1. Acceptance of terms
These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of helpinghandscommunity.online (the "Site") and the services offered by Helping Hands Community ("Helping Hands," "we," "us," or "our"). By using the Site, donating, volunteering, or starting a campaign, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
2. What we do
Helping Hands Community connects donors with individuals, families, and causes facing hardship, and offers free help with creating and promoting fundraising campaigns. We review campaigns before they go live, but we do not guarantee that any campaign will reach its goal.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority where you live, to donate or start a campaign. Campaigns for minors must be started and managed by a parent or legal guardian. You agree that the information you give us is accurate and up to date.
4. Donations
- Donations are voluntary gifts. You do not receive goods or services in exchange.
- When you choose a specific campaign, we will direct your gift to that campaign. If a campaign closes, is fully funded, or cannot accept funds, we may redirect your gift to a similar cause or to where it's needed most.
- Monthly gifts renew automatically each month on the same date until you cancel. You can cancel at any time by contacting us.
- Payments are processed by third-party payment providers, and their terms also apply to your transaction.
5. Fees
93% of every donation goes directly to the families and causes you choose. The remaining 7% covers payment processing and campaign verification.
We will always show our fee clearly. If our fee ever changes, we will update these Terms before the change applies to new donations.
6. Refunds & cancellations
Because donations are passed on to people in need quickly, they are generally non-refundable. If you believe a donation was made in error, was unauthorized, or was charged incorrectly, contact us within 30 days and we will review your request in good faith. You can cancel a monthly gift at any time, and the cancellation applies to future charges.
7. Campaign owners
If you start a campaign with our help, you agree that:
- Your story and the information you share are true, and you have the right to share any photos you provide, including permission from people shown in them.
- Funds raised will be used for the purpose described in the campaign.
- You will respond to reasonable verification requests and provide updates we can share with donors.
- You are responsible for any taxes that may apply to funds you receive.
We may edit a campaign for clarity, decline to publish it, pause it, or remove it if we believe it is misleading, fraudulent, or violates these Terms. If we confirm fraud, we may withhold funds, refund donors, and report the matter to the authorities.
8. Acceptable use
When using the Site, you agree not to:
- Provide false information or impersonate another person or organization.
- Use the Site for fraud, money laundering, or any unlawful purpose.
- Post content that is hateful, harassing, threatening, or violates anyone's privacy.
- Interfere with the Site's security or operation, or try to access data that isn't yours.
- Use automated tools to scrape or overload the Site.
9. Content & intellectual property
The Site's design, text, logo, and graphics belong to Helping Hands Community or its licensors and are protected by copyright and trademark laws. You may share links to campaigns and pages to help spread the word.
When you submit a campaign story, photos, or other content, you keep ownership of it, and you give us permission to display, edit for clarity, and share it on the Site and social media to promote your campaign.
10. Tax information
We will email you a receipt for every donation. Whether a donation is tax-deductible depends on our organization's tax status and on your own situation. Please consult a tax professional; nothing on the Site is tax, legal, or financial advice.
11. Disclaimers
The Site and our services are provided "as is" and "as available." While we review campaigns, we cannot independently confirm every detail of every story, and we do not guarantee the outcome of any campaign or that the Site will always be available or error-free.
12. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Helping Hands Community and its volunteers, staff, and partners will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Site. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Site will not exceed the amount you donated through the Site in the 12 months before the claim.
13. Indemnification
You agree to hold harmless Helping Hands Community and its volunteers, staff, and partners from claims arising from your misuse of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or content you submit.
14. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the state in which Helping Hands Community is organized, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing any claim, you agree to contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue informally.
15. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will change the "Last updated" date above, and continued use of the Site after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.
16. Contact us
Questions about these Terms? We're here to help.
Email: hello@helpinghandscommunity.online
Or send us a message through our contact page.