Last Updated: October 23, 2026
1. About These Terms. Simple Liberty Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (EIN (Tax ID): 42-3420651) ("Simple Liberty," "we," "us," or "our"). We publish civic education content and organize a nonpartisan community of everyday Americans - commoners - who examine issues together and share ideas for solutions that serve the common good.
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your relationship with Simple Liberty: The content we publish, the community we host, the donations we receive, and the benefits we provide in recognition of your support.
We do not operate our own website software or process payments ourselves. We use third-party platforms to do those things. Where a platform has its own agreement with you, that agreement governs your use of the platform, not these Terms. Section 2 explains how that works.
By subscribing, donating, participating in our community, or otherwise engaging with Simple Liberty, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our publication or make a donation.
2. THE PLATFORMS WE USE.
2.1 Ghost and Stripe. Our website, newsletters, member accounts and comments run on Ghost(Pro), a hosted publishing platform provided by Ghost Foundation at ghost.org. Donations are processed by Stripe through Ghost. When you give, Stripe collects and processes your payment under its own terms and privacy policy, available at stripe.com. Payment card data is entered directly with Stripe and does not pass through or reside within Simple Liberty systems.
2.2 What This Means. These Terms apply to your relationship with Simple Liberty in all cases. Where Stripe's agreement with you governs payment processing, that agreement controls those matters. We are not responsible for the platforms' acts or omissions, their availability, or their handling of your data or payments, except as required by law.
3. Eligibility. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, subscribe, donate, or participate in our community. By engaging with Simple Liberty you represent that you are at least 18 and that your participation complies with applicable law.
4. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS.
4.1 Free Subscription. Anyone 18 or older may subscribe at no cost. Free subscribers receive our newsletters by email. All of our research is public, and no account is needed to read it.
4.2 Paid Donor Memberships. We offer recurring donation memberships. Membership contributions are donations to Simple Liberty Foundation, not purchases. In recognition of your support, members receive access to certain benefits, described on our Join Us page and summarized in Section 6. Your year-end giving statement will show the tax-deductible portion of your gifts.
4.3 Billing and Cancellation. Recurring donations are billed through Stripe on the schedule shown at signup and continue until you cancel. You may change or cancel your membership at any time from your member account on our website, and cancellation stops future charges. Because contributions are donations, they are not refundable except as described in Section 5.4.
5. DONATIONS.
5.1 One-Time Gifts. You may also make a one-time gift through our website. A one-time gift is processed by Stripe and does not start a recurring donation.
5.2 Managing Your Giving. You may change or cancel a recurring donation from your member account on our website, or by emailing us at info@simpleliberty.com. We will act on requests we receive promptly, but changes to a payment already submitted for processing may not be possible.
5.3 Acknowledgment and Tax Treatment. Simple Liberty Foundation is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Each donor receives a year-end giving statement showing total gifts, the value of any benefits received in recognition of support, and the tax-deductible amount. Please retain your statement and consult your tax advisor.
5.4 Refunds. Donations are completed gifts and are not refundable. If a payment was charged in error or charged twice, contact us at info@simpleliberty.com and we will correct it.
6. Benefits Provided in Recognition of Support. In recognition of your support, members have access to the benefits described on our Join Us page, including the ability to comment on our posts. Commoners Club members also have access to donor activities as they are offered. We may add, change or discontinue benefits at any time. Some benefits depend on features provided by Ghost or other third parties, and may change or become unavailable if those features change. Benefits are personal to you, are not transferable and have no cash value.
7. Community Conduct. Our community depends on facts and civil dialogue. By participating, you agree to follow our Rules of Engagement, which are incorporated into these Terms by reference and are available on our website. In summary: be respectful, disagree without contempt, support claims with facts, use your real identity, and keep contributions relevant to the issue at hand. We do not permit self-promotion, harassment, threats, impersonation, unlawful content, or content that infringes the rights of others.
We may address conduct that violates these Terms or our Rules of Engagement by warning a participant, removing content, restricting participation, or ending a membership. We moderate behavior, not opinions. Disagreement with our conclusions, or with other participants, is not a basis for removal. These standards apply to live online meetings and other gatherings we host, in addition to written discussion.
8. Our Content. The content we publish - including our research, written analysis, the 4Q Scrolls framework and materials, graphics, and the organization of our Issues, Topics and Claims - is owned by Simple Liberty Foundation or used by permission, and is protected by copyright and other laws. You may read, share links to, and quote our published content with attribution for noncommercial purposes. You may not republish substantial portions, create derivative works, or use our content commercially without our written permission. Our name and logo may not be used in a way that suggests endorsement or affiliation without permission.
9. Your Content. You keep ownership of what you post. By posting comments, submissions or other content in our community, you grant Simple Liberty Foundation a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, reproduce and distribute that content in connection with our work, including quoting it in our published materials with attribution. You represent that you have the right to post what you post, and that it does not infringe the rights of others or violate the law. We are not obligated to publish, retain or preserve any content you post, and we may remove it.
10. Volunteer Contributions. We welcome volunteers to help develop research, solutions and other materials. Unless we agree otherwise in writing, work you contribute as a volunteer - including research, drafting, and analysis prepared for Simple Liberty - is contributed to Simple Liberty Foundation for use in our published work, and you grant us the rights necessary to publish, edit and distribute it. Volunteering does not create an employment relationship, and volunteers are not entitled to compensation or reimbursement of expenses. We may credit contributors, but are not obligated to.
11. Civic Education, Not Professional Advice. Simple Liberty publishes civic education grounded in sourced historical and current evidence. Nothing we publish is legal, financial, tax, medical or professional advice, and you should not rely on it as such. We are nonpartisan. We do not lobby, draft legislation, support or oppose candidates for public office, petition officials or campaign. References to organizations, sources or officials are for information and do not imply endorsement by them or by us. We work to be accurate, and we correct errors, but we do not warrant that our content is complete or free of error.
12. Disclaimers. Our publication, community and content are provided "as is" and "as available." To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement. We do not warrant that our website or community will be uninterrupted, secure or error free, and availability depends on platforms we do not control.
13. Limitation of Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Simple Liberty Foundation and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages arising from your use of our publication or community, your participation, or your donations. Our total liability for any claim will not exceed the greater of the amount you contributed to Simple Liberty in the twelve months before the claim arose, or one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).
14. Indemnification. You agree to defend and indemnify Simple Liberty Foundation and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers and agents against claims, damages and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from your content, your participation in our community, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of the rights of others.
15. Dispute Resolution. We would rather resolve any problem directly. Before starting a formal proceeding, please contact us at info@simpleliberty.com and give us thirty (30) days to work it out with you.
16. Changes to These Terms. We may update these Terms. When we do, we will change the "Last Updated" date above. For material changes, we will provide notice to subscribers before the changes take effect. If you continue to participate after changes take effect, you accept the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you may cancel your membership or unsubscribe.
17. Ending Your Participation. You may unsubscribe, cancel a membership, or stop a recurring gift at any time, as described in Sections 4.3 and 5.2. We may end or restrict your participation if you violate these Terms or our Rules of Engagement. Sections 8 through 14 survive the end of your participation.
18. GENERAL.
18.1 Governing Law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles. Subject to Section 15, you and Simple Liberty submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Placer County, California.
18.2 Entire Agreement and Severability. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and our Rules of Engagement, are the entire agreement between you and Simple Liberty regarding your participation, and supersede our prior Terms of Service. If any provision is held unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.
18.3 Notices and Contact. We may provide notices to you by email or by posting to our website. You may contact us at info@simpleliberty.com, or by mail at:
Simple Liberty Foundation
4120 Douglas Blvd., Suite 306-143
Granite Bay, CA 95746
18.4 California Residents. Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California residents may contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite N 112, Sacramento, California 95834, or by telephone at 1-800-952-5210.