Donation & refund policy.

Effective August 31, 2026

Elevation Learning and Development Foundation (“ELDF,” “we,” or “the Foundation”) is an Ohio nonprofit recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) public charity. This policy applies to charitable contributions made directly to ELDF through our website or other approved giving channels.

1. Nature of a donation

A donation is a voluntary charitable contribution that supports ELDF’s exempt mission. A donor does not purchase goods or services and does not receive a financial return unless ELDF expressly states otherwise for a particular campaign or event. Online donations are processed in U.S. dollars by Stripe. ELDF records a gift as received only after the payment provider confirms successful processing.

2. General finality of gifts

Because ELDF may commit donated funds to programs, scholarships, grants, facilities, and other charitable purposes, completed donations are generally final and are not ordinarily refundable because a donor changes their mind or disagrees with a later program decision. This does not prevent ELDF from correcting an error, responding to an unauthorized transaction, honoring a written gift agreement, or complying with applicable law.

3. When ELDF will review a refund request

ELDF will review a request involving one or more of the following circumstances:

• a duplicate donation or other payment-processing error;
• an incorrect amount entered unintentionally;
• a transaction the payment-method owner did not authorize;
• suspected fraud, account compromise, or misuse of payment information;
• a material error in ELDF’s campaign description or processing instructions;
• a written donor restriction or gift agreement that ELDF cannot accept or honor; or
• another exceptional circumstance that ELDF determines warrants equitable review.

Submitting a request does not guarantee approval. ELDF may approve a full refund, a partial refund, or another appropriate correction after reviewing the gift record, provider status, any restrictions, and applicable legal or accounting requirements.

4. How to request a review

Email donations@eldfoundation.org as soon as possible and ordinarily within 30 calendar days of the transaction. Include:

• the donor’s name and email address;
• the donation date and amount;
• the ELDF gift or receipt number, if available; and
• a brief explanation of the correction requested.

For security, never email a full card number, bank-account number, password, or security code. ELDF may request reasonable information needed to verify identity and ownership of the transaction. We aim to acknowledge a complete request within five business days and to communicate a decision within ten business days, although provider, bank, fraud, or legal review can require more time.

5. How approved refunds are delivered

An approved card or wallet refund is submitted through Stripe to the original payment method. ELDF cannot redirect a refund to a different card, bank account, or person. After submission, the card network, bank, or wallet provider controls posting time; a credit commonly appears within 5–10 business days, but some refunds take longer or appear as a reversal of the original charge. A failed refund may require additional verification or another lawful resolution.

6. Recurring donations

A donor may cancel a recurring gift through the available MyELDF management flow or by contacting donations@eldfoundation.org. Cancellation stops future charges after it is processed; it does not automatically refund a contribution that has already been successfully processed. Any completed charge remains subject to the review standards above. Donors should submit cancellation requests before the next scheduled charge whenever possible.

7. Donor-advised funds, stock, property, and restricted gifts

Donor-advised fund grants are controlled by the sponsoring organization and generally cannot be returned to the recommending donor. Gifts of stock, digital assets, property, services, and other noncash support may be irreversible, may have been sold, or may be governed by a separate agreement. Restricted and major gifts are also subject to the written gift instrument, provider rules, fiduciary duties, and applicable law. Contact ELDF before assuming that a noncash or restricted contribution can be returned.

8. Receipts and tax acknowledgments after a refund

If ELDF refunds all or part of a contribution, the original acknowledgment is no longer valid for the refunded amount. ELDF may void the original record or issue a corrected acknowledgment showing the amount retained, if any. Donors are responsible for maintaining accurate records and should consult a qualified tax adviser about deductibility, amended filings, valuation, or other individual tax questions.

9. Disputes and unauthorized transactions

Please contact ELDF promptly so we can investigate and attempt to resolve a concern. Nothing in this policy limits rights that cannot lawfully be waived, including rights available through a card issuer, bank, payment provider, or applicable law. ELDF may preserve transaction, correspondence, and fraud-review records needed for security, accounting, audit, or legal purposes.

10. Policy administration and updates

ELDF may update this policy as its programs, payment methods, or legal obligations change. The version posted when a donation is made will guide that transaction unless applicable law or a written agreement requires otherwise. This policy should be read with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Contact donor support

Email donations@eldfoundation.org or use our contact page. For your protection, ELDF will never ask you to send complete payment credentials by email.