Terms of Service

Last Updated: October 12, 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Help Local ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Help Local is a platform that enables organizations to create and manage donation campaigns, process payments via Stripe, and manage donor relationships. The Service includes:

  • Campaign creation and management tools
  • Payment processing for one-time and recurring donations
  • Embeddable donation forms
  • Reporting and analytics
  • User and team management

3. User Accounts

3.1 Registration

  • You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
  • You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
  • You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account
  • You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

3.2 Email Verification

  • You must verify your email address to access certain features of the Service
  • We may send important account and service notifications to your registered email

3.3 Account Termination

  • You may delete your account at any time through the account settings
  • We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms
  • We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason

4. Payment Terms

4.1 Payment Processing

  • All payments are processed through Stripe, a third-party payment processor
  • You must comply with Stripe's Terms of Service
  • We do not store your full credit card information
  • Payment information is transmitted securely using industry-standard encryption

4.2 Fees and Charges

  • Standard Stripe processing fees apply to all transactions
  • Donors may choose to cover processing fees
  • Platform fees may apply as disclosed during campaign creation
  • All fees are clearly disclosed before completing a transaction

4.3 Recurring Donations

  • Recurring donations will be charged automatically at the specified interval
  • You can cancel recurring donations at any time through your account
  • Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle
  • We will send email notifications before processing recurring charges

4.4 Refunds

  • Refund policies are determined by individual campaign organizers
  • Contact the campaign organizer directly to request a refund
  • We are not responsible for issuing refunds on behalf of campaign organizers
  • Disputed charges should be addressed through your payment provider

5. User Conduct

You agree not to:

  • Use the Service for any illegal purpose or to violate any laws
  • Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation
  • Create campaigns for fraudulent or deceptive purposes
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service
  • Use the Service to transmit viruses, malware, or harmful code
  • Violate any applicable data protection or privacy laws
  • Scrape, harvest, or collect user information without permission

6. Campaign Content

6.1 Your Responsibility

  • You are solely responsible for the content of campaigns you create
  • You represent that you have the right to collect donations for stated purposes
  • You must use donated funds in accordance with campaign descriptions
  • You must comply with all applicable tax and charitable solicitation laws

6.2 Prohibited Content

Campaigns may not include content that:

  • Is illegal, fraudulent, or deceptive
  • Infringes on intellectual property rights
  • Contains hate speech, harassment, or threats
  • Promotes violence or illegal activities
  • Contains adult content or is otherwise inappropriate

6.3 Content Removal

  • We reserve the right to remove campaigns that violate these terms
  • We may suspend or terminate accounts for repeated violations
  • Removal does not constitute a refund of any fees paid

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 Service Ownership

  • The Service, including all content, features, and functionality, is owned by Help Local
  • Our trademarks, logos, and service marks may not be used without permission
  • You may not copy, modify, or create derivative works of the Service

7.2 User Content

  • You retain ownership of content you create on the Service
  • You grant us a license to use, display, and distribute your content as necessary to provide the Service
  • This license terminates when you delete your content or account

8. Privacy and Data Protection

  • Your use of the Service is subject to our Privacy Policy
  • We collect and process personal data as described in the Privacy Policy
  • You consent to the collection and use of data as outlined in the Privacy Policy
  • We implement appropriate security measures to protect your data

9. Third-Party Services

9.1 Stripe

  • Payment processing is provided by Stripe
  • Stripe's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply to all payment transactions
  • We are not responsible for Stripe's services or any issues with payment processing

9.2 Other Integrations

  • The Service may integrate with other third-party services
  • We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of third-party services
  • Your use of third-party services is subject to their respective terms

10. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

10.1 Service Availability

  • The Service is provided "as is" and "as available"
  • We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service
  • We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time
  • We are not liable for any service interruptions or data loss

10.2 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

  • We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
  • Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the past 12 months
  • We are not liable for disputes between users and campaign organizers
  • We are not responsible for the accuracy or legality of user-created campaigns

10.3 No Warranties

  • We make no warranties about the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the Service
  • We do not warrant that the Service is free from viruses or harmful components
  • Any content downloaded or obtained through the Service is at your own risk

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Help Local, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

  • Your use of the Service
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any rights of another party
  • Content you submit or publish through the Service

12. Dispute Resolution

12.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of [Your Jurisdiction], without regard to conflict of law provisions.

12.2 Arbitration

Any disputes arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration, except where prohibited by law.

12.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes on an individual basis and waive the right to participate in class actions.

13. Modifications to Terms

  • We may update these Terms at any time
  • We will notify users of material changes via email or Service notification
  • Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance
  • If you do not agree to updated Terms, you must stop using the Service

14. General Provisions

14.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Help Local regarding the Service.

14.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

14.3 No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right.

14.4 Assignment

You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

15. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Help Local Email: [Your Contact Email] Address: [Your Business Address]

By using Help Local, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.