Terms of Use

Effective from 1 September 2026

These Terms of Use govern your use of the Akshara Spoorthi Foundation website, the donor and volunteer portals, and any donation, registration or application you make through them. By using the website you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use it.

1. About usLink to the section 1. About us

The website is operated by Akshara Spoorthi Foundation ("the Foundation", "we", "us"), a public charitable trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, with its registered office in Hyderabad, Telangana. Our PAN, 12A, 80G, CSR-1 and other registrations are published on our transparency page.

2. Using the websiteLink to the section 2. Using the website

• You must be at least eighteen years old to donate, create an account or apply to volunteer. A younger person may use these services only with the involvement of a parent or guardian.
• You are responsible for keeping your sign-in details confidential and for activity under your account. Tell us at once at info@aksharaspoorthi.org if you suspect unauthorised use.
• You agree to give accurate, current and complete information, and to keep it up to date.

3. DonationsLink to the section 3. Donations

1. Online donations are made in Indian rupees through our third-party payment gateway. We do not store your card, UPI or net-banking credentials.
2. A donation is a voluntary gift. It is not a payment for goods or services, and it gives no right to any benefit, membership or say in programme decisions.
3. Restricted gifts. When you give to a named school, programme, campaign or fund, we apply the gift to that purpose. If the purpose is fully funded, discontinued or can no longer be delivered, we apply it to the closest comparable purpose and say so in our updates.
4. Unrestricted gifts are applied where the need is greatest, including the reasonable administrative costs that keep the Foundation compliant and audited.
5. Recurring donations continue until you cancel them from your donor portal or by writing to us.
6. Refunds are governed by our Refund & Cancellation Policy.

4. Tax receipts and reportingLink to the section 4. Tax receipts and reporting

• Eligible donations receive a receipt under Section 80G of the Income-tax Act, 1961. We report each eligible donation to the Income Tax Department in Form 10BD and issue the donor certificate in Form 10BE after filing.
• Cash donations above ₹2,000 are not eligible for a deduction. Please give through a banking channel.
• The PAN or other identifier you give must be correct and your own. A wrong identifier will cause your deduction to fail, and we cannot issue a receipt in another person's name.
• Deductions are governed by tax law, which may change. We do not give tax advice.

5. Foreign contributionsLink to the section 5. Foreign contributions

Donations from foreign sources, including from people of Indian origin who hold foreign citizenship, are accepted only while the Foundation holds a valid registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and only into our designated FCRA account. We will decline or return any contribution we cannot lawfully accept. Foreign contributions are accounted for and reported separately.

6. In-kind donationsLink to the section 6. In-kind donations

Goods offered in kind are accepted at our discretion after inspection. We may decline items that are unsafe, unusable or unsuitable for a school. Accepted goods become the Foundation's property and are used or distributed as we judge best.

7. Volunteering and eventsLink to the section 7. Volunteering and events

• Volunteer applications are subject to review, references and, for roles involving children, police verification. We may decline an application or end a placement at our discretion.
• Every volunteer must accept our Child Protection Policy and code of conduct before any placement.
• Event registration is subject to capacity. We may change, postpone or cancel an event; any fee paid for an event we cancel is refunded in full.
• You take part in activities at your own risk, except for loss caused by our negligence.

8. Content and intellectual propertyLink to the section 8. Content and intellectual property

The text, reports, data, logos and photographs on this website belong to the Foundation or to the credited photographer, and are protected by the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Trade Marks Act, 1999.

• You may share and quote our published reports and impact figures for non-commercial purposes, with attribution and a link to this website.
• You may not reproduce photographs of identifiable people, especially children, or use our name or logo to raise funds or suggest our endorsement, without our written permission.
• If you send us a testimonial, story or photograph, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish it on our channels. We will not publish it without your consent, and we will remove it on request.

9. Acceptable useLink to the section 9. Acceptable use

You must not use the website for any unlawful purpose; attempt to gain unauthorised access to it or disrupt it; make fraudulent donations or use a payment method you are not authorised to use; impersonate another person; upload malicious code; collect other people's personal data; or send unsolicited commercial messages through our forms.

10. Third-party servicesLink to the section 10. Third-party services

The website links to and embeds third-party services, such as our payment gateway, maps and video players. Their own terms and privacy policies apply, and we are not responsible for their content or practices.

11. Disclaimers and limitation of liabilityLink to the section 11. Disclaimers and limitation of liability

We work to keep the website accurate, available and secure, but provide it "as is", without any warranty that it will be uninterrupted or error-free. Impact figures are drawn from operational records and reconciled periodically; our audited annual reports are the authoritative source.

To the extent permitted by law, the Foundation is not liable for any indirect or consequential loss arising from your use of the website. Nothing in these terms limits any liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

12. IndemnityLink to the section 12. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify the Foundation against claims and losses arising from your breach of these terms or your misuse of the website.

13. PrivacyLink to the section 13. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy explain how we handle personal data, and form part of these terms.

14. Changes to these termsLink to the section 14. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The version published on this page applies from its effective date. If you continue to use the website after a change, you accept the updated terms.

15. Governing law and jurisdictionLink to the section 15. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or with your use of the website, are governed by the laws of India. Subject to section 16, the courts at Hyderabad, Telangana have exclusive jurisdiction.

16. Resolving disputesLink to the section 16. Resolving disputes

Before starting any legal proceedings, please write to grievance@aksharaspoorthi.org so that a trustee can review the matter. We will respond within 30 days and try in good faith to resolve it amicably.

17. GeneralLink to the section 17. General

If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest remains in force. A failure to enforce a term is not a waiver of it. You may not transfer your rights under these terms.

18. ContactLink to the section 18. Contact

Akshara Spoorthi Foundation, Hyderabad, Telangana — info@aksharaspoorthi.org. Our postal address is on the contact page.