Terms of Service
Effective September 24, 2026
1. Who we are
CounterPledge is operated by CounterPledge, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("CounterPledge," "we," "us"). These terms govern your use of counterpledge.com and our pledge-matching service.
2. What the service is
CounterPledge matches political donation pledges from supporters of opposing candidates. Matched amounts are directed to the charity you select. Unmatched amounts are directed to the campaign committee of the candidate you select. CounterPledge is a technology platform. We are not a bank, a payment processor, a charity, or a political committee, and we never take custody of your funds. All payments are processed and disbursed by Democracy Engine, LLC.
3. Eligibility
You may use the service only if you are at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident, and contributing your own funds from a personal (not corporate) payment card. You may not use the service if you are a federal government contractor or a foreign national as defined by federal election law. By pledging, you certify that you meet these requirements.
4. Pledges are binding
When you submit a pledge and your card is verified, your pledge is final. It cannot be canceled, changed, or withdrawn. Your card is not charged when you pledge. It is charged once, for the full pledge amount, when the matching drive closes.
5. Matching
At the close of each drive, pledges are matched between the two sides as described on our How It Works page. The side with the smaller total is matched in full; pledges on the larger side are matched proportionally. The matched portion of your pledge is directed to your selected charity and the unmatched portion to your selected candidate's principal campaign committee. Matching calculations are final when results are published.
6. Failed charges
If your card cannot be charged when the drive closes, your pledge is excluded from that drive and no money moves. Other participants' allocations are not affected. We may exclude pledges or re-run a drive's matching before results are published if charges fail in a way that would materially distort the match.
7. Contribution limits and accuracy
Federal law limits contributions to any candidate to $3,500 per election in the 2025-26 cycle, and our system limits your total pledges accordingly. Individual pledges are currently capped at $1,000. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide, including your identity, address, employer, and occupation, and for ensuring your contributions comply with federal law.
8. Fees
CounterPledge charges a platform fee of 1% of each pledge, disclosed during the pledge process. Democracy Engine separately deducts its payment processing fee in connection with processing and disbursement.
9. Refunds
Because pledges are binding and funds are disbursed to third parties promptly after each drive, charges are not refundable except where required by law or in cases of processing error or unauthorized use. If you believe a charge was made in error, contact support@counterpledge.com promptly.
10. Prohibited conduct
You may not use the service to contribute another person's funds, to evade contribution limits, to submit false identity or eligibility information, or to interfere with the operation or fairness of matching. Interfering with matching includes deliberately pledging with a payment method you expect to fail. Violations will result in exclusion of your pledges and a ban from the platform, and may be referred to authorities where appropriate. Knowingly providing false information in connection with federal political contributions may violate federal law.
11. Tax matters
We make no representation that any portion of your pledge is tax deductible. You will not receive a charitable tax receipt from CounterPledge, and participating charities do not currently issue receipts for these donations. Consult your tax advisor.
12. Intellectual property
The CounterPledge name, site, and software are owned by CounterPledge, Inc. You may not copy or misuse them.
13. Disclaimers
The service is provided as is. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties and our total liability to you is limited to the amount of your pledge in the drive giving rise to the claim.
14. Changes
We may update these terms. Material changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date and apply to pledges made after that date.
15. Governing law
These terms are governed by Delaware law.
16. Contact
CounterPledge, Inc., support@counterpledge.com.