Purpose

The purpose of this refund policy is to set clear, fair, and transparent guidelines for refunds and cancellations for NCGE membership and programming. It helps protect NCGE’s operational viability, ensures consistency for registrants and members.

Scope

This Policy applies to:

• Membership dues paid to NCGE (new and/or renewing)
• Registration fees paid by participants for NCGE-sponsored conferences (including in-person, virtual, hybrid formats).
• It does not apply to other NCGE programming and services (e.g., vendor/exhibitor fees, NCGE Around the World Travel programming) unless explicitly stated.

Definitions

• “Membership”: payment of annual dues (or multi-year dues) to NCGE that grants access to membership benefits (e.g., voting rights, discounts, journal access and webinar access, etc.).
• “Conference Registration”: Payment for attending an NCGE conference event (in-person, virtual, or hybrid).
• “Payment Processing Fees”: Fees charged by third-party payment processors (credit card, ACH, gateway) that NCGE passes through or absorbs.
• “Cancellation Date”: The date on which the individual submits a written request for cancellation (via email or online form) and that cancellation request is acknowledged by NCGE.
• “Event Date”: The first official day of the conference (for registration purposes).
• “Extenuating Circumstances”: Serious unforeseen and unavoidable events (medical emergency, natural disaster, government travel restrictions) at the discretion of NCGE staff/board.

Membership Refunds

NCGE has adopted the following rules for membership:

• All membership payments are non-refundable once processed and benefits granted. By submitting payment, the member agrees and acknowledges that no refund will be issued under any circumstances.
• In rare cases of administrative error (double billing, incorrect charge), NCGE may process a refund, but this is at NCGE’s sole discretion.

Conference Registration Refunds & Cancellations: NCGE establishes the following refund schedule for conference registration (in-person or virtual).

• Standard Refund Schedule
  • If cancellation is requested up to 60 calendar days before the Event Date: refund will be issued minus any payment processing fees.
  • If cancellation is requested within 60 calendar days of the Event Date or after the Event Date begins, no refund will be issued except under “Extenuating Circumstances.”
  • In the event that an attendee requests to switch from in-person to virtual attendance (if offered), NCGE may treat that as a partial cancellation/modification rather than a full refund; policy for such transfers will be communicated in the registration materials.

• NCGE-Initiated Cancellation
  • If NCGE cancels the conference entirely (for reasons such as venue unavailability, force of nature, public health restrictions, or insufficient registration) then:
  • NCGE will issue a full refund of registration fees (including payment processing fees) to all registered attendees.
  • NCGE may, at its discretion, instead offer a credit toward a future NCGE conference in lieu of refund; attendees will have the option to accept the credit or request the refund.

• Extenuating Circumstances
  • For cancellations due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., serious medical illness, death of immediate family member, government-mandated travel restriction), registrants may submit a written request for refund or partial refund.
  • The NCGE Executive Director (or designee) will review on a case-by-case basis and may authorize a refund or partial credit, at their discretion.
  • Documentation may be required, and the decision of the Executive Director is final.

• Add-On Events, Workshops, Exhibitors
  • • Fees for add-on events (e.g., workshops, field trips, receptions) are not automatically refundable beyond the general schedule (above).
    • Exhibitor/sponsor fees may follow a separate schedule (to be indicated in the exhibitor contract).

How to Request a Refund

• Registrants or members must submit their refund or cancellation request in writing, via the official NCGE email (e.g., info@ncge.org) clearly indicating:
  • Name of registrant/member
    Invoice/registration number
  • Date of request
    Reason for cancellation
  • Requested refund
• NCGE will send an acknowledgment of receipt of the request within 5 business days.
• Approved refunds will be processed within 30 calendar days of the request acknowledgment, via the same method of payment when feasible.

Transfers & Substitutions

• Registrants may substitute another person in their place up to 30 calendar days before the Event Date, at no additional fee, subject to NCGE approval and updated registration information. A request to transfer the registration must be received in writing and submitted via email to info@ncge.org
• Transfer of registration from one attendee to another does not qualify as a refund.
• Conversion from in-person to virtual attendance (or vice versa) is allowed only if indicated in the registration materials and approved by NCGE; in such cases, any difference in fee must be paid or credited appropriately.
• Memberships at any level are non-transferable.

Financial Policy & Liability

• NCGE registration fees are calculated to cover the cost of venue, meals, technology, staffing, materials, and other event overhead. This cancellation policy recognizes that late cancellations impose financial liabilities.
• Payment processing fees cannot be waived or refunded if already incurred by NCGE.
• NCGE reserves the right to retain reasonable cancellation fees (for example, the payment processing costs) even in early cancellation scenarios.

Policy Communication

• This Refund & Cancellation Policy must be clearly published on the NCGE website, and accessible in any membership/registration forms.
• Reference to the policy must appear in the Member Application form, Conference Registration Form, and Terms & Conditions section. Example language: “By selecting this box and submitting payment, you agree to the NCGE Refund & Cancellation Policy as posted at Here.”

Privacy Refund policy updates

We have tried to create a refybd policy that is comprehensive, readable, and durable. Despite our best efforts, we may find it necessary to revise it. Any changes will be made without prior notice. The current NCGE refund policy will continue to be posted at this address (www.ncge.org/refundpolicy). If you have questions or comments about our refund policy, please email info@ncge.org.