Effective date: October 7th, 2026
1. Acceptance of These Terms
By accessing or using www.freebrands.org (the “Site”), you agree to these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
The Site is operated by Free Brands (“Free Brands,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms apply to all visitors, registered users, directory members, donors, and anyone who submits information through the Site, including through the Directory, Tech Match, sign-up forms, and donation pages (together, the “Services”).
These Terms work together with our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect and protect your information.
2. About Free Brands
Free Brands is a grassroots, survivor-led nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN 87-1006849), organized under the laws of California. Our mission is to create accessible pathways for survivors of trafficking and gender-based violence to build wealth and freedom through entrepreneurship.
Free Brands is not a crisis service, law enforcement agency, legal services provider, or emergency resource. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. In the U.S., you can reach the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 (text 233733) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, join the Directory, participate in Tech Match, or make a donation. By using the Services, you confirm that you meet this requirement and can enter a binding agreement.
If you use the Services on behalf of a business, nonprofit, or other organization, you confirm that you are authorized to accept these Terms for that organization.
4. Accounts and Registration
Some Services require an account. When you register, you agree to provide accurate information and keep it up to date. You are responsible for keeping your password confidential and for all activity under your account. Tell us right away at hello@freebrands.org if you believe your account has been accessed without permission.
During registration, we may ask optional questions, such as whether you identify as a survivor of trafficking or gender-based violence. Answering is voluntary, and you may choose “Prefer not to say.” We do not verify survivor status and do not require proof of it.
5. Your Safety and Privacy While Using the Site
The Site includes a “Safety Exit” button that quickly leaves the Site. This button does not erase your browser history, cookies, or other records on your device. If you are concerned that someone may monitor your device, consider using a private browsing window, a device the other person cannot access, or a public computer.
We may display members under pseudonyms or without names to protect their safety. Please do not try to identify, locate, or contact any member outside the channels we provide.
6. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
- Use the Services for any unlawful purpose or to promote exploitation, trafficking, or abuse of any kind.
- Harass, threaten, stalk, shame, or attempt to identify or locate any member, survivor, volunteer, or staff person.
- Re-identify pseudonymous members, or share another person’s personal information without consent.
- Impersonate any person or organization, or misrepresent your affiliation or survivor status to obtain benefits.
- Post false, misleading, defamatory, or infringing content.
- Scrape, harvest, or bulk-download Directory listings or user data, or use the Site’s content to build a competing database.
- Interfere with the Site’s security or operation, including uploading malware or attempting unauthorized access.
- Use the Directory or member contact information to send spam or unsolicited commercial messages.
We may suspend or terminate any account, remove any content, or refuse service, at our discretion, if we believe these Terms have been violated or that someone’s safety is at risk.
7. Donations
Monetary gifts. Online donations are processed by third-party platforms such as AGMS. Your payment information goes directly to that processor and is governed by its own terms and privacy policy. Free Brands does not store your full card or bank details.
Tax deductibility. Free Brands is a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We will provide a written acknowledgment for your records. Free Brands does not give tax advice; please consult your tax advisor about your situation.
Use of funds. We use donations to advance our charitable mission. When you give to a specific program, member need, or campaign, we will make good-faith efforts to honor that designation. Free Brands keeps final control over all donated funds, as required for tax-deductible gifts, and may redirect them to similar mission purposes if a designated need has already been met or can no longer be filled.
Recurring gifts. If you set up monthly giving, you authorize recurring charges until you cancel. You can cancel at any time through the processor or by emailing hello@freebrands.org.
Refunds. Donations are generally non-refundable. If you made an error (for example, a duplicate charge or wrong amount), contact us within 30 days at hello@freebrands.org and we will work with you to correct it.
In-kind donations (Tech Match). When you offer equipment or other goods:
- You confirm that you own the item and have the right to give it away.
- Used items must be in working condition. You are responsible for removing all personal data, accounts, and activation locks before handing them over.
- Submitting an offer does not obligate us to accept it. We may decline any item, and items that do not match a current need may be held for future members or used elsewhere in our mission.
- Once accepted, ownership passes to Free Brands, which may transfer the item to a member. We do not guarantee the item will go to a specific member.
- We can acknowledge receipt of in-kind gifts, but we do not assign a value to them. Determining the value for tax purposes is your responsibility; items worth more than $5,000 may require a qualified appraisal under IRS rules.
8. The Directory and Member Listings
The Directory lists businesses, nonprofits, and creative ventures that are led or owned by survivors and their allies. Listings are provided by members. Free Brands reviews applications but does not independently verify every statement in a listing, including identity labels such as survivor-, women-, or Black-owned.
For shoppers and visitors. Any purchase, booking, or agreement you make with a listed business is solely between you and that business. Free Brands is not a party to those transactions and is not responsible for the quality, safety, legality, or delivery of any product or service. A listing or “Featured” badge is not an endorsement or guarantee.
For members. By submitting a listing, you confirm that your information is accurate, that you have the right to share it, and that your business operates lawfully. You keep ownership of your content. You grant Free Brands a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, reproduce, and share your listing, logo, photos, and descriptions on the Site, in our social media, newsletters, grant reports, and other materials that promote the Directory and our mission. You may ask us to edit or remove your listing at any time by emailing hello@freebrands.org. We may edit, decline, or remove any listing at our discretion.
9. Programs, Cohorts, and Tech Match
Participation in programs, cohorts, trainings, and Tech Match is subject to availability, eligibility criteria, and any additional program agreements we provide. Submitting a request or need does not guarantee that it will be filled.
Equipment provided through Tech Match is given “as is,” without any warranty. Recipients are responsible for how they use it. Free Brands is not responsible for defects, data on donated devices, or software licensing between you and a software vendor.
Any educational content, coaching, or resources we provide are for general information only and are not legal, financial, tax, or mental health advice.
10. AI-Powered Search Features
The Directory may offer AI-assisted search results, such as “AI Quick Picks.” These results are generated automatically and may be incomplete or inaccurate. They are not recommendations or endorsements by Free Brands. Please do not enter sensitive personal information into search fields.
11. Intellectual Property
The Site and its content, including the Free Brands name, logos, the tagline “the future is Free,” graphics, text, and design, belong to Free Brands or its licensors and are protected by trademark and copyright law. You may view and share Site pages for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may not copy, modify, sell, or use our name or logos to suggest endorsement or affiliation without our written permission.
Member names, logos, and products shown in the Directory belong to their respective owners.
Copyright concerns. If you believe content on the Site infringes your copyright, email hello@freebrands.org with: a description of the work, the location of the content on the Site, your contact information, and a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized. We will review and respond promptly. [OPTIONAL: register a DMCA agent with the U.S. Copyright Office for added protection.]
12. Third-Party Sites and Services
The Site links to and uses third-party services, including donation processors, form providers, social media platforms, and member websites. We do not control these services and are not responsible for their content, policies, or practices. Your use of them is governed by their own terms.
13. Privacy
We take the privacy of survivors seriously. Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect, including optional identity and survivor-status information, how we use it, and how we protect it. We do not sell personal information. By using the Services, you agree that we may handle your information as described in that policy.
14. Disclaimers
The Site and Services are provided “as is” and “as available.” To the fullest extent permitted by law, Free Brands disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not guarantee that the Site will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any listing, search result, or information is accurate or complete.
15. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Free Brands and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and partners will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Services, any transaction with a Directory member, or any donated equipment.
Our total liability for any claim related to the Services will not exceed the greater of $100 or the amount you paid to Free Brands (excluding donations) in the 12 months before the claim. Some jurisdictions do not allow these limits, so they may not fully apply to you.
Nothing in these Terms limits any protection that volunteers of nonprofit organizations have under the federal Volunteer Protection Act or applicable state law.
16. Indemnification
You agree to defend and hold harmless Free Brands and its directors, officers, employees, and volunteers from any claims, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your content or listing, your business’s products or services, or your misuse of the Services.
17. Governing Law and Disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. Before filing any claim, you agree to contact us at hello@freebrands.org and try to resolve the issue informally for at least 30 days. Any claim that is not resolved will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in San Diego County, California, and you consent to their jurisdiction.
18. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will change the effective date at the top and, for significant changes, post a notice on the Site or email registered users. Continuing to use the Services after an update means you accept the revised Terms.
19. General
If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms without our consent. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any program-specific agreements, are the entire agreement between you and Free Brands about the Services.
20. Contact Us
Free Brands 2931 Canon St #60036, San Diego, CA 92106. Email: hello@freebrands.org Website: www.freebrands.org/about-us/contact