The simple agreement between us.

Welcome to Grace of Giving. These Terms of Use (the "Terms") form a legally binding agreement between you and Grace of Giving, a faith-inspired nonprofit organization registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity under the laws of the United States ("Grace of Giving," "we," "us," or "our"). They govern your access to and use of our website at graceofgiving.org, our donation platform, and any related tools, applications, mobile interfaces, communications, and services we make available now or in the future (collectively, the "Services").

Our mission is to make charitable giving feel less like a transaction and more like a gentle act between neighbors. We work alongside families, congregations, and small organizations to lift real needs into the light, verify each story with care, and move money safely from the heart of one person to the hand of another. This document is the operating agreement that keeps that mission honest. It exists not to intimidate you but to protect the trust that the whole platform is built on.

By visiting our site, browsing campaigns, donating, starting a campaign, contacting us, registering for any account or list, or otherwise engaging with the Services in any way, you agree to be bound by these Terms and by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference. If you do not agree with any portion of these Terms, please stop using the Services. We would much rather lose a User than have one bound by something they did not knowingly accept.

We have written these Terms to be as plain-spoken as we can without losing the precision that legal documents require. Where a section uses formal legal language, we try to add a brief explanation in everyday words. Where we cannot, please take your time and read carefully. If any clause is unclear, our team will happily walk you through it — see Section 22 for contact information.

1.1 Effective date and updates

These Terms became effective on the date listed at the top of this page. We may revise them from time to time as our platform, our laws, or our community grow. When we make material changes, we will notify Users with active accounts at least fourteen (14) days before the revised Terms take effect, and we will post a prominent notice on this page. Your continued use of the Services after that effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. Section 20 describes the change-management process in more detail. A copy of every prior version of these Terms is retained and available upon request.

1.2 Acceptance and electronic signature

You can accept these Terms in several equivalent ways: by checking an "I agree" box during account creation or campaign submission; by making a donation; by clicking through a checkout that links to this page; or simply by continuing to browse the site after this document has been posted. Each of those acts is treated as an electronic signature with the same legal effect as a handwritten one, under the U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN), the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), and equivalent laws in other jurisdictions. You consent to receive this agreement and any future amendments in electronic form, and you confirm that you have the means and the ability to print, save, or otherwise retain a copy for your records.

1.3 The roles you may play

Throughout this document, we refer to several different roles. The same person may fall into more than one at a time:

• Visitor — anyone who reads or scrolls the public side of the Services without taking further action.
• Donor — a User who contributes funds to a Campaign through the Services. Donors do not need an account to give a one-time gift.
• Organizer — a User who creates or manages a Campaign on behalf of themselves or someone else. Organizers must hold an account and complete verification.
• Beneficiary — the person, family, group, or cause for whose benefit a Campaign collects Funds. A Beneficiary is not always the same person as the Organizer.
• Authorized Representative — a person or entity (such as a community partner, a legal guardian, or a charity's officer) who acts in good faith on behalf of a Beneficiary who cannot act for themselves.

1.4 Order of precedence

In the rare case of a conflict between these Terms and any supplemental terms posted on a specific feature, page, or campaign, the supplemental terms control with respect to that feature alone. A conflict between these Terms and our Privacy Policy is resolved in favor of the Privacy Policy on matters of data handling, and in favor of these Terms on everything else. No oral or written statement by a member of our team, volunteer, contractor, or partner can modify these Terms unless it is signed in writing by a duly authorized officer of Grace of Giving.

1.5 Plain-language commitment

Throughout this agreement, we commit to the following:

• To explain what we ask of you in everyday English wherever possible.
• To never hide important rules in fine print or behind dense legalese.
• To treat your time, your money, and your trust with the dignity each deserves.
• To remain reachable — by email, by phone, and by post — when something does not feel right.
• To publish an annual transparency report that shows where every aggregated dollar went and what we learned along the way.

To keep the rest of this document readable, here are the key words you will see repeated and what they mean when capitalized. These definitions apply throughout these Terms, the Privacy Policy, and any supplemental terms unless a different meaning is clearly intended in context.

Services

The website, mobile views, application programming interfaces, donation flows, campaign-creation tools, communications channels, and every related feature offered by Grace of Giving, now or in the future.

User

Any person who accesses or interacts with the Services, whether or not they have created an account. "You" and "your" refer to the User reading these Terms and, where context requires, to the entity or natural person on whose behalf that User acts.

Account

The optional User profile that holds an email address, login credentials, donation history, saved Campaigns, and (for Organizers) verification details. Browsing and one-time giving do not require an Account; Organizing does.

Donor

A User who contributes funds to a Campaign through the Services, whether as a guest or while signed in.

Organizer

A User who creates, submits, or manages a Campaign through the Services, including any team members the Organizer invites to assist.

Beneficiary

The person, family, group, or cause for whose benefit a Campaign collects funds. The Beneficiary may or may not be the same person as the Organizer.

Authorized Representative

An individual or entity acting in good faith on behalf of a Beneficiary who is unable to act personally (for example, due to age, illness, bereavement, or absence). Authorized Representatives must demonstrate their authority on request.

Campaign

A fundraising page hosted on the Services, including its title, description, photos, donation goal, organizer information, location, beneficiary details, donation messages, and any related media or correspondence.

Funds

All monetary contributions raised through a Campaign, before or after any platform or payment-processing Fees are deducted.

Fees

The combined platform-and-processing costs described in Section 11, including the optional contribution from Donors and the per-transaction fees charged by our Payment Processors.

Content

Any text, photographs, videos, audio, links, comments, donation messages, support tickets, profile information, or other materials submitted to, uploaded onto, or generated by the Services.

Payment Processor

A third-party financial institution or service provider — such as Stripe, PayPal, or any other partner we may engage — that we use to charge cards, transfer funds, and otherwise move money between Donors, Grace of Giving, and Beneficiaries.

Verification

The internal review process by which we confirm an Organizer's identity, the truth of a Campaign's story, and the lawful intent behind requested Funds, before a Campaign is published.

Transparency Report

The annual public document in which Grace of Giving discloses aggregate Funds raised, operating costs, geographic distribution, moderation actions, and other metrics that reflect the integrity of the platform.

Applicable Law

Any statute, regulation, court order, or official guidance from any government with jurisdiction over the parties or the Services, including without limitation U.S. federal and state laws, the laws of the country in which a User resides, and any applicable international convention.

Restricted Person

Any individual, entity, or government appearing on a sanctions list maintained by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United Nations Security Council, or any other competent authority; any person resident in a comprehensively sanctioned country; and any person otherwise barred from receiving financial services under Applicable Law.

Confidential Information

Non-public information disclosed by one party to the other in connection with the Services that a reasonable person would understand to be confidential, including (for Organizers) the documentation provided during Verification.

Force Majeure Event

Any circumstance beyond a party's reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, war, civil unrest, terrorist acts, sustained labor disputes, governmental actions, internet or utility outages, and material failures of upstream service providers.

Effective Date

The date listed at the top of these Terms as "Last updated." Each subsequent revision establishes a new Effective Date for the revised version.

Grace of Giving is a charitable donation platform. We provide tools for individuals, families, congregations, and small nonprofits to share their stories, request financial help, and receive Funds from a community of Donors. We also provide tools for Donors to find Campaigns that move them, give securely, and follow up with the families they support. We are not a marketplace, a crowdfunding site for commercial products, or an investment vehicle of any kind.

The Services include, without limitation:

• Campaign creation — a guided form, photo upload, and rich story editor that Organizers use to bring a cause forward, including the ability to embed images and links inside the story.
• Verification — a manual review of every Campaign by our small team, often in dialogue with a local partner church or community organization, before the Campaign appears publicly. Verification typically takes between two (2) and seven (7) business days.
• Donation processing — secure card and bank transfer flows handled in partnership with reputable Payment Processors, supporting one-time gifts, recurring contributions (where supported), and donations made on behalf of a household or organization.
• Fund disbursement — periodic transfers of net Funds to verified Beneficiaries, accompanied by a written record of where each gift came from and the period during which it was collected.
• Donor experience tools — emailed tax receipts, follow-up updates, the option to give anonymously, public or private support messages, recurring giving (when supported), share previews for social platforms, and a donor dashboard for registered users.
• Trust & safety tools — the public "Report this fundraiser" link, in-product flag for suspicious activity, and the dispute and refund flows described in Sections 7 and 10.
• Transparency reporting — an annual public account of how aggregate donations were used, our operating costs, our moderation activity, and the broader impact of our community's giving.

3.1 What we are not

Grace of Giving is not a bank, a broker-dealer, an escrow agent, a financial advisor, a credit-card issuer, an insurance company, a tax advisor, an attorney, or a guarantor of any Campaign. We do not lend money. We do not provide investment products. We do not advise Donors or Beneficiaries on tax, legal, or financial matters. We are not party to the personal relationship between Donors and Beneficiaries — we only provide the platform that connects them and the operational support to move Funds safely.

3.2 No guarantee of outcome

While we work hard to verify Campaigns and to ensure that Funds reach the people they were meant for, we cannot and do not guarantee that any Campaign will meet its goal, that a Beneficiary will use Funds exactly as anticipated, or that a Donor's gift will achieve any specific result. Healing, restoration, and reconciliation are slow and uncertain processes; generosity is a hopeful act, not a contract for results.

3.3 Geographic availability

The Services are operated from the United States. We accept Donors from most countries and we accept Beneficiaries who reside in any country not subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions. However, the experience may differ depending on your location, the currencies your bank supports, and the availability of our Payment Processors in your jurisdiction. We make no representation that the Services are appropriate or available for use in every location, and accessing them from a prohibited jurisdiction is your responsibility.

3.4 Beta and preview features

From time to time, we may release new features in "beta," "preview," or similar pre-release form, clearly labeled as such. These features are provided "as is," may not be fully tested, may change or disappear at short notice, and may have additional supplemental terms attached. Using a beta feature is voluntary. We welcome bug reports, suggestions, and feedback on early features — see Section 12 for what happens to that feedback.

3.5 Accessibility commitment

We aim to make the Services usable by everyone, including Users who rely on assistive technology. We design against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and continue to improve in this area as we learn. If you encounter an accessibility barrier, please email hello@graceofgiving.org with "Accessibility" in the subject line. We aim to acknowledge accessibility requests within two (2) business days and to provide an equivalent path to the information or function requested.

3.6 Support availability

Our human support team is small but attentive. We monitor support email Monday through Friday during U.S. business hours and on a best-effort basis on weekends. Emergency safety issues — including the possible compromise of an account or the urgent need to pause a Campaign — are handled around the clock. Where we cannot respond immediately, we provide an automated acknowledgement so that you know your message was received.

To use the Services, you must meet each of the following conditions:

• You are at least eighteen (18) years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction if higher.
• You have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts under Applicable Law and you are not subject to a court order, guardianship, or similar restriction that would impair that capacity.
• You are not currently barred from using the Services under a prior decision by Grace of Giving.
• You are not a Restricted Person and you are not located in, or a resident of, a country subject to comprehensive United States sanctions or trade embargoes (currently including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine).
• Your use of the Services does not violate any Applicable Law in your jurisdiction.

We do not collect age data routinely, but we may ask for proof of age when an Account or Campaign appears to involve a minor as the Beneficiary, or where Applicable Law requires age verification.

4.1 Additional requirements for Organizers

If you create, submit, or manage a Campaign, you additionally represent and warrant that:

• You have the explicit, informed consent of every Beneficiary identified in the Campaign, and of every person whose name, image, story, or likeness appears in the Campaign's Content. For minors, that consent must come from a parent or legal guardian, in writing.
• You will provide reasonable documentation upon request — for example, hospital paperwork, a lease, a contractor estimate, a death certificate, a court order, or a letter from a community leader — that supports the truth of the Campaign's story.
• You are not, and will not pretend to be, an employee, agent, partner, contractor, volunteer, or affiliate of Grace of Giving.
• You have personally read these Terms and any documentation you provide is true to the best of your knowledge.
• You understand that submitting a Campaign with knowingly false information may constitute fraud, deception, or other criminal conduct under Applicable Law, and may result in civil and criminal liability that goes well beyond the consequences described in these Terms.

4.2 Additional requirements for Donors

If you donate through the Services, you additionally represent that the payment method you use is yours (or that you have explicit permission from its rightful owner), and that the funds are lawful in origin. Where required by your bank or Applicable Law, you agree to provide identification or supporting documentation as part of routine anti-fraud and anti-money-laundering checks. If you give while signed into an Account, you must keep your contact information accurate so that receipts and updates reach you.

4.3 Organizational accounts

Where a Campaign is submitted on behalf of a registered nonprofit, religious congregation, or other organization, the natural person who creates the Account must be a duly authorized officer or representative of that organization. The organization is bound by these Terms together with the individual signer. We may, in our reasonable discretion, ask for a certified copy of the organization's bylaws, board minutes, or similar documentation before approving an organizational Campaign.

4.4 Sanctions screening

Grace of Giving screens new Accounts, Organizers, Beneficiaries, and large donations against U.S. and international sanctions lists, including those maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Her Majesty's Treasury, and the European Union. If a screening flags a potential match, we will pause the relevant transaction or Account while we investigate further. We may decline to provide Services to anyone reasonably suspected of being a Restricted Person, and we may report suspected violations to the competent authorities. Where Funds are blocked or returned by Applicable Law, we will follow the instructions of that law and not these Terms.

4.5 Reinstatement of previously banned Users

If your Account has been suspended or terminated under these Terms, you may not return to the Services by creating a new Account, by using a different email address or device, or by enlisting another person to create an Account on your behalf. Doing so will be treated as a fresh violation. After a documented period of good-faith conduct off-platform, we may consider a written reinstatement request — see Section 16 for the procedure.

Grace of Giving does not handle card numbers, bank credentials, or other sensitive financial information directly. We partner with one or more regulated Payment Processors who are PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant. When you give through the Services, your card or bank information is transmitted from your device directly to the Payment Processor, who returns to us only a tokenized reference, the donation amount, and the minimum metadata required to issue a receipt and complete the gift.

By using the Services to give or receive Funds, you also agree to the terms of service and privacy policies of our then-current Payment Processors, which are accessible during checkout and on the Processors' public websites. Those Processors may collect identifying information for fraud-prevention, anti-money-laundering, sanctions-screening, and tax-reporting purposes, separate from the data we collect. We share with our Processors only the minimum information they need to complete the donation and to satisfy their regulatory obligations.

5.1 Currency and conversion

The Services display amounts in United States dollars (USD) by default. Where a Donor's card or bank account is denominated in a different currency, the Payment Processor — not Grace of Giving — handles the conversion at a rate set by the Processor and the Donor's card network. Conversion rates fluctuate throughout the day and may include a small mark-up over the official mid-market rate. Any currency-conversion fees are disclosed in checkout where the Processor returns that data to us, but Grace of Giving does not receive any portion of them.

5.2 Taxes and receipts

Grace of Giving is a registered 501(c)(3), and donations from U.S. taxpayers are generally tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. We will email each Donor a receipt suitable for tax purposes after every successful donation, and we will reissue lost receipts on request for up to seven (7) years after the original gift. Donors outside the United States should consult a qualified tax advisor in their jurisdiction to confirm the deductibility of any specific gift, as we do not provide cross-border tax advice.

5.3 Recurring donations

Where supported, the Services allow Donors to set up recurring monthly or annual donations. By authorizing a recurring gift, you agree to be charged the same amount on the same day of each cycle until you cancel. You can cancel at any time from your Donor dashboard or by contacting hello@graceofgiving.org. If a recurring charge fails (for example, due to an expired card), we will attempt to notify you, retry the charge a small number of times, and then pause the schedule. We do not charge cancellation fees.

5.4 Failed transactions

If a donation fails — because the card was declined, the bank refused the transfer, or the Payment Processor flagged the transaction for review — we will display an error message and, where possible, the reason. You may be able to retry with a different payment method. We do not collect payment information for failed transactions beyond what is necessary to log the attempt for fraud-prevention purposes.

5.5 Fraud screening

Both Grace of Giving and our Payment Processors run automated fraud screening on every donation. Transactions that score above a certain risk threshold may be paused for manual review, declined outright, or held until the Donor confirms their identity through a secondary channel. In rare cases, a confirmed-fraudulent donation that has already been disbursed may be reversed from a future disbursement to the Beneficiary, with notice.

5.6 Sub-processor changes

From time to time, we may change Payment Processors or add new ones. We will list our active partners in our Privacy Policy and provide reasonable advance notice on this page before any change that materially affects the experience, the fees, or the data handled. Where a new Processor is added solely as a backup, we may use it without prior notice if a primary Processor experiences a sustained outage.

By using the Services, you agree to behave in good faith and to honor the trust of the wider community. Specifically, you commit to the following:

• Tell the truth. Every word in your Campaign, in your donor message, in your supporting documentation, and in any communication with our team must be accurate to the best of your knowledge.
• Honor consent. Do not share another person's name, image, medical condition, financial situation, or story without their explicit, informed permission. For minors and people lacking capacity, that permission must come from a parent or legal guardian in writing.
• Keep your Account secure. Choose a strong, unique password, do not share your credentials, and notify us immediately if you suspect any unauthorized use of your Account.
• Stay reachable. Organizers must respond to verification and follow-up requests from our team within seven (7) days, or sooner when a Campaign is time-sensitive. Donors should keep their contact information current so we can deliver receipts and important notices.
• Use Funds for their stated purpose. If you are an Organizer or Beneficiary, the Funds raised by a Campaign must be used for the cause described in that Campaign. Material changes in purpose require our prior written consent and, in most cases, Donor notification.
• Provide reasonable documentation. When we ask for supporting documents during verification or any follow-up review, you agree to provide them promptly. We treat all such documentation as Confidential Information.
• Follow the law. Do not use the Services for any purpose that violates Applicable Law, including tax evasion, money laundering, sanctions evasion, the financing of terrorism, or the funding of unlawful activities of any kind.

6.1 Updates to Donors

Organizers commit to posting at least one written update to their Campaign within ninety (90) days of receiving Funds, sharing what has been done with the gifts received and what remains to be done. Where Donors have left messages of support, Organizers are encouraged — though not required — to thank them, either publicly or privately. Where the Beneficiary passes away, completes the journey for which the Campaign was created, or otherwise reaches the end of the story, a final closing update is expected within thirty (30) days of that milestone.

6.2 Honest goal-setting

Campaign goals should reflect the realistic, documentable need of the Beneficiary. Inflating a goal, padding it with personal expenses unrelated to the cause, or using the goal amount to manipulate Donors are all prohibited. If a Campaign exceeds its goal, the surplus must be used for the same cause, applied to closely related needs of the same Beneficiary, or — with our prior written approval — redirected to a similar verified Campaign on the platform, with each Donor offered the option of a refund where logistically possible.

6.3 Account security

You are responsible for activity that occurs under your Account. We recommend the following hygiene:

• Use a unique password for Grace of Giving — not one shared with any other site.
• Enable two-factor authentication, when offered, on any email address linked to your Account.
• Sign out of public or shared computers after each session.
• Verify the sender of any email claiming to be from Grace of Giving; we will never ask for your password or for a one-time code over email.
• Report a suspected compromise immediately to hello@graceofgiving.org.

If you believe your Account has been accessed without your permission, we will work with you in good faith to lock it, recover access, and review any actions taken in the interim. Where unauthorized donations or campaign changes have occurred, we will reverse them where possible.

6.4 Communications with Donors

Organizers may communicate with Donors through the Campaign updates feature, through Campaign comments (where available), and through Donor messages that include a reply-to address. Off-platform contact discovered through the Services — for example, an email address visible in a screenshot — must not be used for unsolicited solicitation, harassment, or marketing. Always identify yourself accurately when contacting Donors. Never claim to speak on behalf of Grace of Giving.

6.5 Use of Funds

Funds received through the Services must be applied to the purpose described in the Campaign within a reasonable time, usually within six (6) months of disbursement. Where the use of Funds becomes impossible — for example, because the Beneficiary has passed away or because the relevant medical procedure was provided free of charge — the Organizer must contact us promptly so that we can work out an appropriate alternative use with Donor input.

Charitable donations are generally final once received. Because Funds are typically delivered to Beneficiaries on a rolling basis, refund requests must be handled carefully and quickly. The following policies apply.

7.1 Donor-initiated refunds

If you made a donation by accident, in a duplicated amount, or in an amount materially larger than you intended, please contact us at hello@graceofgiving.org within thirty (30) days of the original transaction. We will issue a full or partial refund where the Funds have not yet been disbursed to the Beneficiary, or where the Beneficiary agrees in writing to return the disputed amount. Refunds requested more than thirty (30) days after the original gift, or after disbursement, may not be possible — but we will always try to find a fair resolution.

7.2 Holds for verification or investigation

From time to time, we may place a Campaign — and the Funds it has raised — on a temporary hold while we investigate concerns raised by Donors, by our verification team, by the Beneficiary's local community, or by Applicable Law. During a hold:

• The Campaign may be hidden from public view or accompanied by a notice that it is under review.
• Donors may be unable to make new gifts to the Campaign.
• Funds already received will remain in our custody until the investigation is complete.
• Both Organizer and Beneficiary will be notified of the reason for the hold, the materials we have requested, and the expected timeline.

We aim to resolve every hold within fourteen (14) calendar days. If we conclude that the Campaign violates these Terms or Applicable Law, we will refund Donors where feasible and remove the Campaign permanently. If we conclude that the Campaign is in good standing, we lift the hold, disburse the Funds, and post a brief public note acknowledging that the review took place.

7.3 Chargebacks and disputes

If a Donor disputes a charge with their bank or card network, we will cooperate fully with the dispute process. Where a chargeback is filed against a donation that has already been disbursed, Grace of Giving reserves the right to recover the disputed amount from the Beneficiary, to deduct it from future Funds disbursed to the same Beneficiary, or to suspend the Beneficiary's account until the matter is resolved. Repeated or fraudulent chargebacks may also result in Account termination and referral to the relevant authorities. We do not penalize Beneficiaries for chargebacks that arise from confirmed Donor fraud.

7.4 Failed or cancelled Campaigns

Sometimes a Campaign is cancelled before any Funds can be disbursed — for example, because the Beneficiary's circumstances change suddenly, because the goal is met another way, or because the Campaign is removed for a policy violation. When a Campaign ends without disbursement, we will, in this order of preference: refund Donors automatically where their original payment method still accepts refunds; offer the unrefundable balance to a similar verified Campaign with Donor consent; or, as a last resort, retain the balance in a charitable reserve restricted to causes of the same category.

7.5 Goodwill refunds

Even outside the thirty (30) day refund window, we may issue a "goodwill" refund in our reasonable discretion when a Donor demonstrates a sincere change in circumstances (such as job loss, illness, or family crisis) and when refunding is operationally possible. Goodwill refunds are not a right; they reflect our commitment to treating Donors with grace, but they are limited by what Funds remain undisbursed at the time of the request.

7.6 Disbursement timing

Subject to verification, holds, and the operational schedules of our Payment Processors, we aim to disburse Funds to Beneficiaries on a regular cadence — typically weekly. Disbursement timing depends on the Beneficiary's bank, the country of disbursement, the amount, and any anti-fraud holds in place at the time. Funds disbursed are net of the per-transaction Fees described in Section 11.

We work hard to keep Grace of Giving a place of dignity, safety, and quiet hope. The following Campaigns and Content are not permitted on the Services and will be declined, removed, or refunded as appropriate. The list below is illustrative, not exhaustive; we reserve the right to remove or decline any Campaign that does not align with our mission or our community standards, even if it is not specifically named.

8.1 Illegal activity and regulated goods

• Campaigns that promote, facilitate, or fund any activity that violates Applicable Law in the United States, the Beneficiary's country, or the Donor's country — including financial fraud, identity theft, drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, and the financing of terrorism.
• Campaigns to acquire firearms, ammunition, explosives, knives sold as weapons, suppressors, body armor, or other regulated arms-related goods, even where the purchase would be lawful in the buyer's jurisdiction.
• Campaigns to obtain controlled substances, prescription drugs without a valid prescription, recreational cannabis (where federally prohibited), tobacco, vape products, or alcohol.
• Campaigns to pay ransom, bribes, illegal political donations, kickbacks, or any other improper payment.
• Campaigns that involve gambling, lotteries, raffles, sweepstakes, "split the pot" events, or any pay-to-enter contest with a chance of monetary reward.
• Campaigns to refinance, consolidate, or otherwise repay debts that arose from any of the prohibited activities listed in this Section.

8.2 Hate, violence, and discrimination

• Campaigns that promote hate, discrimination, harassment, intolerance, or violence against any individual or group based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, immigration status, or any other protected characteristic.
• Campaigns to pay for, defend, or otherwise support the cost of an alleged offender's legal expenses in cases involving violent crime, hate crimes, sexual offenses, or domestic violence.
• Campaigns memorializing, glorifying, or celebrating individuals known primarily for hate, violence, or large-scale harm.
• Campaigns to organize, equip, or fund vigilantism, militias, paramilitary training, or any private use of force.

8.3 Misrepresentation and deception

• Campaigns that misrepresent the Beneficiary, exaggerate the severity of an illness or hardship, or use stolen, edited, or AI-generated images presented as authentic.
• Campaigns that impersonate real charities, public figures, governments, or Grace of Giving itself.
• Campaigns that fabricate documents, medical opinions, court orders, or other supporting materials submitted during verification.
• Campaigns that recycle Content from a prior fundraiser (on this or another platform) without disclosing that the cause is the same.

8.4 Adult content and exploitation

• Campaigns containing sexually explicit material, pornography, depictions of nudity outside of clearly clinical or anatomical contexts, or content that sexualizes minors.
• Campaigns related to escort services, pornography production, "adult" subscription content, or similar enterprises.
• Campaigns that depict or facilitate the exploitation of any minor, regardless of consent claimed by the Organizer.

8.5 Politics and influence

• Campaigns for political candidates, parties, political action committees, election-related expenses, or recall efforts. We remain non-partisan.
• Campaigns explicitly intended to influence specific legislation, ballot measures, or judicial appointments. Educational and advocacy work on broad social issues is permitted, subject to additional review.
• Campaigns by foreign nationals or foreign entities to influence U.S. elections or to fund U.S. political activity, where prohibited by Applicable Law.

8.6 Commercial use and investments

• Campaigns that offer rewards, perks, products, services, or financial returns to Donors. Donations on Grace of Giving are charitable gifts, not investments or pre-purchases.
• Campaigns to fund for-profit businesses, multi-level marketing schemes, pyramid arrangements, or similar commercial ventures.
• Campaigns that promote securities offerings, initial coin offerings, NFTs, or any other speculative financial instrument.

8.7 Intellectual property and privacy

• Campaigns whose Content infringes the copyright, trademark, trade-secret, publicity, or privacy rights of any third party.
• Campaigns that share medical, financial, or other sensitive personal information about another person without that person's informed consent.
• Campaigns that share private addresses, phone numbers, or other identifying details of individuals who have not consented to public disclosure.

Independent of what your Campaign is about, you agree not to engage in the following conduct while using the Services:

• Creating multiple Accounts to evade a suspension, manipulate donation counts, leave fake support messages, inflate visible momentum, or circumvent any other limitation we have imposed.
• Impersonating any individual, charity, public figure, journalist, government official, or organization, including Grace of Giving itself.
• Using bots, scripts, scrapers, headless browsers, or other automated tools to access, copy, or interact with the Services without our express written permission. Routine non-commercial accessibility tools, screen readers, and well-behaved search-engine crawlers are exempt.
• Attempting to reverse-engineer, disassemble, or decompile any portion of the Services, or attempting to discover their underlying source code, except where Applicable Law expressly permits such activity notwithstanding this restriction.
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any Account, server, database, or network of Grace of Giving, our Payment Processors, or any other User.
• Probing the Services for security vulnerabilities outside of a responsible-disclosure process invited by us in writing.
• Submitting malicious code, scripts, links, attachments, or executable files through any input field, donation message, or Campaign Content.
• Harassing, threatening, doxxing, stalking, or intimidating any User or member of our team, whether through donation messages, support tickets, social channels, or off-platform contact discovered through the Services.
• Coordinating donations across multiple parties for the purpose of laundering funds, evading taxes, or otherwise concealing the origin or destination of money.
• Misrepresenting your relationship to a Beneficiary in order to collect Funds intended for someone else.
• Using the Services to send unsolicited commercial communications, including spam to other Users found through the platform.
• Removing, altering, or obscuring any copyright, trademark, or attribution notice that we display.
• Aggregating data from the Services to build a competing product, a donor database, or any commercial resale offering.

9.1 Reporting violations

If you observe or experience any of the conduct above, please report it immediately at hello@graceofgiving.org or through the in-product reporting tools described in Section 10. Reports are reviewed promptly by our team and, where warranted, escalated to the relevant authorities. We acknowledge every report within three (3) business days and treat reporters with confidentiality to the extent permitted by Applicable Law.

9.2 Off-platform behavior

Behavior that takes place off the Services may still affect your access to them. If we receive credible reports — supported by documentation, screenshots, or sworn statements — that you have stalked, threatened, harassed, defrauded, or otherwise harmed another User through channels you discovered through Grace of Giving, we may suspend or terminate your Account. This is a narrow but real category and we use it sparingly.

9.3 Repeat-offender escalation

We respond to repeated violations on an escalating scale: a private warning, a public note attached to a Campaign, a temporary suspension, and finally a permanent ban. The exact path depends on the severity of the conduct and the harm caused. Some violations — including any conduct that endangers a child, threatens violence, or involves confirmed fraud — bypass the gradient and result in immediate termination.

Every Campaign submitted to Grace of Giving is reviewed by a human member of our team before it is published. We typically reply to new submissions within two (2) business days. Verification may involve speaking directly with the Organizer, requesting documentation, contacting a local partner church or community organization, and confirming details through public records where appropriate.

Once a Campaign is live, our moderation continues in two ways:

• Routine review. We re-inspect every Campaign that crosses certain Funds thresholds, and we sample Campaigns at random throughout their lifecycle.
• Community reporting. Donors, Beneficiaries, and the public may report a Campaign at any time using the "Report this fundraiser" link near the bottom of every Campaign page, or by emailing hello@graceofgiving.org. Every report is read by a real person and acknowledged within three (3) business days.

10.1 Possible outcomes

After review, we may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request additional information or documentation from the Organizer.
• Add an explanatory note to the public Campaign page so that Donors can read the moderation context for themselves.
• Place a temporary hold on Funds while we investigate (see Section 7.2).
• Edit specific phrases or images that violate these Terms while keeping the rest of the Campaign live, with the Organizer's awareness.
• Remove the Campaign and refund Donors where feasible.
• Suspend or terminate the Organizer's Account.
• Refer the matter to law enforcement, a regulator, or a relevant trust-and-safety partner.

10.2 Appeals

If your Campaign is declined, paused, or removed, you may appeal in writing within thirty (30) days of the decision. Appeals should explain why you believe the decision was incorrect and include any new documentation that supports your position. A different member of our team — one who was not involved in the original decision — will review the appeal and respond within ten (10) business days. Where an appeal succeeds, we will restore the Campaign promptly and, where appropriate, post a public correction.

10.3 Transparency reporting

Once a year, we publish a Transparency Report that aggregates and anonymizes the moderation work we did during the prior year, including the total number of Campaigns reviewed, the share approved on first submission, the share placed on hold or removed, the most common reasons for removal, the volume of Donor refunds processed, and any government or law-enforcement requests we received. The Transparency Report is freely available on our website each spring.

10.4 Government and legal requests

We receive occasional requests from law enforcement, tax authorities, courts, or regulators for information about a Campaign, a User, or a donation. We respond to legally valid requests in accordance with Applicable Law and our Privacy Policy. Where Applicable Law and the situation permit, we will notify the affected User before disclosure so they can take appropriate action. Some requests — such as those involving an active investigation of imminent harm — may legally prohibit prior notice.

Grace of Giving is, and has always been, transparent about money. Two kinds of fees apply to most donations:

• Platform fee. Grace of Giving does not charge Organizers or Beneficiaries a platform fee. Our operating costs are covered by an optional contribution that Donors may add to their gift at checkout. Where that optional contribution does not cover our costs, the gap is closed by grants, voluntary supporters, and a modest reserve. In a typical year, our overhead represents less than seven percent (7%) of total Funds processed.
• Payment-processing fee. Our Payment Processors charge a transaction fee — typically 2.9% plus $0.30 per card donation in the United States, with different rates for international cards, bank transfers, recurring gifts, and digital wallets. These rates are set by the Processor and disclosed at checkout. Grace of Giving does not receive any portion of this fee.

11.1 The 93% commitment

On average, across all donations processed in the most recent fiscal year, ninety-three cents of every dollar reached the Beneficiary of the Campaign for which it was given. The remaining seven cents covered payment processing, verification, fraud screening, and the cost of running our small team. We publish a complete breakdown in our annual Transparency Report. If a specific Campaign performs differently from the average (for example, because of an unusually high share of international Donors), we make that information available to the Donor on request.

11.2 No hidden fees

We do not charge fees for creating an Account, listing a Campaign, requesting a refund within the stated window, sending a Donor receipt, or contacting our team. We do not sell premium tiers, "boost" placement, paid visibility, or featured-cause status. Every Campaign is presented on its own merits, ordered by criteria we explain in our public help articles.

11.3 The optional contribution

At checkout, Donors are presented with the option to add a small contribution toward Grace of Giving's operating costs. The default suggestion is moderate (typically 10% of the gift) and may be lowered, raised, or removed by the Donor before the transaction is confirmed. The optional contribution is shown clearly, explained in plain language, and never auto-renewed without consent on recurring donations. If you reach checkout and the optional contribution is unclear, please pause and contact us.

11.4 Cross-border and currency mark-up

Cross-border donations may incur additional Payment Processor fees, currency-conversion mark-ups, or correspondent-bank fees that are disclosed at checkout where the Processor returns that data to us. Grace of Giving does not receive any portion of these fees. If a Donor's bank applies its own conversion mark-up on the Donor's side — which is common with credit cards — that fee is invisible to us and is the responsibility of the Donor's bank.

11.5 Refund-related fees

Refunds processed within the thirty (30) day Donor refund window are issued at no additional charge by us. Some Payment Processors retain a small portion of their original transaction fee on refunds; where they do, we absorb that cost rather than passing it on to the Donor. Funds returned by reason of fraud or chargeback follow the rules of Section 7.3.

12.1 Our Content

The Services — including the Grace of Giving name and word mark, the candle-and-hands logo, our illustrations, our typography licensing, the page layouts, the source code that powers the platform, our written copy, our help center, and any explanatory material we publish — are owned by Grace of Giving or licensed to us by their rightful owners. All rights are reserved. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, publicly display, publicly perform, or create derivative works of our Content without our prior written permission, except to the limited extent expressly permitted by Applicable Law (such as fair use for commentary, criticism, or news reporting).

12.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of every Content item you submit to the Services — your Campaign story, your photographs, your donation message, and any media you upload. By submitting Content, you grant Grace of Giving a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sub-licensable license to host, store, reproduce, display, adapt, publish, translate, and distribute that Content for the purposes of operating, promoting, and improving the Services, including in social-media previews, search-engine snippets, and aggregate Transparency Reports. This license terminates when you delete the Content from the Services or when we remove it pursuant to these Terms, except for copies retained in routine backups for a limited time and for any uses already publicly published before deletion.

12.3 Donor messages

Donor messages of support, when posted publicly on a Campaign page, may continue to appear on that page after a gift is made, even if the Donor's Account is later closed. Donors may request removal of a specific message at any time by emailing hello@graceofgiving.org. Anonymous messages remain anonymous; the Donor's identity is not revealed to the Organizer or the public.

12.4 Trademark and brand requests

If you would like to write about, refer to, or display the Grace of Giving brand for journalistic, educational, or partnership purposes, please contact hello@graceofgiving.org for our brand guidelines and a short usage agreement. We respond quickly and are happy to help good-faith requests. Use of our marks outside of a granted usage right may constitute trademark infringement under Applicable Law.

12.5 Copyright complaints (DMCA)

If you believe Content on the Services infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to our designated agent that includes:

• A physical or electronic signature of the rights-holder or their authorized agent.
• A clear identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
• The URL of the allegedly infringing material on the Services and a description sufficient to locate it.
• Your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
• A statement made under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized.
• A statement that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the rights-holder or are authorized to act on their behalf.

Send the notice to our DMCA agent at hello@graceofgiving.org (subject line "DMCA Notice") or by post to the address in Section 22. We respond to valid notices promptly and in compliance with the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act. We may also forward the notice to the affected User and provide an opportunity to submit a counter-notice. Repeat infringers will have their Accounts terminated in appropriate circumstances.

12.6 Feedback and suggestions

If you send us feedback, suggestions, ideas, or proposals about the Services — through email, support tickets, social media, or in person — you grant Grace of Giving a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable license to use, modify, and incorporate that feedback into the Services without obligation to compensate or credit you. We promise to be honest about whose ideas helped us when we publicly describe a feature.

12.7 Beneficiary photographs

Photographs of Beneficiaries used in Campaigns may, with the Beneficiary's continued consent, be incorporated into our Transparency Reports, annual letters to supporters, and similar communications about the impact of giving. A Beneficiary may withdraw this consent at any time, and we will stop using new copies of the relevant photograph promptly upon receiving the request.

Our complete Privacy Policy describes the personal information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, with whom we share it, and what rights you have over it. We encourage every User to read it. Below is a brief summary so you know what to expect.

• What we collect. Account details (name, email, optional phone), Campaign information you submit, donation amounts and recipients, basic device and analytics data, and any messages you send us.
• What we do not collect. We do not collect or store card numbers, bank credentials, full social-security or national-identity numbers, or biometric data. Sensitive payment data flows directly from your device to our Payment Processors.
• Why we collect it. To operate the Services, to verify Campaigns, to process donations, to send receipts, to provide support, to detect fraud, to publish our Transparency Reports in aggregate, and to comply with Applicable Law.
• Sharing. We share with our Payment Processors and infrastructure vendors under contract, with Beneficiaries (your name and message, unless you give anonymously), and with authorities when legally required. We do not sell personal data and we do not "share" personal data for cross-context behavioral advertising as those terms are defined under U.S. state privacy laws.
• Your rights. Depending on your location, you may have the right to access, correct, port, export, or delete your personal data, to opt out of certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise these rights, email hello@graceofgiving.org.

13.1 International transfers

Because our team and our infrastructure are based in the United States, your personal information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers operate. We use Standard Contractual Clauses, the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (where applicable and certified), and other appropriate safeguards as required by Applicable Law. If you are a resident of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland and would like a copy of the safeguards covering a specific transfer, please contact us.

13.2 Cookies and analytics

We use a small number of strictly necessary cookies to keep the Services secure and functional. We use privacy-respecting analytics to understand which features are used and how the Services perform. We do not use third-party advertising trackers and we do not sell behavioral data. Users in jurisdictions that require consent for analytics cookies see a cookie notice on their first visit and can withdraw consent at any time.

13.3 Children's privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Where a child appears as a Beneficiary in a Campaign, the Campaign must be created and managed by a parent, legal guardian, or other Authorized Representative. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete it promptly.

13.4 Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as needed to operate the Services, to comply with our legal obligations (including tax-record retention), to resolve disputes, and to enforce these Terms. Specific retention periods are listed in the Privacy Policy. When the retention period ends, data is deleted or irreversibly anonymized.

We use a modest amount of artificial intelligence to support our small team in keeping the platform safe and welcoming. In the spirit of transparency, here is exactly where AI shows up and where it does not.

14.1 Where AI assists us

• Verification triage. When a new Campaign is submitted, automated tools help flag obvious duplicates, off-topic submissions, and Content that may contain prohibited material. A human team member always makes the final call.
• Image safety. Uploaded photos are scanned by automated classifiers to detect material that violates our Prohibited Content list (Section 8), including manipulated media and material that may sexualize a minor.
• Spam and abuse detection. Donation messages and support tickets pass through filters that detect spam, threats, and abusive language.
• Translation assistance. Our team may use AI translation to draft replies in languages we do not personally speak, before reviewing and editing the response by hand.
• Accessibility. AI tools help us generate draft alternative-text for images and transcripts for any audio Content, which is then reviewed by a human editor.

14.2 Where AI does not decide

No automated system, by itself, decides whether to approve, decline, suspend, or terminate a Campaign or an Account. Every consequential decision is made by a human. We will tell you what role automated tools played in any decision that affects you, on request.

14.3 What we will never do

• We will never sell your personal data, your Campaign story, or your photographs to train external generative-AI models.
• We will never let an AI system impersonate a real person in donor communications, Campaign updates, or moderation responses.
• We will never publish AI-generated Beneficiaries, AI-generated photographs of supposed real people, or AI-fabricated medical, financial, or identity documentation as if it were real.
• We will never use AI to make a credit-style assessment of any User in a way that affects their access to giving or receiving.

14.4 Human-in-the-loop service-level commitment

Where an automated system has flagged a Campaign, an Account, or a transaction for moderation, a human reviewer engages within two (2) business days for standard reviews and within twenty-four (24) hours for safety-critical reviews. The reviewer documents the decision, the reasoning, and any new policy guidance derived from the case, so that future judgments by both humans and automated tools improve over time.

14.5 Your right to know

You may ask, at any time, whether an automated tool was involved in a specific decision that affected you and what role it played. Send your request to hello@graceofgiving.org with "AI inquiry" in the subject line. We will respond within thirty (30) days. Where Applicable Law (such as the European Union AI Act) gives you additional rights about automated decision-making, we will honor those rights in full.

The Services may contain links to third-party websites, embedded media (such as YouTube videos or Spotify clips referenced inside a Campaign story), social-share buttons, fonts hosted by external providers, mapping tiles, and integrations with the Payment Processors described in Section 5. Those third parties operate under their own terms and privacy policies. Grace of Giving does not control them, does not endorse them, and is not responsible for their content, availability, or practices.

When you follow a link from the Services to a third-party destination, you do so at your own risk. We encourage you to review the terms and privacy policy of any third party before sharing personal information with them.

15.1 Embedded campaigns and widgets

If we provide widgets, embeds, or social-share previews that allow our Content to appear on a third-party site (for example, a Beneficiary's blog, a partner church's site, or a media outlet), the appearance of our Content in that context does not constitute an endorsement of the host. We may, in our sole discretion, request that any third party remove embedded Grace of Giving Content that appears in a misleading, offensive, or harmful context.

15.2 Common third-party categories

The third parties that touch the Services typically fall into the following categories:

• Payment. Our Payment Processors (see Section 5), card networks, and the banks of Donors and Beneficiaries.
• Infrastructure. Hosting providers, content delivery networks, database providers, and email delivery services.
• Communications. The email and SMS systems that deliver receipts, notifications, and support replies.
• Analytics. Privacy-respecting tools that help us understand performance and usage.
• Verification. Identity-verification providers and document-validation services used during Organizer onboarding.
• Embedded media. Video, audio, and image hosting platforms referenced inside Campaign stories.

A current sub-processor list is maintained in our Privacy Policy.

15.3 Outbound links

Outbound links embedded inside a Campaign story are placed there by the Organizer at their own discretion and risk. We do not verify the destination of every link and we do not endorse linked content. If you encounter an outbound link that violates these Terms or Applicable Law, please report it through the in-product flag or by email.

You may stop using the Services at any time. To close your Account, email hello@graceofgiving.org from the address on file or use the in-Account "Close my account" link, if available. Closing your Account does not retroactively cancel donations already made or refund Funds already disbursed to Beneficiaries, but it stops further communications, removes your profile from public view, and triggers the data-deletion schedule described in Section 13.4 and our Privacy Policy.

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services, with or without prior notice, if we reasonably believe that:

• You have violated these Terms, our Privacy Policy, or Applicable Law.
• Your Campaign or your conduct presents a risk to other Users, to Beneficiaries, to our partners, or to the integrity of the platform.
• A Payment Processor or banking partner has required us to take action because of credible suspicion of fraud, money laundering, or sanctions evasion.
• You have repeatedly failed to respond to verification or moderation requests within the timeframes set out in Section 6.
• Continued service to you would expose Grace of Giving to legal, financial, or reputational harm.

Where the circumstances permit, we will give notice and an opportunity to cure before suspension or termination. Where they do not — for example, when an active fraud is underway or when a child is at risk — we will act first and explain afterwards.

16.1 Effect of termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Services ends immediately. Pending donations may be cancelled or refunded at our discretion. Sections of these Terms that, by their nature, are intended to survive termination — including those covering payment obligations, intellectual property, disclaimers, indemnification, dispute resolution, and the miscellaneous clauses — will continue in full effect.

16.2 Reactivation

If your Account is suspended, you may request reactivation in writing once the underlying issue has been resolved. Reactivation requests should explain what changed, include any new documentation, and acknowledge the Section of these Terms that was implicated. We aim to respond to reactivation requests within ten (10) business days. We may decline reactivation in our reasonable discretion, particularly for safety-related suspensions.

16.3 Data after termination

After termination, we retain only the information necessary to comply with our legal obligations (including tax records and anti-fraud records), to resolve disputes, and to enforce these Terms. The schedule for that retention is described in our Privacy Policy. Public Campaign pages may remain accessible in an archival form, sometimes with a clear notice that the Campaign has been closed or removed, so that Donors retain a record of the gifts they made.

17.1 No warranty

The Services are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, reliability, title, and non-infringement. While we work hard to keep the Services secure and operating, we do not warrant that they will be uninterrupted, free of bugs, free of viruses, or that defects will be corrected within any specific time. No statement made by a team member, volunteer, contractor, partner, or third party creates a warranty beyond what is expressly stated in these Terms.

17.2 No guarantee of Campaigns

Although we verify every Campaign through a manual review and document a clear chain of evidence, we cannot fully guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any Campaign story or the conduct of any Organizer or Beneficiary. Donating is an act of trust, and we ask you to bring your own judgment to that decision. We do not warrant that any Campaign will meet its goal, that Funds will be used for any specific purpose, or that any particular outcome — medical, financial, spiritual, or otherwise — will result from a donation.

17.3 Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by Applicable Law, in no event shall Grace of Giving, its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, contractors, or affiliates be liable to any User for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages — including lost profits, lost donations, lost data, loss of reputation, business interruption, or emotional distress — arising out of or related to the Services or these Terms, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Where we are found liable despite the foregoing limitations, our total aggregate liability to any single User arising out of or related to the Services or these Terms, across all claims, shall not exceed the greater of (a) one hundred United States dollars (USD $100), or (b) the total amount that User donated through the Services in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. Multiple claims do not enlarge this limit.

17.4 Jurisdictional limits

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation or exclusion of liability for certain damages, including damages caused by gross negligence, fraud, or wilful misconduct. In such jurisdictions, the limitations in this Section apply only to the maximum extent permitted by Applicable Law. Nothing in these Terms limits any liability that cannot be limited as a matter of law.

17.5 No professional advice

Information made available through the Services — including help-center articles, blog posts, FAQ answers, and conversations with our team — is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, accounting, medical, financial, or investment advice. You should consult qualified professionals in your jurisdiction before making decisions that turn on those subjects.

17.6 Disputes between Users

Grace of Giving is not party to any dispute between Donors, Organizers, and Beneficiaries about the use of Funds, the truth of a Campaign, the personal relationship of the parties, or any other matter that arises between them. We will provide information necessary to resolve such disputes where consistent with our Privacy Policy and Applicable Law, but the ultimate resolution is between the parties themselves.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Grace of Giving and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, contractors, and affiliates (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") from and against any claims, demands, actions, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of defense) arising out of or related to:

• Your Content, including any Campaign you create or manage, and any photograph, video, link, or document you submit.
• Your use of, or inability to use, the Services in any way that breaches these Terms or Applicable Law.
• Your interaction with another User, Beneficiary, or third party that arose through the Services, including off-platform contact established through the Services.
• Any misrepresentation you make in connection with the Services, including misrepresentation of identity, eligibility, the truth of a Campaign, or the intended use of Funds.
• Any failure by you to comply with the obligations described in Section 6, including the duty to update Donors and to apply Funds to their stated purpose.

18.1 Procedure

We will give you prompt written notice of any claim subject to this indemnification, and you will be entitled to participate in the defense at your own expense. We reserve the right to assume sole control of the defense and settlement of any matter for which you are obligated to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate fully with our defense. You may not settle any claim that imposes any obligation, payment, admission, or restriction on Grace of Giving without our prior written consent.

18.2 Release

If you have a dispute with another User — including any disagreement about a Campaign, a donation, a use of Funds, off-platform contact discovered through the Services, or any related matter — you release Grace of Giving and the Indemnified Parties from claims, demands, and damages of every kind, known and unknown, arising out of or related to that dispute. In jurisdictions that recognize California Civil Code § 1542 or analogous provisions, you expressly waive any right such law affords with respect to unknown claims you may have against the Indemnified Parties in connection with such User-to-User disputes.

18.3 Survival

The obligations in this Section 18 survive the termination of your Account and the end of these Terms with respect to any matter arising during your use of the Services.

19.1 Informal resolution first

Before initiating any formal proceeding, you agree to give us a chance to resolve the dispute informally. Send a written notice of the dispute to hello@graceofgiving.org with "Dispute notice" in the subject line, describing the problem, the remedy you seek, your contact information, and the relevant Campaign or donation reference. We will attempt to respond within thirty (30) days and to resolve the matter in good faith. Most disputes end here.

19.2 Binding arbitration

If informal resolution fails, you and Grace of Giving agree to resolve any remaining dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or related to these Terms or the Services through final and binding arbitration administered by JAMS or, if JAMS is unavailable, by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA"), in each case under the consumer-arbitration rules of the chosen administrator then in effect. The arbitration will be conducted in English. The seat of the arbitration shall be a county in the United States that is reasonably convenient for the Donor or Organizer involved, and the arbitration may proceed by video conference at either party's request. The arbitrator's decision is final, binding, and enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction.

19.3 Class-action waiver

To the maximum extent permitted by Applicable Law, you and Grace of Giving agree that each may bring claims against the other only in your or its individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of class or representative proceeding. If a court determines that the class-action waiver in this paragraph is unenforceable with respect to any particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) shall be severed from the arbitration and brought in court.

19.4 Exceptions

Either party may bring an individual action in small-claims court for disputes within that court's jurisdiction. Either party may also seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court for matters relating to intellectual property, unauthorized access to the Services, or violations of the prohibited-conduct rules in Sections 8 and 9. Filing such an action does not waive the right to compel arbitration of remaining claims.

19.5 Governing law

These Terms, and any dispute arising out of or related to them, are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles, except to the extent that the Federal Arbitration Act or other federal statutes apply. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply to these Terms.

19.6 Arbitration opt-out

You may opt out of the binding-arbitration and class-waiver provisions of Sections 19.2 and 19.3 by sending a written opt-out notice to Grace of Giving at the postal address in Section 22 within thirty (30) days of first accepting these Terms (or thirty (30) days of any material amendment to this Section). The opt-out notice must include your full name, the email address associated with your Account (if any), and a clear statement that you are opting out of arbitration. Opting out does not affect any other provision of these Terms. If you opt out, both you and Grace of Giving retain the right to bring disputes in court.

19.7 Arbitration fees

In any arbitration commenced under these Terms, Grace of Giving will pay the arbitrator's fees and the administrative fees of the chosen arbitration administrator for any consumer claim where Applicable Law or the administrator's consumer-friendly rules require us to do so. Each party will bear its own attorneys' fees and other costs, except that the arbitrator may award reasonable attorneys' fees and costs to the prevailing party as permitted by Applicable Law.

19.8 Confidentiality of proceedings

The arbitration proceedings, including any award, will be confidential, except as required by Applicable Law or as necessary to enforce or challenge the award. Either party may disclose the proceedings to its counsel, accountants, auditors, and insurers, who must also keep the disclosure confidential.

We may revise these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for material changes, send registered Users an email notice at the address on file at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the revised Terms become effective. A prominent banner will appear on the Services for the same period. For non-material changes — such as a clarification, a typo fix, or a renumbered section — we may post the revised Terms without separate notice, and the new Effective Date alone will indicate the change.

Your continued use of the Services after the Effective Date of any revision constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revisions, please stop using the Services and contact us so that we can close your Account and, where appropriate, process any outstanding refund.

20.1 Archived versions

A copy of every prior version of these Terms is retained for at least three (3) years and is available upon written request. We believe in showing our work. Where a dispute relates to a specific use of the Services at a specific time, the Terms that applied at that time govern.

20.2 Material vs. non-material changes

A change is "material" if it would, in our reasonable judgment, meaningfully reduce your rights, add new obligations, or alter the fees you pay. Examples include adding a new restricted use, changing the arbitration provision, or increasing the optional contribution default. A change is "non-material" if it does not have those effects — for example, fixing a broken link, clarifying ambiguous language, or reorganizing existing provisions.

20.3 No retroactive changes

Revisions to these Terms apply prospectively. A revision does not change the rules that governed donations completed, Campaigns submitted, or Accounts created before the revision's Effective Date, except where the revision is required by Applicable Law to apply retroactively or where the revision is a clarification of an existing right or obligation.

20.4 Continued use as acceptance

Your continued use of the Services after a revision becomes effective is treated as your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not accept a revision, you must stop using the Services before the new Effective Date. We will not penalize a User for closing an Account in response to a revision, and we will issue refunds where the revision materially changes the basis on which a recurring donation was set up.

21.1 Entire agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any additional terms expressly referenced and incorporated, constitute the entire agreement between you and Grace of Giving with respect to the Services. They supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, proposals, and understandings, whether oral or written, including any prior version of these Terms.

21.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction, the unenforceable provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

21.3 No waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of that right or provision. A waiver, if granted, must be in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of Grace of Giving, and applies only to the specific instance described.

21.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms, in whole or in part, in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of substantially all our assets, or transfer to a successor charitable entity that agrees in writing to honor the obligations and commitments contained in this document. We will provide reasonable notice to Users of any such assignment.

21.5 Force majeure

Neither party will be liable for any failure or delay in performance to the extent caused by a Force Majeure Event, provided that the affected party uses commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of the event and to resume performance as soon as practicable. Donor-refund obligations and confidentiality obligations are not excused by force majeure.

21.6 Headings and references

The headings and section numbers in these Terms are for reference only and do not affect the interpretation of the provisions they introduce. References to "including," "for example," or "such as" are non-exhaustive. References to "writing" include email and similar electronic communications unless context clearly requires a physical signature.

21.7 Notices

We may give notice to you by email to the address on file, by an in-product banner, or by posting a notice on the Services. You may give notice to us at hello@graceofgiving.org or by post to the address listed in Section 22. Notices are effective upon receipt by the intended recipient, or two (2) business days after deposit in first-class mail, whichever is earlier.

21.8 Electronic communications consent

By using the Services, you consent to receive electronic communications from Grace of Giving — including receipts, account notices, security alerts, transparency report announcements, and material revisions to these Terms. Most of these communications can be turned off in your account preferences, but communications about transactions and legally required notices cannot be opted out of without closing your Account.

21.9 No third-party beneficiaries

Except as expressly stated (for example, the Indemnified Parties under Section 18), these Terms do not confer any rights, remedies, or benefits on any person other than you and Grace of Giving.

21.10 Survival

Sections that, by their nature, are intended to survive termination of these Terms — including Sections 6 (use of Funds), 7 (refunds and chargebacks), 11 (fees), 12 (intellectual property), 13 (privacy), 17 (disclaimers and limitations), 18 (indemnification), 19 (arbitration), 21 (miscellaneous), and 22 (contact) — survive any such termination and remain enforceable.

We are a small team and we read every word. Whether you spotted a typo in this document, you have a question about a refund, you want to flag a Campaign for closer review, or you want to thank a Beneficiary for their courage — we want to hear from you.

The fastest way to reach us is by email at hello@graceofgiving.org. We aim to respond within two (2) business days, and to legal or urgent safety matters within twenty-four (24) hours.

22.1 Specific contact channels

For faster routing, you may include one of the following keywords in the subject line of your email:

• Refund — for donation refund requests within the thirty-day window described in Section 7.
• Report — for reporting a suspicious or harmful Campaign.
• Verification — for questions about an Organizer review in progress.
• DMCA Notice — for copyright complaints described in Section 12.5.
• Privacy — for requests to access, correct, export, or delete personal data.
• Accessibility — for accessibility barriers or accommodation requests.
• Press — for journalists, partners, and interview requests.
• Dispute notice — for the informal dispute resolution step described in Section 19.1.
• AI inquiry — for questions about the role of automated tools in a decision that affected you.

22.2 By post

For physical correspondence — including DMCA notices, regulatory inquiries, arbitration opt-out notices, and process service — please write to:

22.3 Response time commitments

We aim to honor the following service-level commitments:

• Safety-critical issues (suspected fraud, child-safety concerns, account compromise): acknowledgement within 24 hours, action within 72 hours.
• Refund requests: acknowledgement within 2 business days, resolution within 10 business days where Funds remain undisbursed.
• General support: response within 2 business days.
• Privacy requests: substantive response within 30 days, in line with Applicable Law.
• Press inquiries: response within 3 business days; faster on developing stories.

Thank you for taking the time to read this document. The hope behind every line of it is the same hope behind every campaign on the platform: that a small, transparent agreement between strangers can become an act of grace.