Acceptable Use Policy

This AUP applies to all users of the Service, including:

• •Charitable organizations and their authorized representatives
• •Donors and supporters
• •Visitors to givelayer.com or gvy.to
• •Any third party accessing the Service through APIs, embeds, or integrations

You may not use the Service unless you:

• (a)Are at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction;
• (b)Have legal capacity to enter into binding agreements;
• (c)Are not located in, or acting on behalf of any party in, a jurisdiction subject to comprehensive economic sanctions imposed by Canada, the United States, the United Nations, or other applicable bodies;
• (d)Are not on any sanctions, denied parties, or terrorist financing watch lists, including but not limited to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List, and the United Nations Consolidated List;
• (e)Are not prohibited by Stripe's Restricted Business List from using payment processing services.

You may not use the Service for, or in connection with, any of the following:

3.1 Illegal Activities

• •Activities that violate any law of Canada, the United States, or your jurisdiction
• •Money laundering, terrorist financing, or other financial crimes
• •Tax evasion or fraudulent tax receipt issuance
• •Sale or distribution of controlled substances, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia
• •Human trafficking, exploitation, or any activity that endangers minors
• •Sale of weapons, ammunition, or explosives prohibited by law

3.2 Misrepresentation and Fraud

• •Operating the Service without valid charitable status
• •Misrepresenting charitable purpose, use of funds, or beneficiary populations
• •Issuing or facilitating fraudulent tax receipts
• •Identity theft or impersonation of any person or organization
• •Phishing, spoofing, or other deceptive practices
• •Creating accounts using false, misleading, or stolen information
• •Using stolen payment methods or unauthorized payment information

3.3 Prohibited Charity Types and Causes

The Service may not be used by, or for the benefit of:

• •Organizations that are not recognized as tax-exempt under IRS §501(c)(3) (United States)
• •Political parties, political action committees (PACs), or partisan political campaigns
• •Organizations that promote, fund, or facilitate hate speech, discrimination, or violence based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other protected characteristics
• •Organizations designated as terrorist entities under Canadian Criminal Code, US law, or international sanctions
• •Organizations that have lost charitable status, are under regulatory investigation for fraud, or have been delisted by tax authorities
• •Personal fundraising not connected to a registered charity (Givelayer is not a personal crowdfunding platform)
• •Organizations engaged in pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing, or similar structures

3.4 Prohibited Donation Categories

The Service may not be used to process donations for, or in connection with:

• •Adult content, sexual services, or pornography
• •Cannabis or cannabis-related products (regardless of local legality)
• •Cryptocurrency, digital assets, or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a primary fundraising vehicle
• •Firearms, ammunition, or weapons (except for legitimate sport, hunting, or conservation charities operating in compliance with applicable law)
• •Gambling, lotteries, or games of chance (except as permitted under provincial or state charitable gaming licenses with appropriate documentation)
• •Investment products or securities solicitation
• •Tobacco, vaping, or related products

3.5 Platform Abuse

You may not:

• •Use the Service to send spam, unsolicited communications, or marketing without consent
• •Scrape, harvest, or extract data from the Service through automated means
• •Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive source code from the Service
• •Bypass rate limits, access controls, or security measures
• •Use the Service to test or probe for vulnerabilities (other than through Givelayer's responsible disclosure process at security@givelayer.com)
• •Upload malware, viruses, or malicious code
• •Interfere with the Service or other users' use of the Service
• •Use the Service to host content unrelated to charitable fundraising
• •Create multiple accounts to evade fees, limits, or enforcement actions

3.6 Intellectual Property Violations

• •Uploading content that infringes copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights
• •Using Givelayer's name, logo, or branding without written permission (other than as permitted under the Terms of Service)
• •Misrepresenting affiliation with Givelayer

3.7 Privacy Violations

• •Collecting personal information from donors beyond what is necessary for the donation
• •Sharing donor data with third parties without donor consent
• •Using donor data for purposes inconsistent with the donor's reasonable expectations
• •Selling, renting, or trading donor lists

3.8 Harassment and Abuse

• •Harassing, threatening, or intimidating other users, Givelayer staff, or third parties
• •Using the Service to defame or harm the reputation of others
• •Posting content that is obscene, harmful to minors, or grossly offensive

In addition to this AUP, Stripe maintains its own Restricted Business List. Activities prohibited by Stripe are also prohibited on Givelayer. The current Stripe Restricted Business List is available at: stripe.com/legal/restricted-businesses

If your charity's mission, programs, or partnerships overlap with restricted business categories, contact legal@givelayer.com before launching to confirm eligibility.

If you become aware of a violation of this AUP, report it immediately:

• •Charity fraud or suspicious donations: support@givelayer.com
• •Security issues: security@givelayer.com
• •Legal or compliance concerns: legal@givelayer.com

We investigate all reports within 48 hours.

6.1 Investigation

When a potential violation is identified, Givelayer may:

• •Suspend the account pending investigation
• •Withhold pending payouts
• •Request additional documentation or information
• •Refer the matter to law enforcement, FINTRAC, FinCEN, or other regulators

6.2 Consequences of Violation

Violation of this AUP may result in:

• •Immediate account suspension or termination
• •Forfeiture of pending payouts (held until resolution or returned to donors)
• •Reversal of donations to donors
• •Reporting to law enforcement, regulators, and tax authorities
• •Permanent ban from the Service
• •Civil liability or criminal prosecution under applicable law

6.3 No Liability

Givelayer is not liable for losses arising from enforcement actions taken in good faith based on suspected AUP violations.

Givelayer may update this AUP from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the Service or by email. Continued use after the effective date of an update constitutes acceptance.

Questions about this Acceptable Use Policy:

This Acceptable Use Policy is incorporated into the Givelayer Terms of Service.