DIGNITY BRIDGE — TERMS OF USE & DONATION TERMS

Effective Date: December 17, 2025

Website: https://dignitybridge.org

Email: hello@dignitybridge.org

1. Who We Are

Dignity Bridge ("we", "us", "our") is a community aid initiative that provides practical, short-term emergency support for families facing sudden hardship. We focus on essential needs including groceries, utility bills, rent assistance, and essential medicine. Our mission is to help families through one difficult month with dignity, without public exposure or humiliation.

2. Acceptance of These Terms

By accessing or using the Dignity Bridge website, submitting any form, making a donation, or applying for assistance, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and Donation Terms. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use the website or our services.

These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Dignity Bridge. If you are using the website on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you have authority to bind that organization to these terms.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to:

• Make a donation
• Submit an application for assistance
• Provide personal information through our website

If you are under 18, you may only use the website with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to these terms on your behalf.

4. Donations

4.1 Payment Processing

All donations are processed securely through our third-party payment processor, Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe"). We do not store, access, or retain full payment card details, CVV codes, or complete payment information on our servers.

By making a donation, you agree to Stripe's terms of service and privacy policy. Stripe's processing of your payment information is subject to their own security measures and compliance standards.

You are responsible for ensuring that all payment information you provide is accurate, current, and complete. You represent that you are authorized to use the payment method you provide.

4.2 Donation Receipts & Tax Deductibility

We will send a donation receipt by email to the address you provide if you supply an email address during the donation process. Receipts are sent automatically for all completed donations.

4.3 Use of Funds

We are committed to using donations for mission-related purposes. Our fund allocation is as follows:

• 85-95% Direct Aid: Funds go directly to families in need for essential items including food, groceries, utility bills, partial rent assistance, and essential medicine
• 5-15% Operating Costs: Essential operational expenses including payment processing fees, website hosting, administrative costs, and verification processes

We may reallocate funds when necessary to respond to urgent cases or operational requirements, always consistent with our mission. We publish monthly impact reports showing total donations collected, total distributed, number of families supported, and average assistance per family. These reports are available on our website and are updated monthly.

4.4 Recurring Donations

If you choose to set up a monthly recurring donation, you authorize Dignity Bridge and Stripe to charge your payment method on a recurring monthly basis until you cancel.

You may cancel your recurring donation at any time by:

• Contacting us at hello@dignitybridge.org
• Using the cancellation link provided in your donation confirmation email
• Managing your subscription through your Stripe customer portal (if applicable)

Cancellation requests must be received at least 48 hours before your next scheduled donation to prevent that charge. Once a charge has been processed, it cannot be cancelled, but you may request a refund subject to our refund policy (Section 4.5).

4.5 Refunds

Donations are generally non-refundable once processed, except in the following circumstances:

• Duplicate charges: If you are charged multiple times for the same donation due to a technical error
• Erroneous charges: If a charge was made in error (e.g., incorrect amount entered)
• Fraudulent transactions: If your payment method was used without your authorization
• Legal requirements: Where required by applicable consumer protection laws

Refund requests must be submitted within 30 days of the donation date. To request a refund, contact us at hello@dignitybridge.org with your donation receipt or transaction details. We will review your request and respond within 10 business days.

If a refund is approved, it will be processed to the original payment method within 5-10 business days, depending on your financial institution.

4.6 Fraud Prevention

We take fraud prevention seriously. We may:

• Request additional verification or confirmation before processing large donations
• Verify payment information with your financial institution
• Reject or reverse donations if we suspect fraudulent activity
• Report suspicious activity to relevant payment processors, financial institutions, or law enforcement

If we suspect fraudulent activity, we reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, and take appropriate legal action.

5. Applications for Aid (Families / Beneficiaries)

5.1 No Guarantee of Assistance

Submitting an application for assistance does not guarantee approval, funding, or any specific level of support. Assistance is subject to:

• Availability of funds
• Verification of need and eligibility
• Our assessment of your situation
• Our capacity to provide assistance at the time of your application

Support may be partial, delayed, or unavailable depending on these factors. We prioritize cases based on urgency, verified need, and available resources.

5.2 Truthfulness and Accuracy

You must provide accurate, complete, and truthful information to the best of your knowledge when submitting an application. This includes:

• Personal and household information
• Financial situation and income details
• Description of your current hardship
• Type and amount of assistance needed

Providing materially false, misleading, or incomplete information may result in:

• Immediate rejection of your application
• Permanent ban from future applications
• Legal action if fraud is suspected

5.3 Verification & Documentation

We may request limited documentation to verify your situation and need, such as:

• Unpaid utility bills or rent notices
• Pharmacy receipts for essential medicine
• Unemployment confirmation or income statements
• Other documents relevant to your specific situation

You may redact sensitive personal details (such as account numbers, full addresses, or other irrelevant information) while maintaining the essential information needed for verification. We respect your privacy and only request documentation necessary to verify need.

All documentation is handled confidentially and securely, and is retained only as long as necessary for case review (see our Privacy Policy).

5.4 Dignity & Safety

We are committed to treating all applicants with dignity and respect. We do not require:

• Public disclosure of your situation
• Photos of children or family members
• Humiliating or invasive proof of hardship
• Social media sharing or public testimonials

We may decline or reject applications that include:

• Harmful, threatening, or abusive content
• False or fraudulent information
• Requests that fall outside our mission scope
• Content that violates these terms or applicable laws

6. Prohibited Use

You agree not to use the website or our services to:

• Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation
• Infringe upon the rights of others, including intellectual property rights
• Transmit any harmful, malicious, or illegal content
• Attempt to disrupt, hack, interfere with, or overload the website, servers, or networks
• Scrape, crawl, or use automated systems to access the website without permission
• Submit malicious code, viruses, or other harmful software
• Misrepresent your identity, situation, or affiliation
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the website or systems
• Use the website for any commercial purpose without our written consent
• Collect or harvest information about other users

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate termination of your access, legal action, and reporting to relevant authorities.

7. Intellectual Property

The website, including all text, graphics, logos, images, software, design, and content, is owned by or licensed to Dignity Bridge and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may not:

• Copy, reproduce, or distribute any content from the website without permission
• Modify, adapt, or create derivative works from our content
• Use our trademarks, logos, or branding without written authorization
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices

You may view and download content for personal, non-commercial use only, provided you maintain all copyright and proprietary notices.

8. Third-Party Links

The website may contain links to third-party websites, including:

• Payment processors (Stripe)
• Social media platforms
• Partner organizations or resources
• Other external websites

These links are provided for your convenience only. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy policies, terms of service, or practices of any third-party websites. Your use of third-party websites is at your own risk and subject to their respective terms and policies.

9. Disclaimers

THE WEBSITE AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Warranties of merchantability
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement
• Accuracy, completeness, or reliability of content

We do not guarantee that:

• The website will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• Defects will be corrected
• The website is free of viruses or other harmful components
• Any specific outcomes will result from donations or applications

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, DIGNITY BRIDGE, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, or use
• Business interruption or loss of business opportunities
• Personal injury or property damage

Our total liability for any claim arising from or related to your use of the website or services shall not exceed the amount you donated to Dignity Bridge in the three (3) months preceding the claim, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory on which the claim is based, including contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Dignity Bridge, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or relating to:

• Your use of the website or services
• Your violation of these terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Any content you submit or transmit through the website

12. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify, update, or change these Terms of Service at any time. The "Effective Date" at the top of this document will reflect the date of the most recent version.

Material changes will be communicated by:

• Posting a prominent notice on our website
• Sending an email notification to registered users (if applicable)
• Other methods as we deem appropriate

Your continued use of the website after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must discontinue use of the website and services.

13. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the European Union, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

If you are located outside the European Union, these terms are governed by the laws of your jurisdiction to the extent required by applicable consumer protection laws. Your local consumer protection laws may provide you with additional rights that cannot be excluded or limited by these terms.

Any disputes arising from or relating to these terms or your use of the website shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in the European Union, unless mandatory consumer protection laws require otherwise.

14. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

15. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Dignity Bridge regarding your use of the website and services, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, proposals, and agreements.

16. Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these terms does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Dignity Bridge.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us:

Dignity Bridge
Email: hello@dignitybridge.org
Website: https://dignitybridge.org

We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 5-10 business days.