The Black Trust Fund

Terms of Service

Last Modified: September 9, 2026

These Terms of Service govern your use of The Black Trust Fund platform. By enrolling as a member, you accept these terms in full.

1. What TBTF Is

The Black Trust Fund (TBTF) is a community mutual aid platform rooted in the tradition of collective care and economic empowerment, open to all who share our values. TBTF is a private membership technology platform that facilitates mutual aid between members of a trusted community. TBTF is not a charity, lender, bank, insurance provider, or financial institution. TBTF provides software infrastructure that enables members to support one another through structured, rules-based coordination.

2. Membership Eligibility

Membership in The Black Trust Fund is open to individuals 18 years of age or older who are US residents. This platform is available to US residents only. By enrolling, you represent that you meet both the age requirement and US residency requirement.

You must be a US resident to create an account or use our services. Our platform, services, and compliance framework are designed for US law and regulation.

3. Membership Fees

Members pay a monthly membership fee of $27/month or an annual fee of $247/year. This fee grants access to the platform, the 8 Irrevocable Pillars of Community journey, and participation in the mutual aid network. Membership fees are separate from and in addition to any amounts you choose to contribute through your Trust Pledge.

4. Coordination Fee

Coordination fee. If your case is approved for round scheduling, TBTF may charge a coordination fee for the case-administration and round-preparation services TBTF performs, including final case processing, member communications, round setup, payment-handle verification, scheduling, and launch coordination. The coordination fee is paid to TBTF for its own platform and administrative services. It is separate from any member-to-member contribution and is never credited toward, held for, or transferred to a recipient's funding goal.

TBTF does not guarantee that a round will open by a particular date, fully fund, or result in any particular amount being received. If a round does not fully fund, the recipient receives only the amount contributed directly by members, subject to the applicable round rules.

The fee is generally earned when TBTF completes the case-processing and round-preparation services described above. A fee is refundable if TBTF cancels the case before performing those services, charges the fee in error, or applicable law requires a refund. If a member withdraws after TBTF has materially performed the services, the fee is generally nonrefundable, although TBTF may issue a discretionary refund.

Nothing in this policy limits any nonwaivable rights or remedies available under applicable law. Refund requests may be submitted by contacting support@theblacktrustfund.com, and approved refunds will generally be processed within 5 business days, subject to payment-processor timing.

The coordination fee supports TBTF platform operations and contributes to our Restore the Trust Initiative — a dedicated fund that helps returning citizens access the resources they need to successfully reintegrate into society, including housing, employment tools, professional licensing, and essential life necessities.

The coordination fee is not a loan origination fee, interest charge, or lending fee. TBTF is a mutual aid platform, not a lender. Members are not borrowing money — they are receiving community-funded support from fellow members.

5. Trust Pledge (Giving Wallet)

Your Trust Pledge is your commitment to the TBTF community. When you set your Trust Pledge, you are declaring your monthly intention to show up for fellow members when waves are sent.

Suggested pledge levels:

  • Seed — $10/month commitment
  • Builder — $25/month commitment
  • Anchor — $50/month commitment
  • Legacy — $100/month commitment

These are suggested starting points. Members are encouraged to give according to their capacity. You may contribute more than your pledge level at any time.

Important: Your Trust Pledge does not hold, store, or custody any funds on your behalf. TBTF never takes custody of member funds. Your pledge is a declaration of intent — not an automatic charge.

When a funding wave is sent, you choose whether and how much to contribute directly through our payment processing service at that time. Contributions flow peer-to-peer directly to fellow members — never through TBTF.

Your Trust Pledge tracks:

  • Your pledge tier and commitment level
  • Your giving streak (consecutive months you have shown up for others)
  • Your lifetime contributions to the community
  • The number of rounds you have participated in

This information reflects your community standing and commitment to collective care.

6. Referral Rewards Program

TBTF members may earn coordination fee waivers by referring new members to the platform.

How it works:

  • Share your unique referral link with friends and family
  • When a referred member reaches Day 30 of their TBTF journey, you earn one coordination fee waiver
  • Waivers are automatically applied to your next case submission
  • Waivers never expire and stack unlimited — refer more, earn more

Coordination fee waivers are a thank you for growing the TBTF community. TBTF reserves the right to modify or discontinue the referral rewards program at any time with reasonable notice to members.

Instagram Follow Reward

TBTF members who follow @theblacktrustfund on Instagram may claim one coordination fee waiver by self-reporting their follow in the member dashboard.

Important details:

  • One waiver per member lifetime
  • Self-reported (honor system)
  • Waiver is automatically applied to your next case coordination fee
  • TBTF reserves the right to modify or discontinue this reward at any time

7. Proof of Need and Proof of Fund Use

All members who receive funding must submit proof of need before funding and proof of fund use after receiving funds. Deadlines are strict: Category A members have 3 days; Category B members have 7 days. Failure to submit proof on time results in compliance violations and may lead to suspension.

8. Tax Notice

Recipients are solely responsible for determining any tax obligations arising from funds received through TBTF community rounds. TBTF does not provide tax advice, does not represent that any payment is taxable or nontaxable, and makes no guarantee regarding tax treatment. Members should consult a qualified tax advisor regarding their individual circumstances.

9. Suspension and Termination

TBTF reserves the right to suspend or terminate your membership for: repeated proof non-compliance, fraudulent case submissions, chargebacks, harassment, or violation of community guidelines. The founder makes all final suspension decisions. Suspended members may appeal only if explicitly permitted.

10. Community Reserve

TBTF may allocate a portion of certain coordination fees to an internal Community Reserve. The Community Reserve is a discretionary internal reserve of TBTF and not a segregated member account, deposit account, trust account, or charitable fund. TBTF may, in its sole discretion, use the Community Reserve to support select funding rounds, including by supplementing underperforming rounds or seeding future platform programs such as Legacy Rounds. No member has any ownership interest in, or entitlement to, the Community Reserve or any reserve contribution. TBTF may change the reserve percentage, reserve policy, or reserve uses at any time, subject to applicable law and any express written commitments made by TBTF.

11. Cancellation and Grace Period

A member may cancel a paid subscription at any time through the member dashboard or other cancellation method made available by TBTF. Unless TBTF states otherwise in writing, cancellation becomes effective at the end of the then-current billing period, and the member retains access through that date.

After a cancellation request, TBTF may, in its sole discretion, offer the member an optional 90-day complimentary grace period before full deactivation. If the member accepts the grace period, the member may retain access to the platform for up to 90 days at no charge, subject to these Terms and any applicable platform limitations. TBTF may modify or discontinue the grace-period feature prospectively, but any grace period already accepted by a member will continue for the stated period unless the member violates these Terms or TBTF is required to restrict access by law or for security reasons.

During any grace period, the member may continue to participate as permitted by TBTF, but may not submit a new case for funding unless TBTF expressly permits otherwise. Cases submitted before cancellation may continue to be processed according to TBTF policy.

12. Founding Legacy Members

Founding Legacy memberships are one-time, non-recurring memberships purchased on the terms disclosed at the time of purchase. Because no recurring subscription exists, the ordinary cancellation and grace-period flow does not apply. A Founding Legacy member may request account closure by contacting TBTF directly, and TBTF will process the request consistent with the original purchase terms and applicable law.

13. Exit Survey

If a member cancels, TBTF may present an optional exit survey asking why the member is leaving. Responses may be used for product improvement, customer support, churn analysis, and retention outreach, as described in TBTF's Privacy Policy. Providing exit survey responses is voluntary.

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration as described in our Arbitration and Dispute Resolution policy.

15. Community Monitoring

TBTF monitors the TBTF Lounge and other community spaces for compliance with these Terms and our Community Guidelines.

What We Monitor

  • Content policy violations (profanity, sexual content, hate speech)
  • Platform integrity (organizing outside TBTF to circumvent fee structure)
  • Member safety (threats, harassment, members in distress)

How We Monitor

  • Automated AI classification systems analyze messages for policy violations
  • Human review by TBTF founder/staff required before any adverse action
  • Alerts reviewed by TBTF founder, not acted upon automatically

Your Rights

  • You may appeal any action taken against your account within 30 days
  • You may request information about alerts related to your account
  • AI classification alone is never the sole basis for adverse action

Data Retention

  • Alert metadata: 90 days
  • Raw message content: never stored by TBTF

Contact: For monitoring appeals or data requests, email support@theblacktrustfund.com.

16. Changes to Terms

TBTF may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

17. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email legal@theblacktrustfund.com.