Home > Terms of Service
Terms of Service
Effective Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
1. Acceptance of the Terms
Welcome to the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation (“we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, https://www.mattiespeacefoundation.org, including any content, functionality, and services offered on or through the website (collectively, the “Website”).
By accessing, browsing, or using the Website, including making a donation, becoming a member, or subscribing to our communications, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms or the Privacy Policy, you must not access or use the Website.
2. Privacy Policy
Our Privacy Policy provides a detailed explanation of our practices for collecting, using, and disclosing your information. Please review it carefully to understand how we protect your data. By using our Website, you consent to the data practices described in our Privacy Policy.
3. Communications from the Foundation
When you provide us with your email address, such as when you sign up for our newsletter, make a donation, or purchase a membership, you consent to receive electronic communications from us. These communications may include:
- Newsletters with updates about our mission, programs, and events.
- Acknowledgements of your donations or membership status.
- Information about fundraising campaigns and opportunities to support our work.
You may opt-out of receiving promotional emails from us at any time by following the “unsubscribe” link provided at the bottom of every email or by contacting us directly. Please note that you may still receive transactional or administrative messages, such as receipts and confirmations of your donations.
4. Use of the Website and Prohibited Conduct
We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to use our Website for your personal, non-commercial use in support of our non-profit mission.
As a condition of your use of the Website, you agree not to:
Use the Website for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms.
Violate any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation.
Engage in any conduct that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Website or interfere with any other party’s use of the Website.
Use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Website for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Website.
Introduce any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs, or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any parts of the Website, the server on which the Website is stored, or any server, computer, or database connected to the Website.
Post, upload, or distribute any content that is defamatory, obscene, fraudulent, harassing, or that infringes on the rights of any third party.
Impersonate or attempt to impersonate the Foundation, a Foundation employee, another user, or any other person or entity.
5. Intellectual Property Rights
The Website and its entire contents, features, and functionality (including but not limited to all information, software, text, displays, images, video, and audio, and the design, selection, and arrangement thereof) are owned by the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation, Inc., its licensors, or other providers of such material and are protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws.
The Foundation name, the terms “Mattie Stepanek Peace Foundation,” our logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of the Foundation. You must not use such marks without our prior written permission. Please note that all original materials created by Mattie J.T. Stepanek, including his “Heartsongs” poetry, books, artwork, and “Peace Tips,” are the copyrighted property of Jeni Stepanek, Ph.D., and are used by the Foundation with permission.
6. Donations, Memberships, and Payments
Our Website allows you to make one-time donations and purchase memberships, which may involve recurring payments.
Payment Processing: All financial transactions are processed through our secure third-party payment providers, such as Stripe and Givebutter. We do not store your full credit card information on our servers. You agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of these payment providers.
Authorization: By providing payment information, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to use the designated payment method and you authorize us (or our third-party payment processor) to charge your payment method for the total amount of your donation or membership fee.
Recurring Payments: If you purchase a membership with a recurring payment, you authorize us to charge your payment method automatically at the interval you selected until you cancel your membership. You may cancel your recurring payment at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.
Non-Refundable: As a non-profit organization, all donations and membership fees are considered final and are not refundable.
7. Community Platform
We may offer access to a community platform, hosted by CircleCo, Inc. (Circle.so), for our members and supporters. Your use of the community platform is subject to these Terms and may be subject to additional rules or guidelines posted within the platform.
User Content: You are solely responsible for any content, including messages, posts, and comments, that you submit to the community platform (“User Content”). You grant the Foundation a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your User Content in connection with the operation of the Foundation’s mission.
Moderation: We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to monitor, edit, or remove any User Content and to terminate or suspend your access to the community platform for any reason, including for a violation of these Terms.
8. Third-Party Links
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by the Foundation. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services. You acknowledge and agree that the Foundation shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods, or services available on or through any such websites or services.
9. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE WEBSITE AND ITS CONTENT ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. NEITHER THE FOUNDATION NOR ANY PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUNDATION MAKES ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPLETENESS, SECURITY, RELIABILITY, QUALITY, ACCURACY, OR AVAILABILITY OF THE WEBSITE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE WEBSITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, THE FOUNDATION HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
10. Limitation of Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE FOUNDATION, ITS AFFILIATES, OR THEIR LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS, OR DIRECTORS BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE WEBSITE, ANY WEBSITES LINKED TO IT, ANY CONTENT ON THE WEBSITE, OR ANY SERVICES OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
11. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Foundation, its officers, directors, employees, and agents, from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms or your use of the Website, including, but not limited to, your User Content.
12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
All matters relating to the Website and these Terms, and any dispute or claim arising therefrom or related thereto, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Maryland, USA, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision.
Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of, or related to, these Terms or the Website shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Maryland, in each case located in Montgomery County.
13. Age Restriction
Our Website is not intended for or directed at children under the age of 16. By using this Website, you represent and warrant that you are 16 years of age or older.
14. Changes to These Terms
We may revise and update these Terms from time to time in our sole discretion. All changes are effective immediately when we post them. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of revised Terms means that you accept and agree to the changes. You are expected to check this page periodically so you are aware of any changes.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at:
Mattie Stepanek Peace Foundation
402 King Farm Boulevard #125
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Email: info@mattiespeacefoundation.org
Phone: +1 (202) 888-MJTS (6587)