Benewell exists because the Church has always been the world's greatest force for good. For too long, the people doing that work have been invisible to the people who want to support them.
We are building a place where a donor in Auckland can follow a missionary in Mozambique in real time. Where a small trust in Tauranga can tell its story with the same dignity as a large organisation. Where giving feels like joining a journey, not clicking a button and disappearing.
When you join Benewell, as a donor, an organisation or a missionary, you are joining a community that believes generosity changes the world. We are glad you are here.
Benewell is openly and unapologetically Christian. We are built by Christians, for Christian organisations and their supporters. Our platform reflects the values of the Church and we ask everyone who uses it to honour those values in how they show up.
These four values shape everything we build and everything we ask of our community:
When you join Benewell, you are not just signing up for a platform. You are joining a community with a shared purpose. We ask every member of that community, organisations, donors and missionaries alike, to commit to these things:
- Giving and receiving with open hands, cheerfully and not under compulsion
- Telling the truth about our work, even when progress is slow or hard
- Using every donation for the purpose it was given
- Treating every donor as a partner in the work, not a transaction
- Keeping donors connected to the journey, not just the ask
- Protecting the dignity of the people and communities we serve
- Holding each other to account with grace and honesty
This is the kind of community we are building. These standards exist not to restrict what you can do but to protect the trust that makes generosity possible.
Moments are where the magic happens on Benewell. A photo from the field. A story about someone whose life was changed. A thank you from a missionary who felt the prayers of their supporters from the other side of the world.
We want your Moments to be the real thing. Donors can tell the difference between a story that is alive and one that has been polished for effect. We ask that all Moments:
- Be truthful and accurate accounts of actual work being done
- Not be fabricated, exaggerated or staged to create a false impression of impact
- Not use imagery or language designed to pressurise donors
- Protect the dignity of the people and communities they depict, particularly children and vulnerable individuals
- Obtain appropriate consent before featuring identifiable individuals
The real stories are almost always more powerful than the polished ones. Trust your donors with the truth of what you are doing.
Donors are the heartbeat of this community. Every gift, large or small, is an act of faith. We want every donor on Benewell to feel that their generosity is received with gratitude and used with care.
In return, we ask donors to:
- Give in good faith and for lawful purposes
- Treat organisations, missionaries and Benewell staff with kindness and respect
- Raise concerns directly. If you have a question about a donation or a receipt, contact us at hello@benewell.org before initiating a payment dispute
- Not attempt to misuse donor access to harvest information or manipulate platform data
For many donors, a Benewell receipt is the document they use to claim a donation tax credit. Getting it right matters, not just for compliance but as an act of care for the people who give to you.
Organisations that upload a custom receipt template are responsible for:
- Ensuring the template accurately reflects your legal name, charity registration number and IRD or tax reference number
- Not designing a template that misleads donors about their eligibility for a tax credit or deduction
- Using the test receipt function to verify your template before it goes live
- Updating your template promptly if your charity registration details change
Benewell populates receipts using the information and template you provide. The accuracy of what goes into the template is your responsibility.
A community built on trust needs clear edges. The following things are not welcome on Benewell. Not because we want to be restrictive, but because they would undermine the trust that makes this community possible:
- Fraud, deception or misrepresentation Do not misrepresent your organisation, the use of donated funds or the outcomes of your work. Donors are trusting you with something precious.
- Hate speech or abusive behaviour Benewell is not a place for content that demeans or attacks people on the basis of who they are. Every person on this platform, whether donor, beneficiary or colleague, deserves to be treated with dignity.
- Illegal activity of any kind Including soliciting funds for unlawful purposes or facilitating money laundering.
- Misuse of donated funds Every dollar given through Benewell must go to the campaign or charitable purpose it was given for.
- Spam, phishing or impersonation Do not impersonate other organisations, donors or the Benewell team, or use the platform for unsolicited commercial messaging.
- Sharing others' private information without consent Donor details, beneficiary stories and staff information are held in confidence. Do not share them without explicit permission.
Benewell is built for charitable giving, not for political organising or ideological campaigning. The work of the Church is bigger than any political party or electoral cycle, and we want Benewell to be a place where people across the political spectrum can give together.
- Charitable work with vulnerable communities
- Mission and evangelism
- Ethical advocacy on behalf of those with no voice
- Social services, education, and community development
- Work in restricted access nations
- Fundraising for political parties or candidates
- Election campaigns or referendums
- Lobbying for or against specific government policy
- Campaigning that targets groups of people based on who they are
- Conspiracy theories or health/science misinformation
We review every new Journey before it goes live. Most are published immediately. A small number, typically those that touch on political content or language that could target particular groups, are held briefly for a Benewell team member to review. We aim to complete every review within 24 hours.
When something on Benewell does not meet these standards, we will always try to reach out and help first before taking any formal action. Our goal is to restore trust, not to punish. When that is not possible, we may take one or more of the following steps:
We are human and we get things wrong. If you believe a moderation decision was made in error, we want to hear from you.
Email hello@benewell.org within 14 days of the decision. Please include your account or organisation name, the decision you are appealing and the reasons you believe it should be reconsidered. We aim to respond within five working days.
If you see something on Benewell that does not feel right, whether content that seems dishonest, behaviour that seems harmful or anything that undermines the trust of this community, please tell us. You are part of what keeps this community healthy.
Email: hello@benewell.org
Please include a link or description of what you have seen. All reports are reviewed in confidence by the Benewell team.
As Benewell grows, these standards will grow with it. We will update them from time to time to reflect what we are learning from our community. The current version is always available at benewell.org/community-standards, and we will notify registered users of material changes by email.
Thank you for being part of what we are building. We are glad you are here.