Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing and using melissarelieffund.com (the "Website"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our Website or make any donations.

The Melissa Relief Fund is a grassroots humanitarian relief effort founded by Akiem Lawson to provide emergency assistance to families in Jamaica affected by Hurricane Melissa.

2. About Our Organization

Legal Status: The Melissa Relief Fund is a grassroots relief initiative. We are not currently registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Mission: To provide immediate and ongoing relief to families affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, including emergency shelter materials, clean water, food, and rebuilding supplies.

Founder: Akiem Lawson
Contact: donate@melissarelieffund.com

3. Donations

3.1 Donation Terms

• All donations are voluntary and gratefully accepted
• Donations support hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica
• 100% of donations go directly to purchasing supplies and providing aid to affected families
• We do not take any administrative fees from donations
• Donations are processed through Stripe, a secure third-party payment processor

3.2 Tax Deductibility

IMPORTANT: Donations to the Melissa Relief Fund are NOT tax-deductible. We are not registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. You will receive a payment receipt from Stripe, but this is not a tax receipt.

3.3 One-Time vs. Recurring Donations

One-Time Donations: Processed immediately as a single payment.

Monthly Recurring Donations:

• Automatically charge your payment method on the same day each month
• Continue until you cancel
• Can be canceled at any time through the Stripe Customer Portal
• No cancellation fees or penalties
• Email required for subscription management

3.4 Use of Funds

Donations will be used to provide:

• Emergency shelter materials (tarps, roofing materials, building supplies)
• Clean water and water purification supplies
• Food and essential supplies
• Rebuilding materials for damaged homes
• Other direct aid to affected families as determined necessary

We work with local partners in Jamaica to ensure efficient and effective distribution of aid. Funds are deployed based on immediate needs and priorities as assessed on the ground.

4. Refund Policy

4.1 General Refund Policy

Due to the immediate nature of disaster relief and the fact that donations are deployed quickly to help families in need, we generally do not offer refunds once a donation has been processed.

4.2 Exceptional Circumstances

We will consider refund requests in the following situations:

• Duplicate donations: If you accidentally made the same donation twice
• Technical errors: If a technical error resulted in an incorrect donation amount
• Unauthorized charges: If you did not authorize the donation (report immediately)
• Within 48 hours: Refund requests made within 48 hours of donation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

4.3 How to Request a Refund

To request a refund, email us at donate@melissarelieffund.com with:

• Your full name
• Email address used for donation
• Donation date and amount
• Reason for refund request
• Stripe receipt or confirmation number (if available)

We will respond within 3-5 business days. If approved, refunds will be processed back to your original payment method within 5-10 business days.

4.4 Recurring Donation Cancellation

You can cancel recurring donations at any time through the Stripe Customer Portal accessible from our website. Cancellation is effective immediately or at the end of the current billing period, depending on your choice. No refunds for previous months' donations.

5. Chargebacks and Disputes

5.1 Chargeback Policy

A chargeback occurs when you dispute a charge with your credit card company or bank. We strongly encourage you to contact us first at donate@melissarelieffund.com before initiating a chargeback, as this causes significant harm to our relief efforts.

5.2 Impact of Chargebacks

Chargebacks harm our mission in the following ways:

• We lose the donated funds
• We are charged chargeback fees ($15-25 per chargeback)
• Multiple chargebacks can result in our payment processing being suspended
• This directly reduces funds available to help families in need

5.3 Fraudulent Chargebacks

If you initiate a chargeback for a donation you authorized and received, this is considered fraud. We will:

• Contest the chargeback with documentation
• Report fraudulent activity to payment processors
• Reserve the right to pursue legal action for fraudulent chargebacks
• Permanently ban you from using our website and services

5.4 Legitimate Disputes

If you believe a charge is unauthorized or incorrect:

1. Email us immediately at donate@melissarelieffund.com
2. Provide details about the disputed charge
3. We will investigate within 48 hours
4. If the charge was an error, we will process a refund immediately

We keep detailed records of all donations and can quickly verify authorized payments.

6. Privacy and Data

6.1 Information We Collect

When you make a donation, we collect:

• Name (optional for anonymous donations)
• Email address
• Donation amount and date
• Optional message and parish selection
• Payment information (processed and stored by Stripe, not by us)

6.2 How We Use Your Information

• Process your donation
• Send donation receipts
• Display your name on our donor feed (unless you choose anonymous)
• Manage recurring donations
• Communicate about our relief efforts (you can opt-out)

6.3 Anonymous Donations

If you select "Give anonymously," your name will not appear on our public donor feed. However, we will still have your information in our records for payment processing and receipt purposes.

6.4 Payment Security

All payment information is processed and stored by Stripe, a PCI-compliant payment processor. We do not store your credit card information on our servers. Your payment data is encrypted and secure.

6.5 Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. We only share data with:

• Stripe: For payment processing
• Appwrite: For donation tracking and database services
• Legal authorities: If required by law

7. Donor Feed Display

Unless you select "Give anonymously," your donation will be displayed on our public donor feed, showing:

• Your name (as provided)
• Donation amount
• Optional message
• Parish tag (if selected)
• Time of donation

By making a non-anonymous donation, you consent to this public display. This helps create transparency and encourages others to give. Your email address and payment information are never displayed publicly.

8. Limitation of Liability

8.1 No Warranties

The Website and donation services are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We make no guarantees about:

• Website availability or uptime
• Accuracy of information
• Specific outcomes from donations

8.2 Disaster Relief Context

Hurricane and disaster relief work involves inherent uncertainties. While we make every effort to help as many families as possible, we cannot guarantee specific results or outcomes from donations due to:

• Changing conditions on the ground
• Availability of supplies
• Access to affected areas
• Evolving needs of communities

8.3 Liability Cap

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our liability to you for any claims arising from your use of the Website or donations made shall not exceed the amount of your donation.

9. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Website for any illegal purpose
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Interfere with the Website's operation
• Use the Website to transmit malware or viruses
• Impersonate others or provide false information
• Make fraudulent donations or chargebacks
• Harass or threaten our staff or other users

10. Third-Party Services

10.1 Stripe Payment Processing

Payments are processed by Stripe. Your use of Stripe is subject to Stripe's Terms of Service (https://stripe.com/legal) and Privacy Policy.

10.2 Appwrite Database Services

We use Appwrite for donation tracking and data storage. Appwrite is a secure, privacy-focused backend service.

10.3 Vercel Hosting

Our Website is hosted on Vercel's infrastructure. Vercel's terms and policies apply to website hosting.

11. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the Website after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

For significant changes affecting donor rights, we will make reasonable efforts to notify donors via email.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Jamaica and the United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Website shall be resolved through good faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in the applicable jurisdiction.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and the Melissa Relief Fund regarding your use of the Website and donations, superseding any prior agreements.

15. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, refund requests, or any other inquiries, please contact us: