Terms & Conditions

Introduction

Welcome to the Friends of The Hudson River website at friendsofthehudsonriver.com. These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, services, programs, and related offerings. By accessing or using our website, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our website.

Friends of The Hudson River is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Hudson River through education, community engagement, and advocacy.

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing, browsing, or using this website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time, and such modifications will be effective immediately upon posting on this website. Your continued use of the website after any modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

Use of Website

Permitted Use

You may use our website for lawful purposes related to learning about our organization, accessing educational resources about the Hudson River, making donations, registering for events, volunteering, and communicating with our team.

Prohibited Use

You agree not to:

Use the website in any way that violates applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulations.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the website, other accounts, computer systems, or networks connected to the website.
Use any automated system, including robots, spiders, or scrapers, to access the website for any purpose without our express written permission.
Introduce viruses, trojans, worms, or other malicious software or technology that could harm the website or its users.
Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the website or its related systems.
Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
Collect or harvest any personally identifiable information from the website without authorization.
Use the website to solicit others for commercial purposes unrelated to our mission.

Account Responsibilities

If you create an account on our website for event registration, membership, or other purposes, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

Intellectual Property

Our Content

All content on this website, including but not limited to text, graphics, photographs, logos, icons, images, audio and video clips, data compilations, and software, is the property of Friends of The Hudson River or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

The Friends of The Hudson River name, logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of Friends of The Hudson River. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission.

Limited License

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the website for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may download or print copies of materials on the website for your personal, non-commercial use, provided that you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the materials.

Educational Materials

Certain educational materials, research reports, and resources on our website may be made available for educational and informational purposes. You may use these materials for personal education, classroom instruction, or community presentations, provided that you credit Friends of The Hudson River as the source and do not use the materials for commercial gain.

User Submissions

By submitting content to our website, including comments, photographs, stories, or other materials, you grant Friends of The Hudson River a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, display, and distribute such content in connection with our mission and operations. You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary rights to submit such content and that the content does not infringe on any third party’s rights.

User Conduct

When participating in any interactive features of our website, including contact forms, event registrations, or community forums, you agree to:

Provide accurate and truthful information.
Communicate respectfully and refrain from using offensive, threatening, or abusive language.
Respect the opinions and rights of others.
Refrain from posting content that is defamatory, obscene, discriminatory, or otherwise objectionable.
Not use our platforms for political campaigning, commercial advertising, or purposes unrelated to our mission.

We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these standards and to restrict or terminate access for users who engage in prohibited conduct.

Donations and Memberships

Donations

Friends of The Hudson River is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations made through our website are processed by secure third-party payment processors. We do not store your complete payment card information on our servers.

All donations are final and non-refundable unless made in error. If you believe a donation was made in error, please contact us at info@friendsofthehudsonriver.com within 30 days, and we will review your request on a case-by-case basis.

Tax receipts for eligible donations will be provided in accordance with IRS regulations. It is your responsibility to consult with a tax advisor regarding the deductibility of your contribution.

Memberships

Membership terms, benefits, and renewal policies are described on our membership pages. We reserve the right to modify membership programs, benefits, and fees with reasonable notice to current members. Membership fees are generally non-refundable.

Recurring Donations

If you sign up for a recurring donation, you authorize us to charge the specified amount at the selected interval until you cancel. You may cancel a recurring donation at any time by contacting us at info@friendsofthehudsonriver.com or by managing your account settings on our website.

Event Participation

Registration and Cancellation

Event registration is subject to availability. We reserve the right to cancel or modify events due to weather conditions, safety concerns, insufficient registration, or other circumstances. In the event of a cancellation, we will make reasonable efforts to notify registered participants and provide refunds for any paid events.

Assumption of Risk

Participation in outdoor events, river cleanups, kayaking excursions, nature walks, and similar activities involves inherent risks. By registering for and participating in these events, you acknowledge and accept these risks. We may require participants to sign a separate liability waiver before participating in certain activities.

Code of Conduct

All event participants are expected to behave respectfully toward other participants, staff, volunteers, and the natural environment. We reserve the right to remove any participant whose behavior is disruptive, unsafe, or inconsistent with our organizational values.

Disclaimer of Warranties

This website and all content, materials, information, and services provided on or through the website are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Friends of The Hudson River disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

The website will be available at all times or operate without interruptions or errors.
The information on the website is complete, accurate, reliable, or current.
Any defects in the website will be corrected.
The website or its servers are free of viruses or other harmful components.

Environmental data, water quality information, wildlife observations, and other scientific content provided on our website are for informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any decision.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Friends of The Hudson River, its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, income, profits, or goodwill, arising out of or in connection with your use of or inability to use the website or any content, materials, or services obtained through the website.

In no event shall our total liability to you for all claims arising out of or related to the website exceed the amount you have paid to us, if any, in the twelve months preceding the claim.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain warranties or liabilities, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you. In such cases, our liability will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Friends of The Hudson River, its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in connection with your use of the website, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another.

External Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites and resources, including those of partner organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, and other entities. These links are provided for your convenience and informational purposes only. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites. Your use of third-party websites is at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of those websites.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the website shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the State of New York, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect the remaining provisions, which shall continue in full force and effect.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver of any provision of these Terms will be effective only if in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Friends of The Hudson River.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published by us on the website, constitute the entire agreement between you and Friends of The Hudson River concerning your use of the website.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will be communicated through a prominent notice on our website. Your continued use of the website after any changes to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

We encourage you to review these Terms periodically to stay informed of any updates.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms, please contact us:

Friends of The Hudson River Email: info@friendsofthehudsonriver.com Website: friendsofthehudsonriver.com

We welcome your feedback and are committed to addressing any questions you may have about these Terms and your use of our website.