Legal

Donation Policy

Bedtime Stories (“we,” “our,” or “us”) relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations, and corporate partners to fulfill our mission of promoting early childhood brain development and establishing a lasting educational foundation in Belize.

This Donation Policy outlines our principles, practices, and guidelines regarding financial and non-financial contributions submitted through our website at www.bedtimestoriesministry.com (the “Site”) or via other payment channels.

1. Donor Privacy and Stewardship

We hold our donors in the highest regard and are committed to protecting their privacy.

No Selling or Trading: We do not sell, trade, rent, or share donor contact information (names, emails, phone numbers, or addresses) with any third party for marketing purposes.
Secure Processing: All online donations made through our Site are processed using secure, PCI-compliant payment processors. We do not store financial account or credit card numbers on our servers.
Anonymity: Donors may request to remain anonymous in public publications, annual reports, or outreach materials by notifying us at the time of their contribution.

2. Tax Deductibility & Receipts

Receipting: An automated tax or transaction receipt is emailed to the donor immediately upon successful completion of an online transaction.
Tax Status: Bedtime Stories operates in full compliance with applicable charitable laws. Donors are encouraged to consult their personal tax advisors regarding the deductibility of their contributions based on their location and jurisdiction.

3. Refund and Cancellation Policy

Because contributions are used immediately to support ongoing charitable programs and operational deployments, all donations are generally non-refundable.

However, exceptions may be reviewed under the following specific circumstances:

Duplicate Charges: If a technical glitch causes a duplicate transaction to process.
Data Entry Error: If a donor accidentally enters an incorrect monetary amount (e.g., typing $1,000 instead of $100).
Unauthorized Card Use: If a donation was made using a lost, stolen, or fraudulent credit card.

To request a refund review under these circumstances, please contact us within 14 calendar days of the transaction date with your full name, transaction ID, date, and donation amount.

4. Recurring Donations

Donors who opt into monthly or recurring giving plans authorize Bedtime Stories to charge their designated payment method on a scheduled basis.

Management & Cancellation: Donors may modify or cancel recurring giving plans at any time prior to the next billing cycle by logging into their payment account portal or contacting our support team directly.
Failed Payments: If a recurring transaction fails, our payment processor may attempt to re-process the charge or contact the donor to update payment details.

5. Designation and Use of Funds

Unrestricted Gifts: Unless explicitly restricted by the donor, all contributions are treated as unrestricted funds and allocated to where the operational need is greatest within our programs.
Restricted Gifts: If a donation is designated for a specific project, campaign, or region, we will make every reasonable effort to apply the funds directly to that purpose. If a specific campaign becomes fully funded or cannot be carried out, Bedtime Stories reserves the right to reallocate remaining funds to a closely related program.

6. Acceptance Guidelines

Bedtime Stories reserves the right to refuse or return any contribution that:

Is inconsistent with our organizational mission, values, or core ethical standards.
Originates from sources associated with illegal activity or questionable ethical practices.
Imposes unreasonable conditions, restrictions, or administrative burdens on the organization.