Terms of Service

What Givolve is (and is not)

Givolve is a platform that connects givers with receivers for direct, person-to-person giving. We are a connector, not a guarantor. We run the platform, review requests before they go live, and process payments. But we are not a party to the gift itself. We do not guarantee that any need will be fully funded. We do not guarantee that a receiver will use funds exactly as described, or any particular outcome. Givolve is not a registered charity. Gifts made through the platform are personal gifts to individuals, not donations to a tax-exempt organization.

Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use Givolve. During our current beta, both givers and receivers must be located in Canada, and payments are processed in Canadian dollars. We plan to expand beyond Canada in later phases. We will update this page when that happens.

What we verify, and what we do not

Every need goes through a human review before it goes live. We check that the story is coherent and that any supporting documentation is consistent. We also check that the request does not violate these terms. A need can additionally earn a Story-Verified badge after a team member reviews submitted supporting documents.

What this review is not: it is not a background check. It is not a fact audit or an independent investigation of every claim in a story. We do not verify a receiver's finances or confirm every detail with third parties. We do not guarantee that funds will be spent exactly as described. Verification reduces risk; it does not eliminate it. Give an amount you would be comfortable giving even if some details later turned out to be wrong.

Receiver responsibilities

• Describe your need honestly and accurately.
• Use funds for the purpose described in your need.
• Complete our identity review and provide accurate payout details.
• Post updates so givers can see the impact of their support.

Misrepresenting a need is a serious breach. Accounts found to be fraudulent are flagged and removed, and affected donations are refunded. See our Refund & Fraud Policy.

Giver acknowledgements

Giving on Givolve is voluntary. Gifts are final once the recipient receives them and cannot be reversed. If a recipient does not connect a bank account within 90 days of their most recent donation, all gifts to that need are refunded to the original donors. We review every need before it goes live and hold funds for a short window before payout. But we cannot guarantee outcomes. Some needs have a deadline. If the goal is not reached in time, funds already raised are still released to the receiver. They are held for 14 days after the deadline first, minus processing fees. See our Refund & Fraud Policy for the full timeline. Give what you are comfortable giving.

Prohibited use

Do not use Givolve to defraud or deceive givers. Do not misrepresent who you are or what you need, launder money, or solicit funds for anything illegal or harmful. Do not create multiple accounts to evade review or the application/gift limits described elsewhere on the platform. We may suspend or remove any account that violates these terms, and report unlawful activity to authorities where appropriate.

Payments, fees, and tips

Payments are processed by Stripe. A standard transaction fee of 2.9% + CA$0.30 per gift covers payment processing and is deducted from the gift amount. Recipients receive the full gift minus this transaction fee. An optional tip to Givolve is separate and does not reduce the recipient's share. Givolve charges no platform fee on gifts.

The tip is shown by default at 15% of the gift and is adjustable to any amount including zero. The tip funds Givolve's own operations. It is not part of the gift. It is never paid out to the receiver, and never counts toward a need's goal. During the beta, our team sends payouts to the bank account the receiver provides, rather than automatically through Stripe. See our Privacy Policy for how that bank information is handled.

No tax receipts

Givolve is not a registered charity or non-profit. Gifts made through the platform are personal gifts between individuals, not charitable donations, and are not tax-deductible. We do not issue tax receipts of any kind.

Disputes

Givolve does not mediate disputes between a giver and a receiver, for example a disagreement about how funds were used. What we do is the review and fraud process in our Refund & Fraud Policy. Report a concern and our team will investigate.

If you have a dispute with Givolve itself, contact us first at support@givolve.ca so we can try to resolve it informally. If we cannot reach a resolution, the dispute will be handled in the courts of Ontario, Canada, as described below.

Disclaimers and liability

Givolve is provided "as is" during the beta. [ENTITY: legal name pending incorporation]is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the platform. This applies to the fullest extent permitted by law. That includes losses arising from a receiver's misuse of funds, or from a need that turns out to be inaccurate. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any legal action relating to them will be brought in the courts located there.

Contact

Questions? Email support@givolve.ca.