Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using FirstCircleFund, you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the platform.

2. What FirstCircleFund Is

FirstCircleFund is a technology platform that enables entrepreneurs to raise early-stage funding from their personal networks. We are not a bank, lender, investment advisor, broker, or securities issuer, and we do not provide financial or legal advice.

3. Eligibility and Accounts

• You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the platform.
• You're responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide and for keeping your account credentials secure.
• You're responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or misuse the platform.

4. The Relationship Between Founders and Supporters

• When a founder creates a campaign, they are inviting people in their network to support them. Any contribution forms a direct relationship between the founder and the supporter.
• FirstCircleFund provides the platform that enables this but is not a party to the agreement between a founder and their supporters.
• Founders are responsible for what they communicate to their supporters and for using funds as they represented. FirstCircleFund does not guarantee any campaign, founder, or outcome.

5. Founder Responsibilities

• Be honest and accurate in your campaign content and communications—no material misrepresentations.
• Use funds consistent with what you told your supporters.
• Fulfill any rewards you offer (for example, a promised session or perk).
• Complete identity verification and payout setup through Stripe before publishing.

6. Community Standards and Prohibited Uses

• You agree that your campaigns and use of the platform will comply with our Community Standards & Prohibited Uses policy, which lists campaigns and conduct that are not permitted (including illegal activity, weapons, drugs, hate or harassment, adult content, gambling, MLM/pyramid schemes, scams or fraud, content endangering minors, and misrepresentation).
• We may review, decline, suspend, or remove any campaign, and suspend or terminate any account, that violates those standards or these Terms.
• Read the full policy at /prohibited-uses.

7. Contributions Are Voluntary and Non-Refundable

All contributions made through the platform are voluntary and non-refundable except as required by law. Contributions are not purchases of equity, securities, or investments, and they do not entitle the supporter to any ownership, repayment, or financial return.

8. Payments, Fees, and Payouts

• FirstCircleFund charges a 5% platform fee on all successful contributions.
• Standard payment processing fees (charged by our payment processor, Stripe — typically ~2.9% + 30¢ per transaction) also apply.
• Payments are processed through Stripe Connect, and funds are paid directly to the founder's connected account. FirstCircleFund does not hold or control founder funds.
• Founders must complete Stripe's identity verification to receive payouts.

9. SMS Messaging Terms

• Program name: FirstCircleFund Alerts. By opting into SMS notifications, you agree to receive transactional and account-related text messages from FirstCircleFund regarding your account, campaign invitations, campaign updates, contribution notifications, transactional alerts, and early access updates, sent using an automated system.
• Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of using FirstCircleFund or of any purchase or contribution.
• How consent is collected: you voluntarily enter your mobile phone number on a public form (registration, profile setup, or waitlist signup) and must actively check a consent checkbox that is unchecked by default and never preselected. You may withdraw consent at any time in your account settings or by replying STOP.
• Message frequency varies depending on your activity and account settings (typically fewer than 10 messages per month).
• Message and data rates may apply. Mobile carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• Reply STOP to unsubscribe from SMS messages at any time. You will receive a single confirmation message and no further texts unless you opt in again (reply START to resubscribe).
• Reply HELP for assistance or contact support at hello@firstcirclefund.com.
• Example message: "FirstCircleFund: Thanks for supporting Maria's campaign — your $25 contribution was received. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help."
• SMS messages are delivered by our provider, Twilio, acting solely on our behalf.
• Mobile phone numbers and SMS consent are never sold, rented, shared, or disclosed to third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes. For more detail, see our Privacy Policy.

10. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the platform to: break the law; post false, misleading, or fraudulent content; infringe others' rights; harass or harm others; attempt to gain unauthorized access to the platform; or interfere with its operation or security.

11. Intellectual Property

• You retain ownership of the content you create, but you grant FirstCircleFund a license to host and display it for the purpose of operating the platform.
• The FirstCircleFund name, brand, and platform are our property and may not be used without permission.

12. Disclaimers

The platform is provided "as is" and "as available." We do not guarantee that any campaign will be funded, that founders will fulfill their commitments, or that the platform will be uninterrupted or error-free.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, FirstCircleFund is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, or for disputes, losses, or outcomes arising from the relationship between founders and supporters.

14. Termination

We may suspend or terminate access to the platform for violations of these Terms, the Community Standards & Prohibited Uses policy, or to protect the integrity and security of the platform.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll update the effective date and, where appropriate, notify you. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated Terms.

16. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms: hello@firstcirclefund.com