Terms & Conditions
Website Terms and Conditions
Last updated: October 2026
About us and these terms
This website, www.happierlivesinstitute.org, and its sub-domains, including donate.happierlivesinstitute.org (the “Site”), are operated by the Happier Lives Institute (“HLI”, “we”, “us” or “our”). HLI is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales (registered charity number 1198178). Our registered office is Square Works, 17–19 Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8 1HB, United Kingdom. You can contact us at hello@happierlivesinstitute.org.
In the Netherlands, HLI is registered as a public benefit institution (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling, or ANBI) under RSIN 828292875. In the United States, HLI operates through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund (see “Donations from the United States” below).
These terms and conditions (the “Terms”) apply to everyone who uses the Site, and to every donation made through the Site. By using the Site or making a donation, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site. Please also read our Privacy Policy, which explains how we use your personal data.
If you are using the Site on behalf of an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to accept these Terms on its behalf.
Protecting yourself from impersonation
We only send email from @happierlivesinstitute.org addresses, and we never ask charities to pay to be evaluated or recommended by us. If you receive a message claiming to be from HLI that does not meet these conditions, please do not respond or make any payment, and report it to hello@happierlivesinstitute.org.
Our research is intended to be informative
The Site contains research reports, cost-effectiveness analyses, WELLBY and other wellbeing estimates, charity evaluations, Happier Lives Fund recommendations, educational materials (including our Measuring Wellbeing course), blog posts and other content (together, “HLI Content”). We provide HLI Content in good faith for general information and education.
Our analyses rely on the evidence available at the time, on assumptions, and on judgements about which reasonable people may disagree. Estimates are uncertain and may change. We may revise, update, correct or withdraw HLI Content, including cost-effectiveness figures and recommendations, at any time as new evidence becomes available or our methods develop. Earlier versions of our work may therefore differ from our current views.
HLI Content is not financial, investment, tax, legal, medical or other professional advice, and nothing on the Site is an offer or a solicitation to buy or sell any investment. You should not rely on HLI Content as a substitute for advice from a suitably qualified professional. Decisions about whether, where and how much to give are yours, and we encourage you to make them in light of your own circumstances and, where appropriate, independent advice. The tax treatment of a donation depends on your personal circumstances and the law where you live.
Some of our work concerns mental health. HLI Content is not a substitute for medical care. If you need support with your own mental health, please contact a healthcare professional or a local support service.
Evaluating or recommending a charity does not mean we guarantee its performance, conduct or use of funds. The charities we evaluate or recommend are independent organisations, and we are not responsible for their acts or omissions.
We take reasonable care in preparing HLI Content, but we do not promise that it is accurate, complete or up to date.
Using our content
HLI Content is owned by or licensed to HLI and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. All rights are reserved. You may view, download and print HLI Content for your own personal, non-commercial use, and you may quote short extracts with clear attribution to the Happier Lives Institute and a link to the original. Any other use, including republishing, adapting or using HLI Content commercially, requires our prior written permission. Please contact hello@happierlivesinstitute.org.
Our name and logo
You must not use the names “Happier Lives Institute” or “Happier Lives Fund”, or our logos, in a way that suggests an association with, or endorsement by, HLI that does not exist, without our prior written permission.
Donations
How donations are processed
Donations made through the Site are processed by third-party platforms and payment providers, including Donorbox, Donational (provided through One for the World), Stripe and PayPal. Their own terms and privacy notices also apply to your donation. We do not receive or store your full payment card details.
All donations are voluntary gifts. You will not receive any goods, services or other benefit in return for a donation.
How we use donations
Unless you choose to give to the Happier Lives Fund, recommended charities or we agree otherwise with you in writing, your donation is an unrestricted gift. We will use unrestricted gifts at our discretion to further HLI’s charitable purposes
If you choose to give to the Happier Lives Fund, your gift is received by HLI (or, for US tax-deductible gifts, by Players Philanthropy Fund) and granted to charities recommended under the Happier Lives Fund model. HLI keeps full discretion and control over gifts to the Happier Lives Fund, including which charities receive grants, the amounts and the timing. We may change the charities the Fund supports. If a recommended charity can no longer receive funds or no longer meets our criteria, it will no longer be included in the Fund, and therefore your donation will be allocated in the most cost-effective manner at that moment in time.
If you choose to give to a specific recommended charity, your gift is received by HLI (or, for US tax-deductible gifts, by Players Philanthropy Fund) and granted to that charity (for the relevant programme, if applicable). If a recommended charity can no longer receive funds or no longer meets our criteria, we will consult you on what you would like to do with your gift instead – grant to another charity that does or be refunded.
You may tell us how you would like your gift to be used, and we will take your wishes into account, but they are not binding on us. The Happier Lives Fund is not a donor-advised fund.
Refunds
If you make a donation in error, for example an incorrect amount or a duplicate payment, please tell us in writing at hello@happierlivesinstitute.org within 30 days of the date of the donation, giving your name, the date and amount of the donation, and the reason for your request. We will refund donations made in error where the request is received within that period, unless the funds have already been granted to another charity or a refund would conflict with our legal obligations. Payment processing fees may not be recoverable. Requests received after 30 days will be considered at our discretion. If we have claimed Gift Aid on a refunded donation, we will adjust our claim. Refunds of US tax-deductible gifts also require the approval of Players Philanthropy Fund.
You can cancel a recurring donation at any time through the donation platform or by emailing hello@happierlivesinstitute.org. Cancelling stops future payments but does not entitle you to a refund of earlier donations.
Accepting donations
We may decline or return a donation where accepting it would be inconsistent with our charitable purposes, our reputation or our legal obligations, including our obligations relating to money laundering, fraud and sanctions.
Donations from the United Kingdom
Donations from UK donors are made to HLI, a charity registered in England and Wales (charity number 1198178).
If you are a UK taxpayer and make a Gift Aid declaration, HLI can claim an extra 25p from HM Revenue and Customs for every £1 you give. By making a Gift Aid declaration, you confirm that you have paid, or will pay, at least as much UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in the tax year as the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations, and that it is your responsibility to pay any difference if you have not. Please tell us if you want to cancel your declaration, change your name or home address, or no longer pay enough tax.
Donations from the United States
Happier Lives Institute is operating through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178), a Texas nonprofit corporation with federal tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Happier Lives Institute are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
US tax-deductible donations are made to, and received by, Players Philanthropy Fund (“PPF”) for the benefit of HLI. PPF has full control over these donations, including their financial administration, management and disbursement. Any preference you express about the use of your gift, including a preference for the Happier Lives Fund, is advisory and not binding on PPF. Restricted funds held by PPF for HLI are not a donor-advised fund.
Online donors receive an automatic receipt, which you should keep for your tax records. PPF also sends an acknowledgement meeting Internal Revenue Service requirements for any donation over $250.
Donations from the Netherlands
HLI is registered as an ANBI by the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst) under RSIN 828292875, with effect from 10 March 2026. Gifts to an ANBI may be deductible for Dutch income tax or corporate income tax, subject to the conditions and limits set by Dutch tax law.
You can also make a periodic gift (periodieke gift) using the periodic gift agreement available on the Site. A periodic gift is a fixed amount given each year for at least five years under a written agreement between you and HLI, and may be deductible without the usual threshold. On the agreement you can choose whether your gift is for HLI or for the Happier Lives Fund. Gifts to the Happier Lives Fund are received by HLI and granted under the Happier Lives Fund model, as described above.
For more about our ANBI status, see our ANBI announcement. For advice on your own tax position, please consult the Belastingdienst or a tax adviser.
Consultancy services
We offer research consultancy services. Information on the Site about these services is for general information only and is not an offer that can be accepted. We provide consultancy only under a written agreement signed by both parties, which sets out the scope of work, fees, deliverables, ownership of intellectual property, confidentiality and each party’s liability. If a written agreement conflicts with these Terms, the agreement prevails.
Acceptable use
You may use the Site only for lawful purposes. You must not:
- use the Site in a way that breaks any law or regulation, or is fraudulent or harmful;
- introduce viruses, malware or other harmful material, or attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Site, its server or any connected system or database;
- attack the Site through a denial-of-service attack or similar means;
- use automated tools to access or copy the Site in a way that places an unreasonable load on it or gets around any technical measure we use to protect it;
- impersonate HLI or any member of our staff or trustees, or misrepresent your relationship with us; or
- use the Site to send unsolicited marketing or other spam.
We may suspend or restrict access to the Site if we reasonably believe you have breached this section. We may report a breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities.
Links and third-party content
The Site contains links to, and embedded content from, websites and services operated by others, including the charities we evaluate, our donation platforms, Players Philanthropy Fund and video and newsletter platforms. We provide these for convenience. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content, availability or privacy practices, and a link is not an endorsement. Their own terms and policies apply.
You may link to the Site, provided you do so fairly and lawfully and do not suggest any association with, or endorsement by, HLI that does not exist. We may withdraw this permission at any time.
Availability and security of the Site
The Site is provided free of charge and on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We may change, suspend or withdraw all or part of the Site at any time. We do not guarantee that the Site will always be available, uninterrupted or free from errors, or that it is free from viruses or other harmful material. You are responsible for protecting your own devices and data, including by using virus protection software.
Our responsibility to you
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under the law of England and Wales.
If you are a consumer
We provide the Site for domestic and private use. If we fail to comply with these Terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking these Terms or our failing to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable, or for any business loss, such as loss of profit, business, business opportunity or revenue. Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.
If you are using the Site in the course of business
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude all implied conditions, warranties, representations and other terms that might apply to the Site or HLI Content. We will not be liable to you for any loss or damage, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, even if foreseeable, arising out of or in connection with your use of, or inability to use, the Site, or your use of or reliance on HLI Content. In particular, we will not be liable for loss of profits, revenue, business, contracts or anticipated savings, loss of data, damage to goodwill, or any indirect or consequential loss.
Decisions based on our research
For all users, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for decisions you make on the basis of HLI Content, including decisions about donations, grants, investments or programme design, or for the acts or omissions of any charity we evaluate or recommend.
Privacy
Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect and use personal data, including when you donate, sign up to our newsletter or contact us, and how we use cookies. By using the Site you acknowledge that we will process your personal data as described in that policy.
Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or in how we operate. The updated Terms will apply from the date shown at the top of this page, so please check them each time you use the Site. The Terms in force at the time you make a donation apply to that donation.
General
If a court finds any part of these Terms invalid or unenforceable, the rest will continue to apply. If we delay in enforcing these Terms, we can still enforce them later. No one other than you and HLI has any right to enforce these Terms, except that Players Philanthropy Fund may rely on the section headed “Donations from the United States”. If we translate these Terms, the English version prevails.
Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them, the Site or a donation made through the Site (including non-contractual disputes or claims), are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, except that if you are a consumer living in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in your local courts. Your relationship with Players Philanthropy Fund and with any donation platform is also governed by their own terms.
Contact us
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at hello@happierlivesinstitute.org or write to us at Happier Lives Institute, Square Works, 17–19 Berkeley Square, Bristol BS8 1HB, United Kingdom.