Terms of Service

A note on this document. This is a plain-language template intended to describe how GENNOW works. It is not legal advice and should be reviewed by your own counsel before being relied upon for a live service.

1.What GENNOW is

GENNOW Technologies, LLC operates a technology platform that connects corporate and philanthropic funders with youth-serving nonprofit organizations. We review applications and inquiries for eligibility, match strong applicants with funder portfolios, and provide tools for messaging, agreements, and reporting. GENNOW is an independent matchmaking platform. It is not a grantor, grantee, donor-advised fund, trustee, escrow agent, or guarantor, and is not a party to any grant made between a funder and a nonprofit.

2.Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and authorized to act on behalf of your organization to create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current information and to keep your account credentials secure. You are responsible for activity that occurs under your account. We may suspend or close accounts that violate these terms or that submit false or misleading information.

3.Obligations for nonprofit applicants

• Be an independent 501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored organization in good standing, serving K–12 aged youth within one or more of GENNOW’s funded issue areas.
• Submit accurate application materials and supporting documents, and promptly correct anything that changes.
• Use any grant funds only for the purposes described in your application and the grant agreement, and not for prohibited uses such as general overhead, lobbying, or activity outside a youth-serving mission.
• Submit the quarterly reports expected of grantees for the duration of a grant.
• Apply no more than once per quarter, per cycle.

4.Obligations for funders

• Provide accurate inquiry and portfolio information and confirm you have authority to make the commitments you describe.
• Understand that a funding commitment is a pledge, not a deposit with GENNOW, and that you pay each matched organization directly.
• Review matched applicants and approve or decline at your discretion; you remain in control of where your capital goes.
• Remit approved grants directly to grantees on the timeline set out in the grant agreement (typically within 14 business days of execution).
• Respect the confidentiality of applicant information and any youth-related materials you receive.

5.GENNOW does not handle funds

GENNOW does not collect, hold, escrow, process, disburse, or guarantee any grant funds. All payments flow directly from a funder to a grantee. With your authorization, GENNOW shares a grantee’s remittance details with the matched funder solely to enable that direct payment. A grantee’s sole recourse for payment is against the funder, and GENNOW bears no responsibility for payment, non-payment, timing, or the use or misuse of funds.

6.Fees

Use of the website, the grant application, and the nonprofit portal is free for nonprofits. Funders pay a platform subscription based on the plan selected (for example, Starter, Growth, or Enterprise) plus a per-match facilitation fee, typically 5–10% of each funded match depending on tier. Fees are invoiced to the funder directly and are described at the point of portfolio setup. We may change fees on a going-forward basis with notice.

7.No guarantee of funding or matches

Submitting an application or an inquiry does not guarantee a match, an award, or any particular amount or timing of funding. Matching depends on funder portfolios, eligibility, and available capital, and every funding decision rests with the funder. An application may be kept under consideration and carried into a later cycle, for up to 12 months from submission.

8.Acceptable use

You agree not to misuse the service. You will not submit false information, infringe others’ rights, upload malware, attempt to access accounts or data that are not yours, scrape or harvest data, or use the platform for any unlawful purpose. You will comply with applicable laws, including nondiscrimination and the child-safety standards appropriate to youth-serving programs.

9.Intellectual property

The GENNOW name, logo, site, and software are owned by GENNOW and may not be used without permission. Content you submit remains yours; by submitting it, you grant GENNOW a limited license to use it to operate the service and facilitate matches. All curricula, materials, and creative or artistic works produced by or with the young people an organization serves remain the property of that organization and, as applicable, the youth and their families. A funder acquires no ownership or license in such youth work by reason of a grant.

10.Disclaimers and limitation of liability

The service is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, to the fullest extent permitted by law. GENNOW does not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that any match, award, or payment will result. To the extent permitted by law, GENNOW and its officers, employees, and agents are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, or for the acts, omissions, payments, or non-payments of funders or grantees. Each funder and grantee agrees to indemnify GENNOW from claims arising out of a grant, the use or misuse of funds, or their own acts or omissions, except to the extent caused by GENNOW’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.

11.Changes, governing law, and contact

We may update these terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the date above and, where appropriate, notify you; continued use means you accept the updated terms. These terms are governed by the laws of the state in which GENNOW operates, without regard to conflicts of law. Questions can go to privacy@gennowfund.org or our contact page.