Donations, Koha & Refund Policy

Effective Date: 01| 01 | 2025

Wāhine Safety Centre is grateful for every donation, koha and gift we receive. The generosity of our community helps us provide support, education and advocacy for individuals and whānau affected by family violence.

This policy explains how we receive, manage and acknowledge donations and koha, and how refund requests are handled.

Our Commitment

We are committed to managing all donations and koha in a way that is:

• Transparent

• Accountable

• Respectful

• Consistent with our kaupapa and values

• Able to withstand appropriate financial and public scrutiny

Every contribution is used responsibly to help deliver services that support safer futures for our community.

Acceptance of Donations

We welcome donations from individuals, businesses, community organisations, trusts and foundations.

All donations are assessed to ensure they are consistent with our charitable purpose and values.

We may decline a donation where:

• The source of the donation cannot be verified.

• Accepting the donation would create an actual or perceived conflict of interest.

• Conditions attached to the donation are inconsistent with our kaupapa or charitable objectives.

• Acceptance would compromise the independence or integrity of Wāhine Safety Centre.

Significant or complex donations may be referred to our Board for consideration.

How Donations Are Used

Unless a donor specifies otherwise, donations are used where they are needed most to support the work of Wāhine Safety Centre.

Restricted donations will be used for the purpose agreed with the donor wherever reasonably possible.

Acknowledgement and Tax Receipts

All monetary donations are receipted.

Where applicable, tax receipts will be issued in accordance with New Zealand legislation.

We respect the wishes of donors who choose to remain anonymous.

Donation Refunds

We understand that mistakes can happen.

If you believe you have made a donation in error, such as entering the incorrect amount or making a duplicate payment, please contact us within 30 days of making your donation.

To request a refund, please provide:

• Your full name

• The date of your donation

• The donation amount

• The payment method used

• The reason for your request

Refund requests can be sent to:

Email: [email protected]

We aim to acknowledge refund requests within five working days and will assess each request fairly and individually.

Where a refund is approved, it will generally be processed using the original payment method.

If a tax receipt has already been issued, it may no longer be valid once the donation has been refunded.

Gifts and Koha

As part of our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our kaupapa, Wāhine Safety Centre recognises the importance of koha within tikanga Māori and the gifting traditions of many cultures.

We gratefully accept gifts and koha that support our work and are consistent with our organisational values.

Non-monetary donations, including food, clothing, household items and furniture, may be accepted where they meet the current needs of the people we support.

Material donations are managed responsibly and distributed to individuals and whānau accessing our services wherever possible.

Privacy

Any personal information collected when you make a donation will be managed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable New Zealand privacy legislation.

We will not sell or share your personal information except where required by law or where necessary to process your donation.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about donations, koha or this policy, please contact us.

Wāhine Safety Centre

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 07 886 5553

Registered Charity Number: CC23374