Supporting Sea Turtle and Marine Conservation Responsibly

Donation Policy

Thank you for your interest in supporting Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project.
Donations help us continue our main sea turtle conservation work in Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, while also supporting wider marine conservation awareness, including shark and ray conservation education, beach cleaning, visitor learning, volunteer support, and responsible ocean protection activities.

This Donation Policy explains how donations are received, used, acknowledged, and managed by Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project.

By making a donation, requesting a Birthday Turtle Protection Gift, or supporting the project financially, you agree to the terms explained in this Donation Policy.

Last Updated: 8 May 2026

1. About Our Donation Program

Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project accepts donations from visitors, volunteers, families, students, international supporters, local supporters, schools, companies, and conservation minded donors.

Donations are used to support the project’s conservation related activities and daily operational needs.

Our donation program is built around one clear principle:

      Donations should support conservation work, not turn sea turtles, sharks, or any marine wildlife into entertainment.
      We do not sell sea turtles.
      We do not sell baby turtle releases.
      We do not offer turtle ownership.
      We do not guarantee turtle releases for donors.
      We do not offer direct shark interaction for donors.
      We do not promise exact date hatchling releases.

2. How Donations May Be Used

Donations help support the daily and long term work of Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project.

Donations May Support

      Sea turtle care support
      Shark and ray conservation awareness
      Beach cleaning activities
      Plastic waste removal
      Project cleaning and maintenance
      Visitor education
      Volunteer support
      Awareness programs
      Student and group learning activities
      Basic project equipment
      Educational materials
      Responsible hatchling release support when nature allows
      Local community awareness
      Project improvements
      Conservation related operational costs
      Unless a donation is clearly agreed for a specific purpose in writing, donations may be used where the project needs support most.

3. General Conservation Donations

General donations are used to support the overall work of the project. This type of donation is suitable for people who want to support sea turtle conservation, shark awareness, ocean education, beach cleaning, or wider marine conservation without requesting a certificate or special gift.

General Donations Can Support

      Daily project operations
      Turtle care related needs
      Shark and ray awareness materials
      Beach cleaning supplies
      Education and awareness activities
      Project development
      Volunteer program support
      Responsible conservation activities

4. Birthday Turtle Protection Gift Donations

The Birthday Turtle Protection Gift is a special donation option for people who want to celebrate a birthday by supporting sea turtle conservation in Sri Lanka. This is an ethical conservation donation. It is not a turtle release package.

Birthday Donation Supporters May Receive

      Digital turtle protection certificate
      Thank you message
      Project update where available
      Supporter wall listing where included and requested
      Gift message included on certificate where suitable
      The certificate is symbolic and is given as a thank you for supporting conservation. It does not mean the donor or birthday person owns a turtle.

5. Shark and Marine Conservation Support Donations

Some donors may wish to support shark conservation volunteering, shark and ray awareness, marine education, responsible fisheries awareness, student learning, and ocean conservation communication.

These donations support education and awareness activities. They do not create any right to handle, feed, catch, swim with, or directly interact with sharks. Shark conservation support is non-invasive, education focused, and guided by responsible marine conservation values.

6. Important Ethical Donation Note

Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project does not sell baby turtle releases as entertainment and does not offer direct shark interaction as a donation benefit.

Sea turtles, sharks, rays, and other marine wildlife are wild animals. Their welfare and natural behaviour must always come first.

Donors Must Understand

      A donation does not buy a turtle
      A donation does not give ownership of a turtle
      A donation does not guarantee a turtle release
      A donation does not guarantee a release on a birthday date
      A donation does not guarantee a photo or video
      A donation does not include direct shark interaction
      A donation supports conservation work, awareness, education, and project needs

7. Hatchling Release and Donation Policy

Hatchling release is not controlled by donor requests. Sea turtle hatching depends on natural timing, nesting season, weather, beach conditions, safety, and project guidance.

We Do Not Guarantee

      Baby turtle releases
      Exact date releases
      Birthday date releases
      Personal release participation
      Photos or videos of releases
      Live video release sessions
      Release updates for every donation
      Any responsible release activity is handled only when nature and safety conditions allow.

8. Donation Certificates

Digital certificates may be issued for Birthday Turtle Protection Gift donations or selected conservation support donations.

Certificate Details May Include

      Name of donor or birthday person
      Donation gift title
      Short conservation message
      Project name
      Project contact details
      Date of issue
      Personal gift message where requested
      Certificate wording may be adjusted by the project to keep the message ethical and conservation focused.

9. Donation Confirmation

After a donation enquiry is submitted, our team may contact the donor by WhatsApp, email, or phone to confirm donor name, donation purpose, donation amount or package, certificate name if applicable, gift message if applicable, payment confirmation, certificate delivery method, and supporter wall preference.

Donation confirmation is complete only after the project has received the required payment or accepted the donation.

10. Payment Methods

Available payment methods may depend on the project’s current arrangements. Payment options may include bank transfer, online payment link, international transfer, local payment, or other approved methods. The project will share payment instructions directly with the donor when required.

Donors Should

      Use only official payment details shared by the project
      Keep proof of payment
      Share payment confirmation if requested
      Contact the project if payment details are unclear
      Avoid sending money to unverified persons or accounts
      Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project is not responsible for payments made to incorrect or unofficial accounts.

11. Donation Refund Policy

Donations are usually non refundable because they support ongoing conservation work and project operations. However, refund requests may be reviewed case by case.

Refunds May Be Considered If

      A donation was made by clear mistake
      A duplicate payment was made accidentally
      The wrong amount was paid due to a payment error
      The project is unable to process a requested certificate due to an error from our side

Refunds May Not Be Available If

      The certificate has already been prepared and sent
      The donation has already been allocated to project work
      The donor changes their mind after confirmation
      A hatchling release did not happen
      A release did not happen on a birthday date
      A photo or video was not available
      The donor expected turtle ownership, shark interaction, or guaranteed release
      The donor did not read the ethical donation note
      Refund decisions are handled at the project’s discretion.

12. No Refund for Lack of Turtle Release or Shark Interaction

Because turtle releases depend on nature, no refund will be given if a hatchling release does not happen. Because shark conservation support is education focused, no refund will be given because there is no direct shark interaction.

All donors must understand that donations support conservation work, not guaranteed wildlife activity.

13. Donation Updates

Where available, the project may share updates about conservation activities supported by donations. Updates may include thank you messages, project photos, beach cleaning updates, education activity updates, project improvement updates, general conservation messages, or responsible release updates when naturally available.

Updates are not guaranteed for every donation unless clearly included in a specific package and confirmed by the project.

14. Donor Privacy

We respect donor privacy. Personal information shared during donation enquiries is handled according to our Privacy Policy. We do not sell donor information. Supporter names are published only if the donor agrees or requests it.

15. Restricted Donations

Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project reserves the right to refuse or return a donation where practical.

Donations May Be Refused If

      The donor requests unethical turtle handling
      The donor asks for guaranteed turtle release
      The donor requests direct shark interaction
      The donor requests misleading certificate wording
      The donor wants to claim ownership of a turtle or marine animal
      The donation is linked to harmful or illegal activity
      The donor behaves abusively or dishonestly
      The project cannot meet the donor’s requested condition

16. Corporate and Group Donations

Companies, schools, universities, travel groups, families, clubs, and organisations may support the project through group donations or conservation sponsorships.

Corporate or Group Support May Include

      Beach cleaning sponsorship
      Education program support
      Student group donation
      Volunteer program support
      Shark and marine awareness support
      Project improvement donation
      Birthday or seasonal donation campaign
      Conservation awareness partnership
      Any public recognition, logo use, certificate, or partnership wording must be agreed in advance.

17. Donation Transparency

We aim to use donations responsibly to support sea turtle conservation, shark awareness, marine education, and project work. We may provide general updates about how donations support the project. For larger donations, supporters may contact us to discuss whether a simple impact summary can be provided.

18. Changes to This Donation Policy

We may update this Donation Policy from time to time to reflect changes in project activities, donation methods, payment options, ethical guidelines, legal requirements, or website updates. The latest version will be published on this page with the updated date.

19. Contact Us About Donations

For donation questions, birthday gift enquiries, certificate corrections, corporate donations, or support options, please contact us.