Refund & Cancellation Policy
Meer Foundation is a non-profit society sustained by the trust of donors and the fees paid by students of our certification programmes. This policy sets out, transparently, when and how refunds are issued, and how cancellations are handled.
A note on refunds
This policy applies to two kinds of payments made to Meer Foundation: voluntary donations and programme fees (primarily for the EduSuTo certification courses). The two have different refund frameworks, described below.
By making a donation or paying a programme fee to Meer Foundation, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Refund & Cancellation Policy. If you have any questions before paying, please contact meercare@live.com — we would rather answer a question than process an unwanted refund.
7-day refund window
Full, no-questions-asked refund within 7 days for both donations and programme fees. The clock starts from the moment your payment is confirmed.
Case-by-case after 7 days
Refund requests received after the 7-day window are reviewed individually. Where the funds have not yet been allocated to programme expenditure, we will usually refund.
Transparent & documented
Every refund is recorded in our books and reflected in our audited annual report. We never make refund decisions on the basis of who you are or who you know.
Refunding a donation
Donations are voluntary contributions. We respect that circumstances change and that mistakes happen. The framework below describes when and how we refund donations.
Within 7 days · Full refund
If you notify us within 7 days of the donation being confirmed, we will issue a full refund — no questions asked. You do not need to give a reason. Email meercare@live.com with the transaction ID and the donor name.
After 7 days · Case-by-case
Refund requests received after 7 days are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Where the donation has already been allocated to a specific programme expenditure (e.g., distribution of school kits), we may not be able to refund. Where it has not yet been allocated, we will usually refund in full. In all cases, we will explain our reasoning transparently.
Special situations
- Duplicate donations. If you accidentally donated twice (e.g., due to a network error), we will refund the duplicate regardless of the 7-day window — please email us with both transaction IDs.
- Unauthorized donations. If a donation was made without your authorisation, please report it immediately. We will refund and cooperate with any investigation.
- 80G certificates. If a refund is issued after an 80G certificate has been generated, the certificate is automatically cancelled and cannot be used for tax purposes.
- Recurring donations. You can cancel a recurring donation at any time. The cancellation takes effect from the next billing cycle; donations already debited follow the standard donation refund policy.
Refunding course fees
Meer Foundation charges fees for its certification programmes — primarily EduSuTo. The fees fund course development, mentor time, and certification infrastructure. The refund framework below applies to all paid programmes.
| Programme | Refund window | Refund amount | After window |
|---|---|---|---|
EduSuTo · CCS course Climate Change: Carbon Capture & Storage · 12 weeks | 7 days from enrolment | 100% | Non-refundable · defer to next cohort once at no cost |
Certificate in Sustainable Development 3 months · beginner | 7 days from enrolment | 100% | Non-refundable · defer once |
Diploma in Environmental Education 6 months · intermediate | 7 days from enrolment | 100% | Non-refundable · defer once |
Other EduSuTo courses PG Certificate · Foundation courses | 7 days from enrolment | 100% | Non-refundable · defer once |
How to request a refund or cancellation
We have made the refund process as simple as possible. Follow the steps below; we will guide you through the rest.
Information to include in your refund request
- • Your full name (as it appeared on the payment).
- • The transaction ID — found in your donation receipt or course enrolment email.
- • The amount paid and the date of payment.
- • The reason for the refund (optional, but helps us improve).
- • For programme fees: the course name and cohort you are enrolled in.
- • A contact phone number, in case we need to verify your identity.
How long refunds take
We commit to specific timeframes at each stage of the refund process. The table below summarises what to expect, and when to follow up if a stage is delayed.
| Stage | Timeframe | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgement | 2 business days | You receive an email confirming receipt of your refund request. |
| Verification | 1–2 business days | We check the transaction against our records and confirm eligibility. |
| Approval | 1–3 business days | We issue an approval email with the refund reference and expected credit date. |
| Refund initiation | 7 business days from approval | We initiate the refund to your original payment method, or to NEFT/IMPS if needed. |
| Bank credit | 3–7 business days from initiation | Your bank credits the refund to your account. Original-method refunds are typically faster. |
| Total turnaround | 7–14 business days | From your request to refund credit, in most cases. |
Frequently asked questions
Yes. If you notify us within 7 days of the donation, we will refund the full amount — no questions asked. Email meercare@live.com with the transaction ID and we will process the refund within 7–14 business days.