1. Purpose & Scope
This Acceptable Use Policy ("Policy") governs the use of the website zoeist.org, all associated subdomains, and any online services (collectively, the "Site") operated by Zoeist, Inc. ("Zoeist," "we," "us," or "our"), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Georgia (EIN: 33-2539843).
By accessing or using the Site, you ("User," "you," or "your") agree to comply with this Policy in its entirety. This Policy applies to all visitors, donors, volunteers, and any other individuals or entities who access or interact with the Site. If you do not agree to this Policy, you must discontinue use of the Site immediately.
This Policy is supplementary to and should be read in conjunction with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
2. Permitted Use
The Site is provided to support the charitable mission of Zoeist, Inc. You may use the Site for the following lawful purposes:
- Accessing information about Zoeist's programs, initiatives, events, and organizational mission.
- Making voluntary, charitable donations to support Zoeist's tax-exempt activities using legitimate payment methods.
- Signing up for newsletters, updates, or communications distributed by Zoeist.
- Contacting Zoeist through provided forms, email addresses, or phone numbers for legitimate inquiries.
- Applying to volunteer, participate in programs, or engage with Zoeist's community initiatives.
- Downloading or viewing publicly available resources, reports, or media shared by Zoeist.
All use of the Site must be in good faith and consistent with the charitable, educational, and community-development purposes of the organization.
3. Prohibited Activities
You agree not to engage in any of the following activities when using the Site. Violation of any of these prohibitions may result in immediate termination of access and, where applicable, referral to law enforcement authorities.
3.1 Unauthorized Access & Security Violations
- Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Site, its servers, databases, or any connected systems or networks.
- Circumventing, disabling, or otherwise interfering with security features of the Site, including authentication mechanisms, access controls, or encryption.
- Probing, scanning, or testing the vulnerability of the Site or any associated infrastructure without express written permission from Zoeist.
- Using any automated tool, bot, spider, or scraper to access, monitor, or copy any content or data from the Site without prior written consent.
3.2 Malicious & Disruptive Conduct
- Uploading, transmitting, or distributing any viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, or other malicious code or software designed to damage, disrupt, or compromise the Site or any connected systems.
- Launching denial-of-service (DoS), distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), or any other attack intended to overload, degrade, or disable the Site's availability or performance.
- Interfering with or disrupting the integrity of data stored on, transmitted to, or transmitted from the Site.
- Engaging in any activity that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Site's infrastructure.
3.3 Fraudulent & Deceptive Conduct
- Making donations using stolen, fraudulent, or unauthorized payment methods, including stolen credit cards, compromised bank accounts, or payment credentials belonging to another person without their authorization.
- Impersonating Zoeist, its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, or any other person or entity, or falsely representing an affiliation with Zoeist.
- Submitting false, misleading, or fabricated information through any form, application, or communication channel on the Site.
- Using the Site to conduct or facilitate any fraudulent scheme, money laundering activity, or financial crime.
3.4 Harassment & Harmful Content
- Using the Site to harass, threaten, intimidate, stalk, or abuse any individual, including Zoeist staff, volunteers, donors, or program participants.
- Transmitting or posting content that is defamatory, obscene, pornographic, hateful, discriminatory, or that incites violence.
- Sending unsolicited commercial communications (spam) through or in connection with the Site.
- Collecting, harvesting, or storing personal information of other users without their explicit consent.
3.5 Interference with Site Operations
- Reverse-engineering, decompiling, disassembling, or otherwise attempting to derive the source code of any software or technology used on the Site.
- Modifying, adapting, translating, or creating derivative works based on the Site or any portion thereof without written permission.
- Removing, altering, or obscuring any proprietary notices, labels, or markings on the Site.
- Using the Site in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Site or interfere with any other party's use of the Site.
4. Donation-Specific Rules
As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, Zoeist relies on the generosity and integrity of its donors. The following rules apply to all donations made through the Site:
- Legitimate Payment Methods Only. All donations must be made using payment methods that you are legally authorized to use. You represent and warrant that any credit card, debit card, bank account, or other payment instrument used to make a donation is owned by you or that you have the express authorization of the account holder.
- No Fraudulent Chargebacks. Initiating a chargeback or payment dispute on a legitimate, completed donation without first attempting to resolve the matter directly with Zoeist is a violation of this Policy. If you believe a donation was made in error, please contact us at [email protected] or call (470) 964-6039 before filing a dispute with your financial institution.
- Recurring Donations. If you establish a recurring donation, you are responsible for managing your subscription through the tools provided on the Site or by contacting Zoeist directly. Zoeist will honor all cancellation requests promptly.
- Donation Receipts. Tax-deductible donation receipts are issued in accordance with IRS requirements. Providing false or misleading information to obtain a donation receipt is prohibited and may constitute tax fraud.
- No Conditional Donations. Donations made through the Site are contributions to Zoeist's general mission unless a specific fund or program is designated. Attempting to condition a donation on personal benefit, quid pro quo arrangements, or outcomes that would compromise Zoeist's tax-exempt status is strictly prohibited.
5. Intellectual Property
All content on the Site — including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, photographs, audio, video, software, and design elements — is the property of Zoeist, Inc. or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
The Zoeist name, logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of Zoeist, Inc. You may not use such marks without the prior written permission of Zoeist.
You may view, download, and print content from the Site for your personal, non-commercial use only, provided that you do not modify or delete any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices. Any other use — including reproduction, distribution, display, or transmission of the content — without prior written consent from Zoeist is strictly prohibited.
6. Reporting Violations
Zoeist takes the integrity of its Site and the safety of its community seriously. If you become aware of any activity that violates this Policy, or if you believe the Site is being used for unlawful or harmful purposes, we encourage you to report it immediately.
You may report violations by contacting us at:
Please include as much detail as possible in your report, including the nature of the violation, any relevant URLs, screenshots, and the date and time of the activity. Zoeist will review all reports and take appropriate action in its sole discretion.
Zoeist will not retaliate against any individual who reports a suspected violation in good faith.
7. Enforcement & Consequences
Zoeist reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to investigate any suspected violation of this Policy and to take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to:
- Issuing a written warning to the offending User.
- Temporarily or permanently suspending or terminating the User's access to the Site and any associated accounts or services.
- Canceling any pending or recurring donations associated with the violation.
- Removing or disabling access to any content or material that violates this Policy.
- Reporting the violation to law enforcement authorities, regulatory agencies, or other appropriate third parties.
- Pursuing any available legal remedies, including seeking injunctive relief, damages, and recovery of attorneys' fees and costs.
Zoeist's decision not to enforce any provision of this Policy in a particular instance shall not constitute a waiver of its right to enforce that provision in the future.
8. Modifications
Zoeist reserves the right to modify, amend, or update this Policy at any time and for any reason. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting of the revised Policy on the Site, and the "Effective Date" at the top of this page will be updated accordingly.
Your continued use of the Site following the posting of any changes constitutes your acceptance of those changes. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about our expectations and requirements for Site use.
For material changes that significantly affect your rights or obligations, Zoeist will make reasonable efforts to provide notice through the Site or via email to registered users.
9. Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Acceptable Use Policy, please contact us: