Donations, Returns & Refunds Policy

New Dawn Safe Haven Inc.
Last updated: 30 October 2026

Our Commitment

New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. is committed to transparency and fairness in relation to donations, sponsorship contributions and purchases made through our online store.

This policy explains how we manage donations, refunds or merchandise returns, exchanges and faulty or damaged products.

Donations

Donations made to New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. help support our animal welfare activities, including the care, feeding, veterinary treatment and ongoing welfare of animals in our care, as well as the operation and development of our organisation.

Donations are generally considered voluntary contributions made to support New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. and its purposes.

If you believe a donation has been made in error, duplicated, processed for an incorrect amount or made without authorisation, please contact us as soon as possible.

Requests for the refund of a donation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Australian Consumer Law can apply to some activities undertaken by charities and not-for-profits, particularly where goods or services are supplied in return for payment or when fundraising is conducted in an organised, continuous and repetitive way.

Donations for a Specific Animal or Purpose

From time to time, New Dawn may raise funds for a particular animal, veterinary treatment, rescue, project or other specific purpose.

We will endeavour to use funds consistently with the purpose described in the relevant fundraising campaign.

However, circumstances can change, particularly when caring for animals. If the original purpose has been fully funded, is no longer required or circumstances make it impractical to use all funds for that purpose, New Dawn may apply remaining funds to other animal welfare, sanctuary or organisational needs that further New Dawn's purposes.

This approach is also consistent with the general expectation that charitable fundraising supports and furthers an organisation's charitable purposes.

Animal Sponsorships

Sponsorship contributions assist New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. with the overall care and welfare of the sponsored animal and support the broader work of the organisation.

Sponsorship does not transfer ownership of an animal to the sponsor and does not provide the sponsor with decision-making rights regarding the animal's treatment, location, management or ongoing care.

Sponsorship contributions are generally non-refundable once processed unless:

the payment was made in error;
the payment was duplicated;
an incorrect amount was charged;
the transaction was unauthorised; or
a refund is otherwise required by applicable law.

If there is an issue with a sponsorship payment, please contact us as soon as possible.

Recurring Donations and Sponsorships

If you choose to establish a recurring donation or sponsorship, payments will continue at the frequency selected until the arrangement is cancelled.

You may request cancellation of future recurring payments at any time.

Cancellation will apply to future payments and does not automatically provide a refund of donations already processed.

Where recurring payments are managed through a third-party payment provider, you may also be able to manage or cancel the arrangement directly through that provider.

Merchandise Purchases

This section applies to physical merchandise purchased through the New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. online store, including items such as:

T-shirts
Hoodies
Caps
Patches
Bumper stickers
Other merchandise offered through our store

Purchases of merchandise are separate from donations and are subject to applicable consumer protections.

Faulty, Damaged or Incorrect Items

If an item you receive is faulty, damaged, incorrectly described or is not the item you ordered, please contact New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. as soon as reasonably possible.

Please provide:

your name;
your order number;
a description of the problem; and
photographs of the item and packaging where relevant.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, products come with consumer guarantees. Where these guarantees are not met, customers may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund depending on the circumstances and whether the problem is major or minor.

For a major problem, consumers can generally choose between a replacement and a refund. For a minor problem, the supplier generally has an opportunity to provide an appropriate remedy.

Nothing in this policy limits or excludes rights available under the Australian Consumer Law.

Change of Mind

Please choose merchandise carefully.

New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. is not required to provide a refund or exchange simply because you change your mind, including where you decide that you no longer want an item. Australian Consumer Law does not require businesses to accept change-of-mind returns unless the business has a policy agreeing to do so.

This does not affect your rights where an item is faulty, damaged, incorrectly described or otherwise fails to meet a consumer guarantee.

Clothing Sizes

Please check the relevant sizing information carefully before purchasing T-shirts, hoodies or other clothing.

Selecting an incorrect size will generally be considered a change-of-mind purchase rather than a fault with the product.

However, if you receive a size different from the size you ordered, please contact us so we can arrange an appropriate resolution.

This does not affect any rights you may have under the Australian Consumer Law.

Returns

Where a return is required because an item is faulty, damaged, incorrect or otherwise does not meet a consumer guarantee, New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. will provide instructions regarding the return of the item.

Customers should not return merchandise without first contacting us.

Where an item fails to meet a consumer guarantee, responsibility for reasonable return and delivery costs will be handled in accordance with Australian Consumer Law. Guidance from the NSW Small Business Commissioner states that suppliers are responsible for delivery or shipping costs associated with a failure to meet a consumer guarantee.

Tax-Deductible Donations

A donation should not be assumed to be tax deductible unless New Dawn specifically states that it qualifies.

The Australian Taxation Office advises that tax-deductible gifts must be made to an organisation or fund with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status at the time of the donation and must satisfy the applicable requirements for a genuine gift.

Where you receive a material benefit in return, such as purchasing an item or ticket, different rules may apply.

Refunds

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

The time taken for funds to appear in your account may depend on your bank or payment provider.

Refunds relating to faulty or non-compliant merchandise will be managed in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law.

New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. will not impose a "no refunds" policy where a customer is legally entitled to a remedy. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission specifically states that businesses cannot use store policies or terms and conditions to remove a consumer's right to a refund or replacement for faulty products.

Sale and Fundraising Merchandise

Merchandise purchased during a sale, promotional campaign or fundraising event remains subject to applicable Australian Consumer Law protections.

Being a sale or fundraising item does not remove a customer's consumer guarantee rights where the item is faulty or otherwise fails to meet the required guarantees.

Shipping and Delivery

Shipping, delivery timeframes, address requirements, tracking and delayed or missing deliveries are covered separately in our Shipping Policy.

Please refer to the Shipping Policy available on the New Dawn Safe Haven Inc. website for more information.

Proof of Purchase

We may request reasonable proof of purchase when processing a merchandise return, replacement or refund.

This may include an order confirmation, receipt or other record showing that the purchase was made through New Dawn Safe Haven Inc.

Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict or modify any consumer guarantee, right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission provides specific guidance to charities and not-for-profit organisations regarding their obligations under Australian Consumer Law.

Changes to This Policy

New Dawn may update this Donations, Returns & Refunds Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our fundraising activities, payment methods or legal requirements.

The current version will be published on our website.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about a donation, sponsorship, merchandise purchase, return or refund, please contact:

New Dawn Safe Haven Inc.
Email: info@newdawnsafehaven.org
Website: https://www.newdawnsafehaven.org

For merchandise enquiries, please include your order number where possible so we can locate your purchase.