Terms of Service

Terms of Service

Effective October 29, 2026 (replaces the version effective January 12, 2021)

1. Agreement

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a contract between you and FT1, Inc., a New York corporation doing business as Fund the First ("Fund the First," "we," "us," "our"), 2009 Decker Avenue, Merrick, New York, 11566. They govern your use of fundthefirst.com and related services, including Fallen First Reserve and any new features or applications (together, the "Services").

By creating an account, starting or managing a Campaign, donating, or otherwise using the Services, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Services. Our Terms of Use also apply to your general use of the website.

We may update these Terms. We will post the new version with its revision date and, for material changes, notify registered users by email or on the Services before the change takes effect. Continuing to use the Services after the effective date means you accept the updated Terms.

2. What Fund the First is, and what it is not

Fund the First is a technology platform that lets people raise money for those who serve and their families: law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, military members and veterans, healthcare workers, and educators ("Eligible Communities").

Fund the First is a for-profit company. We are not a charity, a 501(c)(3) organization, a bank, a broker, a money transmitter or a financial institution.

We do not solicit donations for ourselves or for any Campaign. Campaigns are created and promoted by their Organizers.

Donations are generally not tax-deductible. Donations go to individuals, not charities, unless a Campaign clearly states otherwise. You are responsible for your own tax decisions; ask a tax advisor.

We verify identity, not outcomes. We verify that a Beneficiary is who they say they are before any money is paid out. We do not guarantee that a Campaign will raise any amount, or that funds will be used exactly as described.

Nothing on the Services is financial, legal or tax advice.

3. Definitions

Campaign: a fundraiser posted on the Services.

Organizer: the registered user who creates and manages a Campaign.

Beneficiary: the person who receives the funds. In a Myself Campaign the Organizer is the Beneficiary.

Donor: anyone who makes a Donation.

Donation: money given to a Campaign, not including any optional Tip.

Tip: an optional, separate payment to Fund the First to support the platform.

4. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to create a Campaign, act as a Beneficiary, or donate. Users aged 13 to 17 may browse and share Campaigns only, with a parent's or guardian's permission. The Services are not for children under 13.

The Services are offered in the United States and Canada. You must not be barred from using them under U.S. law, including sanctions laws.

You must give true, accurate and current information and keep it updated. Organizers must use their real names.

You are responsible for your account and password and for all activity under them. Tell us right away at [email protected] if you suspect unauthorized use.

5. Campaigns: Myself and Someone Else

Every Campaign is one of two types.

Myself. You raise money for yourself. You are both the Organizer and the Beneficiary. You must complete identity verification (Section 6) and set up payouts in your own name before any funds are paid out.

Someone Else. You raise money for another person, such as a colleague, a family member, or the family of a fallen hero.

You name the Beneficiary and provide their correct email address. We invite them to accept the Campaign.

The Beneficiary, not the Organizer, completes identity verification and payout setup. Organizers of Someone Else Campaigns do not need to verify their identity, but must register with their real name and contact information. We may ask an Organizer for more information if we see a risk.

A Someone Else Campaign may be activated and go live before the Beneficiary completes identity verification. Once activated, it continues to accept Donations while verification is incomplete. There is no separate Beneficiary-verification deadline, and incomplete verification alone does not cause a pause, stop to Donations or refund. Independent fraud, legal, Campaign-ending or cancellation controls still apply.

Funds are paid only to the invited Beneficiary after Plaid identity verification and payout setup with that Beneficiary's own Stripe Connect bank account. The Organizer of a Someone Else Campaign never receives or controls the funds and cannot request a payout.

You confirm that you have the Beneficiary's permission, or the permission of their family or legal representative, to raise money for them and to share their story, name and images.

If the Beneficiary is a minor, has died, or cannot manage funds, contact us before launching. The Beneficiary must then be an adult family member, legal guardian, or estate representative who can verify their identity and their relationship to the person being helped.

Rules for all Campaigns

A Campaign must benefit a member of an Eligible Community or their family. We may ask for reasonable proof of service, such as a department letter, ID card, or discharge papers.

Only one active Campaign is allowed per Beneficiary for the same purpose. We may combine or close duplicates.

Fund the First reviews and activates every Campaign before it goes live. We may approve, edit for accuracy, pause, or decline a Campaign as otherwise permitted by these Terms, but not solely because Beneficiary verification is incomplete.

Campaign descriptions must be truthful and complete, and must describe how the money will be used.

Charity, business-venture and reward-tier Campaigns are no longer offered. Campaigns created under those types before the effective date of these Terms remain subject to the terms in effect when they were created.

6. Identity verification

We use Plaid Inc. ("Plaid") to verify Beneficiaries. During verification, Plaid may collect a government-issued ID and personal details. Selfies are not currently used.

Plaid processes this information under its own End User Privacy Policy, which you accept when you verify. We receive the result and the details needed to confirm identity. We do not store images of your ID or any biometric data.

We may also verify service or eligibility manually, and we may use the results to prevent fraud.

Beneficiaries must complete Plaid identity verification and payout setup with their own Stripe Connect bank account before receiving a payout, as described in Sections 5 and 9.

While verification remains incomplete, verification reminders are sent to the invited Beneficiary at 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days and 30 days, then monthly. The Organizer sees the Beneficiary's verification status on their dashboard. These reminders are reminders only, never a penalty; incomplete verification alone does not pause the Campaign, stop Donations or cause a refund.

There is no separate deadline for Beneficiary verification. If the Beneficiary never verifies or claims the funds, the 730-day Dormancy Period followed by the 90-day Final Response Window and the unclaimed-funds terms in Section 10 apply, subject to applicable law.

We may refuse or reverse verification if information is false or does not match.

7. Donations

Donations are processed by Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe"). We do not receive or store your full card number. By donating you also agree to Stripe's Services Agreement as it applies to you.

A minimum donation of $5 applies. Fund the First does not set a maximum donation amount; this does not override any payment-provider or payment-method limits.

You confirm that you are authorized to use the payment method you provide.

Donations are final except where a refund is required by applicable law or the specific fraud-response commitment in this Section applies. If a verified fundraiser is ever proven to misrepresent its beneficiary, we'll step in and work to refund donors. The general disclaimers in these Terms do not negate this specific fraud-response commitment. Nothing in these Terms limits mandatory rights relating to unauthorized or erroneous charges. Contact [email protected] within 30 days of the charge about any problem with a Donation; this request does not shorten any mandatory legal deadline.

You may choose to have your name shown publicly, or to donate anonymously. The Organizer and Beneficiary see only what appears on the public Campaign page: your name (or "Anonymous" if you chose to donate anonymously), your Donation amount and any comment you post there. They never see your email address, your payment details or any Tip.

8. Fees and optional tips

Fund the First charges no platform fee.

Fund the First Fees: Fund the First charges an industry-standard payment processor fee (hereinafter and on the Platform referred to as "Payment Processor Fees"). Fund the First uses Stripe, Inc. as its payment processor and fees are 2.9% + $0.30 for each Donation. See https://stripe.com/payments.

Example - If a donor gives $100 to a campaign, the campaign host/beneficiary will see approximately $97 of that donation due to the fee being deducted automatically.

Tips are optional. At checkout you may add a Tip to support Fund the First. A Tip is a payment to Fund the First, not a Donation to the Campaign. It is not tax-deductible, and you can set it to $0. Any suggested Tip amount is only a suggestion.

9. Payouts to Beneficiaries

Payouts are made through Stripe Connect. The Beneficiary sets up a Stripe Express account in their own name and links their bank account.

Payment processing services for Beneficiaries on Fund the First are provided by Stripe and are subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which includes the Stripe Terms of Service (together, the "Stripe Services Agreement"). By agreeing to these Terms or continuing to operate as a Beneficiary on Fund the First, you agree to be bound by the Stripe Services Agreement, as it may be modified by Stripe from time to time. As a condition of Fund the First enabling payment processing services through Stripe, you agree to provide Fund the First accurate and complete information about you, and you authorize Fund the First to share it and transaction information related to your use of the payment processing services provided by Stripe.

Donations are held in Fund the First's Stripe platform account until the Beneficiary completes Plaid identity verification, sets up their own Stripe Connect bank account and requests a payout. Funds are paid only to that verified Beneficiary's Stripe account, not to the Organizer of a Someone Else Campaign or another person. Bank deposit times are set by Stripe and the Beneficiary's bank.

Holds. We may delay, hold or reverse a payout if we reasonably believe information is false or a Campaign violates these Terms; if we detect suspicious Donation activity; if funds should go to someone else entitled by law (for example an estate); or if a court, regulator or payment processor requires it. Questions about a hold: [email protected].

The Beneficiary is responsible for keeping their payout information accurate, and for any taxes owed on funds received.

10. Unclaimed or unwithdrawn funds

We cannot hold funds indefinitely, except where applicable law requires continued safeguarding or another treatment of the funds.

Dormancy Period. If funds remain unwithdrawn for seven hundred thirty (730) days after the later of (i) the date of the last Donation to the Campaign or (ii) the date of the last successful payout request, Fund the First will send a Final Notice to the Beneficiary and/or Organizer using the contact information on file (email as the primary method, and any other available method).

Final Response Window. The Beneficiary has ninety (90) days from the date of the Final Notice to complete a valid payout request, including any required identity verification and bank-account connection.

If no valid payout request is completed within the Final Response Window, Fund the First may, in its sole discretion and subject to applicable law (including unclaimed property laws), take any of the following actions:

redirect the funds to Fallen First Reserve or to one or more nonprofit organizations, where legally permitted, for purposes reasonably aligned with the original Campaign or with Fund the First's mission of supporting first responders, military members, and their families;

redirect the funds to one or more other active, verified Campaigns on the Services serving substantially similar purposes; or

re-designate the funds for use at the sole discretion of Fund the First or its affiliates for any purpose the company deems proper, including but not limited to platform enhancements, software or product development, company operations, hiring and compensation of employees, marketing, infrastructure, or other business purposes.

Fund the First will not refund Donations to original Donors solely because funds remain unwithdrawn after the Dormancy Period and Final Response Window. Fund the First will keep a record of every Final Notice and of how the funds were used.

The 730-day Dormancy Period and subsequent 90-day Final Response Window do not override applicable law. Any duty to safeguard, report, remit, refund or otherwise handle funds under applicable law takes precedence over the disposition options in this Section. Funds remitted to a governmental authority under unclaimed property laws must be claimed from that authority.

11. Organizer and Beneficiary responsibilities

Organizers and Beneficiaries each promise that:

all information and content they provide is accurate and complete, and they have every right and permission needed to share it, including other people's names, stories and images;

funds will be used only as described in the Campaign, and they will post an update if the purpose changes;

they will respond promptly to our requests for information, and keep records of how funds were used for at least two years after the last payout;

they will comply with all laws that apply to them, including tax reporting; and

if they share contacts' personal information with us (for example to invite people to a Campaign), they have the right to do so.

We may share Campaign information with Donors, payment processors and law enforcement when needed to investigate a complaint, as described in our Privacy Policy.

12. Prohibited conduct

You may not use the Services to:

break any law, regulation, or the rules of card networks and payment processors;

post a Campaign that is false, misleading, or for someone who has not agreed to it;

misuse or divert Donations, or raise money for anything other than the stated purpose;

raise money for anything illegal, hateful, violent or discriminatory, or for legal defense of violent crimes;

offer contests, raffles, sweepstakes, prizes or rewards in exchange for Donations;

impersonate anyone, or misrepresent your connection to an Eligible Community;

donate to your own Campaign to inflate totals, or work with Donors to commit fraud or chargebacks;

upload content that infringes others' rights, invades privacy, or contains malware;

scrape, crawl, data-mine, reverse-engineer, overload or disrupt the Services, or get around any block we put in place; or

collect or publish other users' personal information.

We may remove content, pause or close Campaigns, refuse Donations or payouts, suspend accounts, and report activity to law enforcement. Incomplete Beneficiary verification alone is not a ground for pausing or closing a Campaign, stopping Donations or refunding Donations; the payout verification requirements remain in effect. In our review we may consider any available information, including news reports and public social media. Report a concern with the "Report Fraud" button or at [email protected].

13. Your content

You keep ownership of what you post ("User Content"). You grant Fund the First a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable and sublicensable license to host, display, copy, adapt and share your User Content to operate and promote the Services and the Campaign, including on social media and in marketing, for as long as it is on the Services and for a reasonable time after. Content already shared in marketing materials may remain there.

You confirm you have permission from everyone who appears in your User Content. Feedback and suggestions you send us may be used freely, without obligation to you. We do not pre-screen all content, but we may remove any content at any time.

14. Communications

By creating an account or donating, you agree that we may send you service messages by email, such as receipts, Campaign updates, verification and payout notices, and important account notices. Marketing emails include an unsubscribe link.

Text messages. If you give us your mobile number and opt in, we may send you text messages about your Campaign, verification and payouts. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to cancel or HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of using the Services. We do not share your mobile number or text-message opt-in with third parties for their marketing.

15. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect and how we use and share it. It is part of these Terms. Information you make public in a Campaign, such as a story, photos or a public Donation, may be seen and shared by anyone and indexed by search engines.

16. Third-party services

The Services rely on third parties, including Stripe (payments and payouts) and Plaid (identity verification), and may link to other websites. Their terms and privacy policies apply to your use of their services. We are not responsible for third-party services, content or websites.

17. Intellectual property and copyright complaints

The Services, our software, and the Fund the First name and logos belong to Fund the First or our licensors. Do not copy, modify or use them except as these Terms allow.

To report copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, email [email protected] with the subject "DMCA Takedown Request," or write to Copyright Agent, Fund the First, 2009 Decker Avenue, Merrick, New York, 11566. Include: your signature; the work you claim is infringed; where the material is on the Services; your contact information; a statement of good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized; and a statement, under penalty of perjury, that your notice is accurate and you are authorized to act. Counter-notices may be sent to the same address with the information the DMCA requires. We terminate repeat infringers in appropriate cases.

18. Disclaimers

THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, FUND THE FIRST DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY CAMPAIGN WILL MEET ITS GOAL OR USE FUNDS AS DESCRIBED.

19. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, FUND THE FIRST AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS 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 CAMPAIGN OR DONATION, OR THE CONDUCT OF ANY USER OR THIRD PARTY. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF $100 OR THE TIPS AND FEES YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THESE LIMITS, SO THEY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

20. Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Fund the First and its officers, directors, employees and agents from claims, losses and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from your Campaign, your User Content, your Donations or payouts, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of anyone's rights.

21. Disputes, arbitration and class-action waiver

Please read this section carefully. It affects your legal rights.

This section applies only to the extent permitted by applicable law. It does not limit nonwaivable rights, including any applicable right to bring a claim in court or participate in a class proceeding. Where applicable law prohibits a pre-dispute arbitration requirement or class-action waiver, that requirement or waiver does not apply.

Informal resolution first. Before filing a claim, send a written Notice of Dispute to Fund the First, Legal Department, 2009 Decker Avenue, Merrick, New York, 11566, describing the claim and the relief you want. We will try to resolve it within 60 days.

Binding individual arbitration. Any dispute that is not resolved will be decided by binding arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act, administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. You and Fund the First each waive the right to a jury trial and to take part in a class or representative action.

Exceptions. Either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court, seek injunctive relief for misuse of intellectual property, or report to a government agency.

Fees. For claims under $10,000 we will reimburse your filing fee unless the arbitrator finds the claim frivolous. Hearings take place in New York County, New York, or by phone or video. For claims of $10,000 or less you may choose a documents-only arbitration.

Mass filings. If 25 or more similar demands are filed by the same or coordinated counsel, they will be administered in batches under the AAA's mass-arbitration procedures.

Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration section by emailing [email protected] within 30 days of first accepting these Terms.

Time limit. Any claim must be filed within one year after it arises, unless the law does not allow this limit.

If this section is found unenforceable, disputes will be heard only in the state or federal courts in New York County, New York.

22. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, and by the Federal Arbitration Act.

23. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or end your access, or remove any Campaign or content, at any time if we reasonably believe you violated these Terms or the law, or to protect users, Beneficiaries or Fund the First. Incomplete Beneficiary verification alone does not trigger suspension, Campaign closure or a stop to Donations. Where we can, we will tell you why. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including Sections 7 through 10 and 13 through 24.

24. General

These Terms, the Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use are the entire agreement between you and us about the Services. If any part is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms. We may assign them, including in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets. We are not liable for delays caused by events outside our reasonable control. Headings are for convenience only.

25. Contact

FT1, Inc. d/b/a Fund the First, 2009 Decker Avenue, Merrick, New York, 11566

General questions: [email protected]

Report fraud or a violation: [email protected]