When Andreas left the foundation, I requested a refund of my 0.3 BTC donation for lifetime membership. They denied my request.
Allowing refunds would be a great place to start building good will. Maybe if I like the new direction you take the foundation I'll donate again, but holding my donation hostage in an entity that has changed is not cool.
I don't think many/any foundation (or similar entity that accepts donations) is ever going to be willing to give refunds in the way that you request. When a foundation receives a donation they will plan their budget accordingly however if they were to honor requests to refund donations then they would have no way to make a budget.
What you are asking is also essentially that they buy people's trust
Yeah, well, most boards don't have "lifetime memberships" either. Maybe that's a pretty horrible idea?
Most boards work hand-in-glove with members at smaller, budgetable paces. They donate yearly or quarterly for their seat on the board. They sever ties by severing business propositions.
Do you realize how ridiculous it would be to say "OK, I'm going to provide my [utility service] to you at a discount forever, but I get to steer your organization for eternity as well" and PAY UP FRONT? Silly.