Terms of Service
Last updated: March 23, 2026
1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using the Charleston United platform ("Service"), including our website and mobile applications, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Charleston United.
2. Description of Service
Charleston United is an encounter-based matching platform that coordinates comprehensive community responses in the Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan area, including Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, and surrounding counties. The platform connects volunteers, organizations, businesses, and government agencies to address community needs through structured encounters using our 5 Gates Framework.
3. User Accounts
To use the Service, you must create an account and provide accurate, complete, and current information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account.
The platform supports four user roles:
- Volunteer — Individuals who contribute time and skills to community encounters.
- Organization — Charities and faith-based organizations that create and moderate encounters.
- Business — Companies that provide volunteers, resources, and sponsorships.
- Government — Government agencies that provide resources and coordinate emergency responses.
You must be at least 13 years of age to create an account. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this age requirement.
4. User Conduct
When using the Service, you agree not to:
- Provide false or misleading information in your profile or encounter contributions.
- Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of applicable laws.
- Harass, abuse, or harm other users, encounter participants, or community members.
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other user accounts or platform systems.
- Use automated systems or bots to access the Service without prior written permission.
- Misrepresent your affiliation with any organization, business, or government agency.
- Share encounter details or personal information of participants outside the platform without consent.
5. The 5 Gates Framework
Charleston United organizes community responses through our 5 Gates Framework. Each encounter may involve one or more of the following gates:
- Pray — Spiritual covering and prayer support.
- Serve — Immediate tangible relief such as food, shelter, and transportation.
- Connect — Coordination and system navigation, auto-assigned to the encounter creator.
- Mentor — One-on-one guidance provided through vetted mentoring organizations.
- Lead — Long-term economic empowerment including job training and education.
By participating in encounters, you agree to fulfill your committed gate responsibilities in good faith and to accurately log your contributions.
6. Intellectual Property
The Service, including its design, features, content, and underlying technology, is owned by Charleston United and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works based on any part of the Service without our express written permission. Content you submit to the platform (such as contribution logs, photos, and descriptions) remains yours, but you grant Charleston United a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, display, and distribute that content within the platform for the purpose of coordinating community responses.
7. Privacy
Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described in the Privacy Policy.
8. Disclaimer
The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Charleston United does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free. We do not conduct background checks on individual users and do not guarantee the conduct, identity, or suitability of any user or organization on the platform.
9. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Charleston United and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, or personal injury arising out of or related to your use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to Charleston United, if any, in the twelve months preceding the claim.
10. Termination
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that we determine, in our sole discretion, violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, the community, or the Service. You may terminate your account at any time by submitting a deletion request. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease.
11. Changes to Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and notify you through the platform or via email. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.
12. Contact Information
If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at: