Legal & policies
Donation & Refund Policy
How gifts, sponsorships and registration fees are handled, receipted and refunded.
On this page
Who receives your gift
All donations, sponsorships and program registration payments are received by Connect-It 360, Inc., EIN 82-3756618, the 501(c)(3) that operates SharkMakers. thesharkmakers.com does not process payments; every payment flow routes to connectit360.org.
Tax deductibility
Connect-It 360, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. We cannot give tax advice.
Receipts
Every donation receives a written receipt by email stating our legal name, the date, the amount given or a description of donated property, and whether any goods or services were provided in return. For gifts of $250 or more this receipt is the contemporaneous written acknowledgment the IRS requires donors to keep.
For donated property we describe the item but do not assign it a value; valuation is the donor's responsibility.
Quid pro quo contributions
Where you pay more than $75 and receive goods or services in return - an event ticket, a meal, merchandise, or a sponsorship benefit - only the amount exceeding the fair market value of what you receive may be deductible. We state a good-faith estimate of that value before you pay and again on your receipt.
Recurring gifts
Recurring donations are always presented as recurring before payment and are never pre-selected. Cancel at any time by emailing sharkmaker@connectit360.org.
Refunds
- Donations, sponsorships, program registration fees and event tickets. We do not give refunds.
- Duplicate or erroneous charges. Refunded in full. A charge that should never have been taken is a mistake to correct, not a refund - tell us and we will fix it.
Where a specific program has its own written terms, those terms are set out in the agreement you sign for that program and they govern.
Payment processing
Card payments are processed by Stripe, on Stripe's own checkout pages. Stripe's terms and privacy policy apply to the checkout itself. We never see or store full payment card numbers. Sponsorship and contact inquiries are submitted through forms on this site; they are not payment forms and they do not take card details.
Use of funds
Contributions are used substantially in line with the purpose stated in the appeal. Restricted gifts are tracked and applied to the restricted purpose. Where a restricted purpose becomes impracticable, we contact the donor before redirecting the gift.
Florida charitable solicitation
A copy of the official registration and financial information for Connect-It 360, Inc., registration no. CH59504, may be obtained from the Florida Division of Consumer Services by calling 1-800-435-7352 within the state or visiting www.fdacs.gov. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state.
Contact
Questions about this policy: sharkmaker@connectit360.org · (727) 742-7332 · Clearwater, Florida.
