Open Impact Terms of Service

Short Summary

The Open Impact platform is shared infrastructure stewarded for public benefit by Open Future Foundation Inc.

Here are the key things to know:

  • You own your data. Anything you create or upload remains yours.

  • We don’t sell your data. And we don’t share it with third parties without your consent.

  • You control what’s public. Your information is only visible to others if you choose to share or publish it.

  • We steward the platform. Open Impact is not a commercial product—it is maintained in service of collective action and evolving toward participatory governance. Learn more in the full terms below.

  • We prioritize security and privacy. Your data is protected using industry best practices.

  • You’re responsible for how you use the platform. We provide the infrastructure; you decide how to use it in your work.

This summary is meant to help you quickly understand how the Platform works. Please review the full Terms below for complete details.

Full Terms

Welcome to Open Impact, a platform stewarded by Open Future Foundation Inc. (“we,” “us,” or “our”), a nonprofit organization operating in service of shared infrastructure for collective action.

These Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Open Impact platform, including any associated tools, services, and websites (collectively, the “Platform”).

By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms.

1. Purpose of the Platform

Open Impact is shared digital infrastructure designed to support coordination, documentation, measurement, and storytelling for ecological, social, and community-led initiatives.

The Platform is stewarded in service of public benefit, following the mission of Open Future Foundation Inc.:
to build and steward shared social, technical, and financial infrastructure that enables communities to coordinate, resource, and scale solutions to ecological and social challenges.

The Platform exists to:

  • Support collaboration across organizations and networks

  • Enable documentation and sharing of impact and learning

  • Coordinate projects, resources, and initiatives

  • Increase visibility for community-led work

2. Stewardship & Governance

Open Impact is currently stewarded by Open Future Foundation Inc. in alignment with its mission to support just, regenerative, and community-driven futures.

Our governance approach is evolving:

  • The Platform is stewarded for public benefit

  • We are actively working toward a more participatory, member-informed governance model

  • Over time, stewardship may include shared governance mechanisms, community input, and distributed decision-making structures

We commit to transparency in how the Platform evolves and is governed.

3. Eligibility

By using Open Impact, you represent that you are able to enter into a binding agreement under applicable law.

4. User Accounts

To access certain features, you may need to create an account.

You agree to:

  • Provide accurate and complete information

  • Maintain the security of your account

  • Notify us of unauthorized use

You are responsible for activity under your account.

5. Data Ownership & Control

We operate under a user-owned data model:

  • You retain full ownership of all data you create or upload

  • We do not sell your data

  • We do not share your data with third parties without your explicit consent

  • Your data is only made public if you choose to publish it

You may:

  • Control visibility and sharing settings

  • Edit or update your data at any time

  • Export your data (where technically feasible)

  • Request deletion of your data

We view ourselves as stewards of infrastructure—not owners of your information.

6. License to Operate the Platform

To provide the Platform, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to:

  • Store, process, and display your data

  • Enable collaboration, reporting, and visualization features

  • Improve platform functionality

This license exists solely to operate and improve the Platform and does not grant us rights to use your data beyond that scope.

7. Privacy Policy

7.1 What We Collect

We may collect:

  • Account information (e.g., name, email)

  • Content you create or upload (projects, data, resources, reports)

  • Usage data (e.g., interactions with features, performance metrics)

7.2 How We Use Data

We use data only to:

  • Operate and maintain the Platform

  • Enable collaboration and coordination features

  • Provide user support

  • Improve usability and performance

We do not:

  • Sell user data

  • Use data for advertising

  • Share data with third parties without consent

7.3 Data Storage & Location

Data is stored on secure servers located in the United States.

If you access the Platform from outside the United States, including from the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States.

Where required by applicable law, we implement appropriate safeguards to protect personal data transferred internationally, including the use of Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

While we take strong measures to protect your data, data protection laws in the United States may differ from those in your country of residence.

You may contact us at [email protected] to request additional information about the safeguards we use.

We can also accommodate specific data retention policies where required.

7.4 Security Practices

We implement industry best practices, including:

  • Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest

  • Role-based access controls

  • Dual firewall protection (including Cloudflare)

  • IP whitelisting for sensitive access

  • Denial-of-service protection

  • Alignment with OWASP Top 10 security principles

7.5 Data Access

  • Access to user data is limited to authorized personnel for support, maintenance, and security

  • We do not access or use your data for any other purpose

7.6 Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access, edit, or delete your data

  • Control how your data is shared or published

  • Request information about how your data is used

8. Collaboration & Shared Spaces

The Platform enables shared workspaces across organizations and networks.

In these environments:

  • Contributors retain ownership of their individual content

  • Shared outputs may be visible to authorized participants

  • Governance of shared spaces may be defined by participating groups

We encourage clear agreements among collaborators regarding shared data and outputs.

9. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

  • Violate laws or regulations

  • Upload harmful, abusive, or unlawful content

  • Interfere with Platform functionality

  • Attempt unauthorized access

We may suspend or terminate access for violations.

10. Platform Stewardship & Intellectual Property

The Platform’s underlying technology, design, and systems are stewarded by Open Future Foundation Inc. for public benefit.

You may not:

  • Reproduce or redistribute the Platform without permission

  • Reverse engineer or attempt to extract source code

Your content remains yours.

11. Service Availability

We aim for reliable access but do not guarantee uninterrupted service.

We may:

  • Update or improve features

  • Perform maintenance

  • Evolve the Platform over time

We will aim to communicate significant changes where possible.

12. Termination

You may stop using the Platform at any time.

We may suspend or terminate access if:

  • Terms are violated

  • Required for legal or security reasons

Upon termination:

  • You retain ownership of your data

  • We will provide reasonable access for export where feasible

13. Disclaimers

The Platform is provided “as is.”

We do not guarantee:

  • Accuracy of user-generated content

  • Suitability for regulatory or financial decisions

Users are responsible for how they use the Platform.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Open Future Foundation Inc. is not liable for:

  • Indirect or consequential damages

  • Loss of data, revenue, or opportunities

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of California.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms as the Platform and its governance evolve.

We will notify users of material changes by:

  • Updating this page

  • Revising the “Last Updated” date

Continued use constitutes acceptance.

Contact us:

[email protected]

Last updated 03/26/26