Terms of service.

These terms govern use of the Trust Letter Service. They establish that the service is an information product and not the practice of law. Founder review required before public launch.

1. The service

Trust Letter Service ("the Service") provides factual due diligence summaries on charitable organizations ("trust letters" or "records"), compiled from primary public sources and verified through standardized procedures. Each record is reviewed and signed by a lawyer admitted in Alberta and a Chartered Professional Accountant before issuance.

2. Not legal advice; no attorney-client relationship

The Service is an information product. Trust letters are factual diligence records. They are not legal opinions, do not constitute legal advice, and must not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from your own legal counsel or other professional advisors.

Use of the Service does not create an attorney-client relationship between you (or your organization) and the reviewing attorney, any law firm with which the reviewing attorney is affiliated, or any other person involved in producing the record. No fiduciary duty, duty of confidentiality, or duty of loyalty arises from your use of the Service beyond the obligations expressly set out in these Terms.

The reviewing attorney's signature on a trust letter attests that the diligence described in the record was performed in accordance with the published methodology of Trust Letter Service as of the issue date, and that the supporting evidence is on file with the firm. The signature is not a legal opinion on the subject charity's status under any tax, regulatory, or other regime.

3. Customer responsibilities

You are responsible for:

• determining whether a trust letter is appropriate for your decision-making process;
• obtaining your own legal, tax, and other professional advice as needed;
• any decision to make, decline, or condition a charitable grant or other transaction;
• the accuracy of information you submit when requesting a record (including the charity name, jurisdiction, and any registration number).

4. Limitations on the record

Trust letters describe information that was verifiable from the cited primary sources at the time of issuance. A trust letter is not:

• a guarantee that the subject charity will continue to behave as it has historically;
• a statement about the charity's eligibility for any tax-favoured treatment in your jurisdiction;
• a recommendation that any grant be made or declined;
• a substitute for ongoing monitoring of the grantee.

Records are valid for 365 days from issuance. The status of any record may be confirmed at the verification URL printed in the record's appendix. We may rescind a record (with notice) if the underlying charity's status materially changes, the record is shown to contain a material error, or the record's supporting evidence is no longer accessible.

5. Fees and refunds

[FOUNDER-EDIT] Per-record and subscription fees are as published on the pricing page. Records that cannot be issued because the diligence cannot be completed (for example, the charity cannot be matched to a primary register, or sanctions screening returns a positive match) are refunded in full or, at your option, escalated to a manual review path.

6. Limitation of liability

[FOUNDER-EDIT] Subject to applicable law, our aggregate liability under these Terms is limited to fees paid by you to Trust Letter Service in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. We are not liable for any indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, even if advised of the possibility.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law (including, in Canada, deceptive marketing or fraud).

7. Indemnification

[FOUNDER-EDIT] You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Trust Letter Service, the reviewing attorney, the reviewing CPA, and our affiliates from any claim arising out of (a) your use of a record beyond the scope set out in section 4, (b) your reliance on a record in lieu of independent professional advice, or (c) information you submitted when requesting a record that proves to have been incorrect.

8. Privacy

See the privacy policy.

9. Termination and account closure

[FOUNDER-EDIT] Either party may terminate this agreement at any time. Records issued before termination remain valid through their effective period unless rescinded. We may suspend or terminate accounts that materially breach these Terms or that submit fraudulent or abusive requests.

10. Governing law and disputes

[FOUNDER-EDIT] These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Alberta. Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.

11. Changes

We may update these Terms. Material changes are notified to active customers by email at least thirty (30) days before they take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Contact

Questions about these Terms should be directed to the firm.