Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern access to and use of the website located at https://www.stepupforindia.org or https://stepupforindia.org ("Website").

By accessing or using the Website, the individual user ("you" or "your") agrees to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with these Terms, you must not access or use the Website. This agreement constitutes an electronic record under the Information Technology Act, 2000 as amended from time to time.

These Terms apply to all visitors and users of the Website. You are encouraged to read these Terms carefully along with our Privacy Policy before using the Website.

Step Up For India ("Organisation", "we", "us", or "our") is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving English learning outcomes for children in government schools. We design and deliver structured English learning programs for such children. Our activities include developing teaching materials, learning kits, classroom resources, training and supporting volunteers and educators, and implementing our programs in collaboration with schools, partner organisations, and local communities.

The Website provides information about our programs, activities, learning resources, volunteer opportunities, and donation options (collectively, the "Services"). The Website may also enable you to contact us, express interest in volunteering, request information, or make donations in support of our work.

The Services made available through the Website are intended solely to support our educational initiatives and may be used only for lawful, personal, and non-commercial purposes consistent with our organisational objectives. You agree not to use the Services for any unlawful, unauthorised, or inappropriate purposes.

We reserve the right to update, modify, or discontinue any aspect of the Services or the manner in which they are made available through the Website at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law. We shall not be liable to you or any third party for any such modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the Services.

You agree to use the Website in a lawful, responsible, and respectful manner. You shall not:

• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Website or connected systems;
• Use automated tools, scripts, robots, or similar technologies to access, copy, monitor, or interfere with the Website;
• Circumvent or bypass any security measures or restrictions;
• Introduce malware, disable security features, or disrupt functionality;
• Use the Website for any unlawful, harmful, or inappropriate purpose;
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your identity or affiliation;
• Infringe any intellectual property, proprietary, privacy, or other rights;
• Make false or malicious statements about Step Up For India, its work, or stakeholders;
• Share information that is patently false or published with intent to mislead or cause harm;
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any component of the Website;
• Express or imply that your statements are endorsed by Step Up For India without written consent.

Any violation of these conditions will constitute a breach of these terms.

By using the Website, you represent that:

• You are at least 18 years of age;
• Your use complies with all applicable laws;
• All information provided by you is true, accurate, and current.

We reserve the right to monitor user activity, remove content that violates these Terms, suspend or terminate access for breach, and disclose information when required by law or to protect the rights and safety of the Organisation, its users, or the public.

You are solely responsible for any breach of these Terms and any resulting loss, damage, or liability.

The Website does not offer any products or commercial services for sale. Any funds contributed through the Website are voluntary donations made in support of our educational initiatives. All donations are final and non-refundable.

We do not endorse, promote, or market any third-party organisations, products, or services. Our activities and communications are solely intended to further our charitable objectives.

We currently accept donations only in Indian Rupees (INR) from:

• Resident Indian passport holders; and
• Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) with Indian bank accounts.

We are not authorised to accept foreign contributions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. This includes contributions from foreign individuals, foreign entities, or Indian entities receiving foreign-sourced funds.

By making a donation, you confirm that you are either a Resident Indian or an NRI donating from an Indian bank account. Donation attempts that do not comply with these requirements will be declined or reversed. We are not responsible for any charges or losses incurred as a result of such declined transactions.

Donations made through the Website are processed by independent third-party payment service providers ("Payment Service Providers"). These providers are not our agents, employees, or representatives. Their terms, privacy policies, and security measures govern all transactions conducted through their platforms.

To complete a donation, you may be required to provide information including your name, email address, phone number, address, and PAN or Aadhaar details where required for statutory compliance. You will enter payment details (credit card, debit card, or net-banking, UPI or other payment methods) directly on the Payment Service Provider's interface. You agree to provide accurate and complete information and to use only payment instruments owned by you. We do not collect or store any card numbers, CVV codes, net-banking credentials, UPI IDs or other sensitive payment information.

When you are redirected to a Payment Service Provider's platform, we are not responsible for the privacy, security, practices, or technology employed by such providers, nor for any errors, failures, delays, or interactions between you and the Payment Service Provider.

We shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorized transactions, technical errors, transaction declines by your bank or Payment Service Provider, discrepancies in information provided, or issues attributable to the Payment Service Provider or your financial institution.

Upon successful donation, you will receive a payment acknowledgment. Where applicable, you will receive an 80G receipt or other statutory donation certificate, subject to the accuracy of information provided. You may also receive thank-you messages or program updates.

All donations are voluntary and non-refundable. Donations do not entitle you to any goods, services, preferential access, endorsement, or commercial benefit.

You are encouraged to review the terms and privacy policies of the Payment Service Provider before completing any transaction.

All donations are voluntary and generally non-refundable. However, we maintain a limited refund policy to address genuine erroneous transactions. Each refund request will be assessed individually, and we may request supporting documentation to verify and process the request.

Refunds will be considered only in the following circumstances:

• Duplicate Payment: You have inadvertently made the same payment more than once due to a technical error or payment gateway malfunction.
• Accidental or Erroneous Transaction: You have mistakenly made an unintended transaction due to a technical error or mistake.

Refunds will not be provided in the following circumstances:

• Donations made voluntarily and successfully processed;
• Refund requests submitted after issuance of an 80G receipt or any statutory tax certificate;
• Donations for which no valid proof of transaction is available;
• Bank charges or payment gateway fees attributable to you;
• Transactions flagged as fraudulent by financial institutions or payment partners, until resolved directly with such entities.

To request a refund, you must email a written request along with proof of transaction to interest@stepupforindia.org within 3 working days from the date of donation. Requests received after this period will not be processed.

If approved, refunds will be processed within 7–10 working days through the original payment method wherever feasible.

All refund decisions are final and binding, and at our sole discretion.

Donations are voluntary contributions that are immediately allocated to our educational programs upon successful processing. Once a donation has been processed, it cannot be cancelled under any circumstance.

If you believe a transaction was made in error, please refer to our Refund Policy for information on how to request a refund within the applicable timeframe.

When you use the Website or make a donation, we may send you communications such as updates, newsletters, and information about our programs and activities. You can opt out of non-essential communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or by emailing us at interest@stepupforindia.org.

However, you will continue to receive essential communications related to your donations, such as payment confirmations, donation receipts, 80G tax certificates, and important policy or operational updates.

All content on the Website, including text, graphics, images, teaching materials, logos, and other materials ("Content"), is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. The Content is owned by Step Up For India or used with permission.

Your Use of Content

You may access and view the Content solely for personal, non-commercial purposes in support of our educational mission. You may not:

• Copy, reproduce, republish, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any Content without our prior written consent;
• Use automated tools to scrape, extract, or download Content from the Website;
• Use the Content for any commercial purpose.

User-Submitted Content

If you submit any content, feedback, or material to us (such as volunteer applications, testimonials, or program feedback), you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, and publish such material for our educational and organizational purposes. You represent that you have the necessary rights to submit such content and that it does not infringe any third-party rights.

Copyright Complaints

We respect the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that any Content on the Website infringes your copyright, please notify us promptly. To submit a copyright infringement complaint, email interest@stepupforindia.org with the subject line "Copyright Infringement" and provide the following information:

• A description of the copyrighted work;
• The URL of the allegedly infringing material;
• Your contact information (name, address, phone number, email);
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized;
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf.

Upon receiving a valid notice, we will investigate the matter and take appropriate action, which may include removing or disabling access to the allegedly infringing material.

Please note that knowingly submitting false or misleading copyright claims may result in legal liability under applicable law.

The Website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Step Up For India. These links are provided for your convenience and informational purposes only. We do not endorse, monitor, or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, or security of any third-party website. Your use of such websites is at your own risk.

We are not liable for any loss, damage, or issues arising from your use of third-party websites or reliance on their content, products, or services. We encourage you to review the terms of use and privacy policies of any external websites you visit.

We are committed to protecting your personal information. Please refer to our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, store, and protect your data when you use the Website or Services. By using the Website, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to our Privacy Policy.

The Website and Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without any warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to warranties of accuracy, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

We do not guarantee that the Website will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from defects. We make no representations regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any content or information on the Website. Your use of the Website and reliance on any content is at your own risk and discretion.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Step Up For India, its officers, employees, volunteers, partners, and agents shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from:

• Your use of or inability to use the Website or Services;
• Any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in content;
• Interruption, suspension, or unavailability of the Website;
• Unauthorized access to our systems or your information;
• Your reliance on any information or content on the Website;
• Any third-party services, including Payment Service Providers.

We are not responsible for failures or delays resulting from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including technical failures, system outages, or force majeure events.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot be lawfully excluded. Subject to applicable law, our officers, employees, volunteers, and partners shall have no personal liability in connection with your use of the Website.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Step Up For India, its officers, employees, volunteers, partners, and agents from any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Website or Services;
• Your breach of these Terms or applicable law;
• Your infringement of any third-party rights;
• Your interactions with third-party service providers.

We reserve the right to assume exclusive defense of any matter subject to your indemnification, and you agree to cooperate fully with us in such cases.

We reserve the right to modify, amend, or update these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. We may also change, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Website or Services without prior notice. When we make changes to these Terms, the updated version will be posted on the Website. Material changes may be communicated through additional means where appropriate.

Your continued use of the Website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically to stay informed of any updates.

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any dispute, claim, or matter arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Website, or the Services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by us to be valid. No waiver of any provision shall be deemed a continuing waiver or a waiver of any other provision.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent possible or, if not possible, shall be severed from these Terms. All remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

If you wish to raise any query or complaint in relation to these Terms, the Website or the Services, you may contact our designated Grievance Officer using the details provided below. The Grievance Officer will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours of receipt and will make best efforts to resolve it within 15 days, subject to applicable law.