Terms and giving agreement

Draft for the pilot. It takes effect when the site launches on 1 December 2026, after a legal review.

These terms apply to everyone who uses The Helping Hand: donors, partner organisations and their staff. By creating an account or giving, you agree to them. They are written to be read, so please do.

1. 1. What The Helping Hand does

   We list household bills in South Africa that a verified local partner organisation has checked in person. Donors give towards a specific bill. Donations will be held in trust by a registered South African NPO, which we will name here before launch. Once a bill is fully funded, the money goes to the partner, who pays the bill and uploads the receipt.

2. 2. Your gift

   • Gifts are in South African rand. The smallest gift is R100, unless the bill needs less to be paid.
   • A bill is never overfunded. If you give more than it still needs, we only charge what's left.
   • Your gift is a donation, not a purchase. You don't receive goods or services in return.
   • Tax certificates are only possible if the NPO that holds the money has Section 18A approval. We will say so here if it does.

3. 3. Fees

   The payment provider (PayFast) charges a fee on each payment. We add that fee on top of your gift and show it before you pay, so the full amount you chose goes to the bill. We don't take a cut of your gift.

4. 4. If a bill can't be paid

   Sometimes a bill can't be paid as planned, for example because the family moved or the bill was settled another way. We will then email you and offer to move your gift to a similar bill or refund it. If we can't reach you within 30 days, we move it to a similar bill from the same partner or area. Partners never keep money that wasn't used as promised.

5. 5. Partners' promises

   • Only put forward needs they have checked in person, with the person's permission.
   • Pay only the named payee, and buy food parcels rather than vouchers or cash.
   • Pay the bill as soon as the money reaches them, and upload the receipt within 14 days.
   • A partner without proof of payment 30 days after receiving money is taken off the platform while we investigate.

6. 6. Using the site fairly

   • Use your real name and your own email address, and keep your password private.
   • Don't try to identify or contact the people who receive help.
   • Report a bill you think is wrong, rather than sharing your suspicion publicly.
   • We may close accounts that break these terms or are used for fraud.

7. 7. Privacy

   How we handle personal information is explained in our privacy policy.

8. 8. Limits of our responsibility

   We check partners carefully and require receipts, but we can't guarantee that every story is complete or that a bill will be paid on a particular day. We are not responsible for losses caused by events outside our control, such as a payment provider or municipality being unavailable. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under consumer law.

9. 9. Law and contact

   These terms are governed by South African law. If you live in the European Union, you also keep the protection of the consumer laws of your country. Questions or complaints: the contact email we will publish here before launch.