Effective Date: September 7, 2026
The Steven Bailey Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization committed to using donated funds responsibly and in furtherance of its charitable mission. This Donation Policy explains the terms applicable to monetary and non-monetary contributions made to the Foundation.
Acceptance of Donations
The Steven Bailey Foundation may accept donations from individuals, businesses, foundations, charitable organizations, and other lawful sources when the contribution is consistent with the Foundation’s mission, values, legal obligations, and operational capabilities.
The Foundation reserves the right to decline, return, or refuse any donation when acceptance could create an actual or perceived conflict of interest, impose unreasonable administrative or financial burdens, expose the Foundation to legal or reputational risk, interfere with its charitable mission, or otherwise be contrary to the best interests of the organization.
Acceptance of a donation does not create any contractual right for the donor to direct the Foundation’s operations, management, personnel, charitable determinations, or distribution decisions except as expressly agreed to in writing for an accepted restricted gift.
Donation Finality and Refunds
Except as otherwise required by law, donations are generally final and nonrefundable once successfully processed.
Donors are responsible for reviewing the donation amount, frequency, payment method, and any intended designation before completing a contribution.
The Foundation may, in its discretion, approve a refund when there is evidence of:
- A duplicate transaction
- A processing or technical error
- An incorrect donation amount caused by an identifiable error
- An unauthorized transaction
- Another exceptional circumstance the Foundation determines warrants correction
A request for a refund does not guarantee that a refund will be issued.
When a donation has already been deposited, transferred, allocated, spent, or committed to charitable activities, the Foundation may be unable to reverse the contribution.
Unrestricted Donations
Unless a donation is expressly accepted by the Foundation as a restricted contribution, all donations will be treated as unrestricted charitable funds.
Unrestricted donations may be used wherever the Foundation determines the funds are most needed to further its charitable purposes, including program expenses, direct charitable assistance, scholarships, educational activities, administrative expenses, compliance costs, technology, insurance, professional services, fundraising expenses, and other lawful operating needs.
The Foundation retains full discretion over the use and allocation of unrestricted contributions.
Restricted and Designated Gifts
A donor may request that a contribution be used for a particular Foundation program, charitable purpose, scholarship fund, assistance initiative, or other specific purpose.
A requested restriction is not binding merely because it is entered into a payment memo, online form, check notation, email, or other communication.
A restriction becomes binding only when the Foundation affirmatively accepts the restriction.
The Foundation will make reasonable efforts to honor restrictions it has formally accepted.
The Foundation may decline a proposed restriction if it is inconsistent with the Foundation’s mission, impractical to administer, excessively burdensome, unlawful, impossible to fulfill, or otherwise inappropriate.
Overfunded, Completed, or Discontinued Programs
Circumstances may arise in which a designated program receives more funding than is reasonably necessary, is completed, becomes impractical, is discontinued, or can no longer be carried out as originally anticipated.
Unless applicable law or a specific written gift agreement requires otherwise, the Foundation reserves the right to redirect remaining funds to a substantially similar charitable purpose or another program that most closely advances the donor’s intended charitable objective.
Where appropriate and reasonably practicable, the Foundation may contact the donor regarding an alternative use.
The Foundation will not permit donated funds to remain permanently unusable when a lawful and mission-consistent charitable use is reasonably available.
No Donor Control Over Charitable Decisions
A donation does not provide the donor with ownership, management authority, voting rights, control over Foundation assets, or authority to determine which individual applicant receives charitable assistance.
The Foundation retains independent discretion regarding eligibility determinations, scholarship recipients, assistance recipients, contractors, service providers, program administration, and other charitable decisions.
Donations may not be conditioned on providing a private benefit to a donor, donor family member, business associate, employee, or other specifically identified individual where doing so would violate applicable law or the Foundation’s charitable obligations.
Tax-Deductibility
The Steven Bailey Foundation is recognized as a tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Contributions may be tax-deductible to the extent permitted by applicable law.
However, the Foundation does not provide individual tax, accounting, or legal advice and does not guarantee that any particular donation will be deductible by a particular donor.
Donors should consult their own tax or financial advisors regarding the tax treatment of their contributions.
Donation Acknowledgments and Receipts
The Foundation will provide donation acknowledgments or receipts when required by law or when reasonably appropriate.
Donors are responsible for maintaining appropriate records for their own tax and accounting purposes.
A donation acknowledgment is not a determination by the Foundation that a contribution is deductible in any particular amount.
Goods or Services Received in Exchange for a Donation
If a donor receives goods, services, event admission, merchandise, or another benefit in connection with a payment, the tax-deductible portion of the payment may be limited.
Where legally required, the Foundation will provide appropriate disclosures concerning the estimated value of goods or services provided in exchange for a contribution.
Recurring Donations
Donors who establish recurring contributions authorize the applicable payment processor to charge the selected payment method according to the frequency and amount chosen by the donor.
A donor may request cancellation of future recurring donations through the applicable payment provider or through the Foundation when technically possible.
Cancellation of a recurring donation stops future scheduled contributions but does not automatically refund donations that were already processed.
Third-Party Payment Processors
The Foundation may accept donations through third-party payment and fundraising platforms such as PayPal, Givebutter, Donorbox, financial institutions, or other approved providers.
Transactions processed through third-party services may also be subject to the provider’s own terms, privacy policies, transaction rules, processing fees, and dispute procedures.
The Foundation does not control the independent policies or systems of third-party payment providers.
Processing fees charged by third-party providers may reduce the net amount ultimately received by the Foundation unless the donor elects to cover those fees.
Chargebacks and Payment Disputes
Donors should contact the Foundation promptly if they believe a donation was processed incorrectly.
Submitting a chargeback or payment dispute after a valid donation has been made may result in processing fees or other costs to the Foundation.
The Foundation reserves the right to provide transaction records, donation authorizations, correspondence, receipts, and other appropriate information to payment processors, banks, card issuers, or other financial institutions in response to a chargeback or payment dispute.
Nothing in this policy limits a donor’s lawful rights regarding genuinely unauthorized or fraudulent transactions.
Checks and Mailed Donations
Checks should be made payable to:
Steven Bailey Foundation
and mailed only to the official mailing address published by the Foundation.
Donors should not send cash through the mail.
Any requested designation should be clearly identified, but as stated above, a designation is subject to acceptance by the Foundation.
Zelle and Electronic Transfers
The Foundation may publish authorized instructions for accepting donations through Zelle, ACH, wire transfer, or another electronic method.
Donors should use only payment instructions published directly by the Foundation or independently verified with an authorized Foundation representative.
The Foundation will never publish complete bank account credentials or online banking passwords on its public website.
Donors should exercise caution regarding unsolicited payment instructions or communications claiming to represent the Foundation.
Non-Cash and In-Kind Donations
The Foundation may consider accepting non-cash contributions, including equipment, materials, tools, vehicles, supplies, securities, real property, or other property.
Acceptance of a non-cash gift is subject to the Foundation’s prior review and approval.
The Foundation may decline property that:
- Creates excessive storage, maintenance, insurance, transportation, environmental, or disposal costs
- Has unclear ownership or title
- Carries liens, restrictions, liabilities, or other obligations
- Cannot reasonably be used or sold in furtherance of the Foundation’s mission
- Creates legal, tax, safety, or regulatory concerns
Donors are responsible for determining the value of donated property for their own tax purposes. The Foundation generally will not assign a value to donated property on behalf of the donor except as required by law.
Donor Privacy
The Foundation respects donor privacy.
Donor information may be used for processing contributions, issuing acknowledgments, maintaining financial and charitable records, communicating with donors, complying with legal obligations, and administering Foundation activities.
The Foundation does not sell donor personal information.
Additional information regarding the Foundation’s handling of personal information is available in the Foundation’s Privacy Policy.
Anonymous Donations
The Foundation may accept anonymous donations when permitted by law and when doing so does not interfere with applicable accounting, banking, tax, anti-fraud, or regulatory obligations.
A donor’s request not to be publicly identified does not necessarily prevent the Foundation, its financial institutions, payment processors, accountants, auditors, government agencies, or other authorized parties from maintaining information required for lawful purposes.
Donor Recognition
The Foundation may publicly recognize donors, sponsors, or supporters unless the donor requests anonymity or the Foundation determines that recognition would be inappropriate.
Recognition of a donor does not constitute endorsement of the donor, the donor’s business, products, services, political views, or other activities.
Prohibited Donations
The Foundation will not knowingly accept donations derived from unlawful activity or donations requiring the Foundation to engage in unlawful conduct.
The Foundation may conduct reasonable due diligence regarding unusually large, unusual, complex, restricted, or potentially problematic contributions.
No Quid Pro Quo for Charitable Assistance
Making a donation does not provide preferential access to Foundation assistance, scholarships, grants, services, or other charitable benefits.
Applicants for assistance are evaluated under applicable Foundation eligibility standards and program procedures independently of whether they or persons associated with them have donated to the Foundation.
Use of Foundation Funds
All Foundation assets are held and administered for charitable purposes.
Funds may be used for direct charitable assistance as well as reasonable expenses necessary to operate, administer, protect, and expand the Foundation’s charitable programs.
The Foundation’s Board of Directors or authorized officers retain ultimate responsibility for the lawful stewardship and allocation of Foundation assets.
Fraudulent or Suspicious Transactions
The Foundation reserves the right to investigate, hold, reject, return, report, or otherwise take appropriate action regarding a transaction that appears fraudulent, unauthorized, suspicious, unlawful, or inconsistent with the Foundation’s policies.
The Foundation may cooperate with financial institutions, payment processors, law enforcement agencies, regulators, accountants, auditors, or other appropriate parties when investigating suspicious transactions.
Changes to This Policy
The Steven Bailey Foundation may modify this Donation Policy from time to time to reflect changes in its programs, donation methods, payment providers, legal obligations, or operational practices.
The current version will be posted on the Foundation’s website with an updated effective date.
Contact
Questions regarding donations, payment errors, recurring contributions, restricted gifts, or this Donation Policy may be directed to:
Steven Bailey Foundation
P.O. Box 320326
San Francisco, CA 94132
United States
Website: stevenbaileyfoundation.org