Advocacy and Campaign Website Terms & Conditions

What a good one includes

• A clear explanation of donation processing, including refund policies, recurring gift cancellations, and tax-deductibility disclaimers.
• A robust community code of conduct that outlines banned behavior, such as hate speech, harassment, or spreading misinformation on your forums or petition pages.
• A section defining ownership of campaign logos, resources, and downloadable advocacy toolkits, specifying how supporters are permitted to share them.
• Rules governing user-submitted content, granting your organization the license to display and use stories, photos, or comments submitted by supporters.
• Clauses that limit your organization’s liability for technical interruptions, third-party links, or the reliance on information provided on the site.
• Outlined rights for your organization to suspend or terminate user accounts or block access for violating the terms.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Copying generic commercial e-commerce terms that fail to address campaign-specific realities like political donations, volunteer sign-ups, or public advocacy rules.
• Failing to clearly state the policy on donation refunds, which can lead to costly chargeback disputes with payment processors during critical campaign windows.
• Overlooking specific state or national regulations governing political campaign contributions and non-profit solicitations in your terms.
• Writing the agreement in dense, hostile legalese that alienates supporters and undermines the community-driven, transparent nature of your mission.

Frequently asked questions