults you may choose between a refund or a replacement, in line with the ACL. Cooling-off periods that apply to event tickets, raffles, or auctions under state-specific legislation are honoured in addition to this policy.
Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict, or modify any consumer right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted, or modified.
Every refund is recorded against the original transaction in our donor and accounting records. Refunds are aggregated and disclosed in the Annual Information Statement lodged with the ACNC and in our published financial statements. Material refund patterns are reviewed by the Board as part of our governance and risk oversight.
For the cost methodology that underpins the “100% of net proceeds” claim, see Where the money goes.
For any question about this policy, or to request a refund, contact us at admin@heartsofhope.org.au or by mail at 119 Telegraph Road, Bald Hills QLD 4036, Australia. Phone: 03 9832 0690.
Email us with “Refund request” in the subject line and the details set out in § 04 above. We will acknowledge within 5 business days.