Terms of Use

Effective October 8, 2026

1. Agreement to These Terms

These Terms of Use govern your use of commongood.org (the "Website"), operated by The Common Good Institute Inc., a New York not-for-profit corporation ("Common Good," "we," or "us"). By using the Website, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website.

2. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through the Website and how we use it. By using the Website, you consent to that collection and use.

3. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised Terms on this page and update the effective date above. Your continued use of the Website after a change takes effect means you accept the revised Terms.

4. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Website. You must be of legal age to form a binding contract in your jurisdiction to make a donation. If you use the Website on behalf of an organization, you confirm that you are authorized to accept these Terms on its behalf.

5. Use of the Website

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Website for personal, non-commercial purposes, subject to these Terms. These Terms do not give you any ownership of or rights in the Website's content, except as stated here.

6. Donations

Online donations are processed by a third-party payment platform, and are subject to that platform's terms and privacy policy. We do not store your payment card information. Common Good is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Common Good's Federal Tax ID is 13-3859811. Donations are generally non-refundable; if you believe a donation was made in error, contact us at commongood@commongood.org and we will review your request.

7. Email and Newsletter

If you sign up for our newsletter or give us your email address, you agree to receive email from Common Good about our work. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send.

8. Submissions

When you send us a message, comment, or other material through the Website's forms or by email, you confirm that you have the right to share it. We may use ideas or feedback you send us without obligation to you. We will handle any personal information you include as described in our Privacy Policy.

9. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to:

1. Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Website, its servers, or any related system or network

2. Probe, scan, or test the Website's vulnerability, or breach its security or authentication measures

3. Interfere with the Website's operation, including by introducing viruses or other harmful code, or by overloading, flooding, or spamming it

4. Use the Website to send unsolicited commercial messages

5. Submit content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, obscene, or that infringes anyone's rights

6. Copy, modify, or reverse-engineer the Website's software, except as permitted by law

Violations may result in loss of access to the Website and may subject you to civil or criminal liability.

10. Intellectual Property

The Website and its content, including text, graphics, logos, images, and the selection and arrangement of that content, are owned by Common Good or its licensors and are protected by copyright and other laws. The Common Good name and logo are trademarks of Common Good. You may view, download, and print content from the Website for personal, non-commercial use, and you may share links to it. Any other use, including republishing, requires our written permission.

11. Copyright Complaints

We respect the intellectual property of others. If you believe material on the Website infringes your copyright, please contact us as described in our Copyright Policy. We will review your concern and, where appropriate, remove or change the material.

12. Third-Party Websites

The Website links to websites and services we do not control, including news outlets, podcast platforms, booksellers, and our donation processor. We are not responsible for their content, policies, or practices, and a link does not mean we endorse them. Your use of a third-party website is governed by that website's own terms.

13. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE WEBSITE AND ITS CONTENT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE WEBSITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. CONTENT ON THE WEBSITE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION AND IS NOT LEGAL OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, COMMON GOOD AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM RELATING TO THE WEBSITE WILL NOT EXCEED ZERO DOLLARS ($0). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THESE LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THEM MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Common Good and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from your violation of these Terms or your misuse of the Website.

16. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute relating to these Terms or the Website will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in New York County, New York, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

17. Termination

We may suspend or end your access to the Website at any time, without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms. Sections 10 through 16 and Section 18 survive any termination.

18. General

These Terms and our Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Common Good regarding the Website. If any provision is found unenforceable, the rest remain in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later. You may not assign these Terms without our written consent; we may assign them in connection with a merger, reorganization, or transfer of the Website.

19. Contact and Notices

Questions about these Terms, and any legal notices, should be sent to:

Common Good
P.O. Box 8536
New York, NY 10150-8536
commongood@commongood.org
(212) 681-8199

We may send notices to you by email at the address you have given us, or by posting them on the Website.