Legal & Policies

IndieCrowdfund — Terms of Service

Last Updated: August 16, 2026 · Version: 2026-08-16.1

Welcome to IndieCrowdfund.com, a crowdfunding and project-launch platform operated by IndieCrowdfund, a DBA of Divinity Comics Inc. ("IndieCrowdfund," "we," "our," or "us"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of IndieCrowdfund.com, our services, applications, and related tools (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing or using the Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you may not use IndieCrowdfund.

1. What IndieCrowdfund Is

IndieCrowdfund is a DBA of Divinity Comics Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Campaign funding on the platform is operated as the Divinity Comics Grant Program — a formal grantmaking program whose purpose is to promote western comics and art. Contributions made to campaigns are contributions to the Grant Program; funds are awarded to creators as grants to support the projects described in their campaigns. See our Grant Program page and the Grant Agreement.

IndieCrowdfund is a platform where creators can publish projects, raise funding, offer rewards, and communicate with supporters ("Backers"). IndieCrowdfund facilitates these interactions but does not itself run or guarantee the success of any project.

We are not a store, a bank, or an investment service. We provide tools; creators are responsible for their own projects and for fulfilling commitments made to backers, including any rewards they choose to offer.

IndieCrowdfund supports the full spectrum of sequential art created by independent creators — from traditional Western comics and graphic novels to manga-style works, OEL (Original English Language) manga, manhwa, manhua, webcomics, and hybrid traditions blending Eastern and Western storytelling. We formally recognize anime-influenced and manga-style sequential art as a legitimate and established part of Western comics culture, and such campaigns are fully eligible to launch on the platform.

2. Eligibility

To use IndieCrowdfund, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have the legal capacity to form a binding contract
• Not be barred from using the Services under applicable law

Creators launching projects must also comply with our Creator Guidelines and local financial regulations.

3. User Accounts

To use certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and up-to-date information
• Maintain the security of your account
• Be responsible for all activity conducted under your credentials

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Launching Projects

Creators who launch a project on IndieCrowdfund agree to:

• Provide truthful and complete information about their project
• Set accurate funding goals, deadlines, and reward tiers
• Fulfill all rewards if the project is successfully funded
• Communicate clearly and promptly with backers about progress

Creators assume full legal responsibility for their commitments.

IndieCrowdfund does not guarantee reward delivery, shipping, timelines, or the quality of any product.

5. Backing Projects

When backers support a project:

• Their contribution goes to IndieCrowdfund (a DBA of Divinity Comics Inc.) in support of the Grant Program; funds are awarded as grants to support projects aligned with our mission
• They are backing the creation of the project, not purchasing a product — rewards are offered by creators and are not guaranteed
• They understand that delays, changes, or cancellations are possible
• They may be entitled to refunds only at the creator's discretion unless required by law
• They agree to read the full project description and associated risks

IndieCrowdfund is not responsible for disputes between creators and backers. Rewards, and their fulfillment, are solely the responsibility of the creator.

5a. Chargebacks — Immediate Permanent Ban

Nothing in this section restricts, waives, or asks you to give up any right you have under law to dispute a charge with your card issuer or bank — including your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act and Regulation Z — or to complain to a regulator. Those rights are yours and we do not condition access to the Services on giving them up. This section describes the consequences under our own Terms of using the dispute process in place of contacting us first, in a program where contributions fund grants that have already been awarded and paid out. Where a dispute falls within a carve-out above, no ban applies. If you think a charge is wrong, email support@indiecrowdfund.com first — we would rather fix it than lose you.

6. Program Costs, Payments, and Campaign Types

IndieCrowdfund (a DBA of Divinity Comics Inc.) retains a portion of contributions to cover the reasonable administrative and facilitation costs of operating the Grant Program, along with payment-processing costs charged by our payment processors. These amounts are disclosed during project setup and may vary by region.

Creators may choose between two campaign funding models:

• All or Nothing: Funds are only collected if the campaign reaches its stated funding goal by the deadline. If the goal is not reached, no money changes hands and backers are not charged.
• Keep It All: The creator keeps all pledges regardless of whether the funding goal is reached. Backers are charged immediately at the time of their pledge.

Creators authorize IndieCrowdfund and its payment processors to:

• Collect contributions from backers on behalf of the Grant Program
• Deduct program administration and payment-processing costs
• Hold a rolling reserve where applicable (see below)
• Disburse the remaining funds to the creator as a grant, under the Grant Agreement

Creators are responsible for all taxes, shipping costs, duties, and regulatory compliance.

6a. Tax Treatment of Contributions

Divinity Comics Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, but that status does not by itself make every payment to it deductible. Backers receive rewards, access, or other benefits in return for their contributions, and we do not represent any part of a contribution as a deductible charitable gift. We do not issue charitable contribution receipts or written acknowledgments under Internal Revenue Code sections 170(f)(8) or 6115 for pledges, and none should be inferred from a payment confirmation or receipt.

If your circumstances differ — for example a genuine donation made without receiving anything in return — contact us before assuming any tax treatment. Nothing on this platform is tax advice; consult your own tax advisor. Creators receiving grants are separately responsible for the tax treatment of what they receive, as set out in the Grant Agreement.

7. Creator Verification & Due Diligence

IndieCrowdfund conducts thorough due diligence on all creators before approving campaigns, and continues to review creators and their campaigns while those campaigns are running. Our verification process includes:

• Identity Verification: New creators must provide a valid government-issued photo ID and a legitimate business filing from their state Secretary of State office. Returning creators with verified accounts may be exempt from re-submission.
• Social Media & Online Presence Audit: We log and verify all social media accounts linked to the creator. Our team searches other crowdfunding platforms (Kickstarter, Indiegogo, GoFundMe, etc.) to review the creator's campaign history, including campaigns currently running as well as completed ones.
• Fulfillment History Review: We review backer comments, reviews, and public feedback on all of a creator's campaigns across all platforms — completed campaigns, campaigns currently running, and campaigns running concurrently on other platforms. This review is ongoing and is not limited to the period before approval. We contact creators directly when discrepancies or concerns are identified. We reserve the right to contact any creator by any means we see fit, using any contact details you have given us or made public, and by consenting to these Terms you agree to be contacted at those details about your campaign, including by phone and text message where you have supplied a number. Failure to respond to any communication will be considered campaign abandonment and will be dealt with accordingly; before we treat a campaign as abandoned we will send a final written notice to the email address on your account and allow ten (10) days for a reply.
• Internal Documentation: All verification findings, correspondence, and review decisions are documented internally and retained for compliance and audit purposes.
• Payment Account Verification: Creators must add a valid PayPal payout email (for standard campaigns), complete bank account setup through Divinity Payments (for NSFW/adult content campaigns), or connect a Whop account (for Whop-processed campaigns) to receive payouts.

IndieCrowdfund reserves the right to request additional documentation, deny applications, or revoke access at any time based on verification findings.

8. Content Standards & Age Requirements

All campaigns on IndieCrowdfund are subject to our Content Guidelines, which establish content standards, eligibility criteria, and prohibited content policies for sequential-art campaigns. These guidelines apply regardless of the work's format, genre, or country of creative origin — including manga, OEL manga, manhwa, manhua, and other anime-influenced works.

8.1 Content Ratings

Every campaign must declare a content rating:

• ALL AGES — no violence, language, or themes beyond what is appropriate for young children.
• TEEN (13+) — mild action violence, moderate themes, no sexual content.
• MATURE (17+) — strong themes, graphic violence, horror. Suggestive content permitted only with verified adult characters. No explicit sexual content.
• ADULT (18+) — explicit sexual content permitted ONLY where all depicted characters are verifiably 18 or older. Subject to all character age verification requirements below and in our Content Guidelines.

8.2 Character Age — Absolute Standard

8.3 Visual Standards — Skeletal Maturity

Written age labels alone are not sufficient. A character described as "18" but drawn with the skeletal proportions, facial structure, or body development of a child will be treated as a minor for the purposes of these Terms. Adult characters in suggestive or sexual content must demonstrate visual markers of skeletal and physiological maturity, including:

• Facial bone structure consistent with a fully developed adult.
• Body proportions consistent with adult skeletal development — appropriate limb-to-torso ratios and the absence of prepubescent body markers.
• Character height and build that does not suggest childhood or early adolescence.
• Absence of infantilizing visual cues — including oversized heads disproportionate to adult anatomy, underdeveloped or absent secondary sexual characteristics paired with childlike facial features, or costumes and staging that evoke childhood.

Heavily chibi, super-deformed, or simplified art styles that obscure these markers are not exempt. Full visual standards are detailed in our Content Guidelines § 4.

8.4 Ambiguous Age Policy

Where a character's age cannot be clearly established as 18 or older through both written documentation AND visual evidence of adult skeletal maturity, the character will be treated as a minor and the content will not be approved.

8.5 Pre-Launch Review

All campaigns undergo content review before going live. Standard review takes 3–5 business days. Campaigns flagged for potential policy concerns may be held for extended review. For MATURE or ADULT-rated campaigns featuring suggestive content, creators may be asked to provide written in-universe documentation establishing character age, visual evidence that the character's depiction meets the skeletal maturity standards above, or revisions if the initial submission does not meet visual standards.

Creators whose campaigns are rejected may submit a written appeal with supporting documentation within 14 days. Appeals are reviewed by a separate staff member from the original reviewer; appeal decisions are final.

9. Prohibited Activities

Users may not:

• Break any laws while using the platform
• Launch fraudulent or misleading projects
• Abuse, harass, or impersonate others
• Use the platform to launder money or engage in financial misconduct
• Upload malware, attempt hacks, or disrupt platform operations
• Use IndieCrowdfund to fund prohibited items (weapons, hate material, adult services, etc.)

In addition, the following content is strictly prohibited:

• Hate speech — comics whose primary purpose is to dehumanize, degrade, or incite violence against individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin. Villains, dark themes, and historical depictions of racism and atrocity are not automatically prohibited; context and intent matter. Comics that explore these themes critically are eligible. Comics that celebrate or promote them are not.
• Real-person violations — sexual or sexually suggestive depictions of real, identifiable living individuals without documented consent, and defamatory content presented as factual that targets real individuals.
• Intellectual property violations — campaigns that reproduce substantial portions of copyrighted work without authorization, or that present unlicensed derivative works as official or authorized products. Parody, criticism, and commentary are recognized as protected uses; fan comics operating clearly within parody and non-commercial traditions will be evaluated individually.
• Other prohibited material — disinformation campaigns disguised as comics or sequential art; content designed to facilitate real-world violence, illegal activity, or exploitation; and campaigns that misrepresent the nature of the product, creator credentials, or use of funds.

Violations may result in account termination and, where required by law, referral to appropriate authorities.

10. Intellectual Property

Creators retain ownership of their content but grant IndieCrowdfund a limited license to:

• Host, display, and distribute project content
• Promote and market the project on-site or via social channels
• Archive project pages permanently after campaigns end

That licence is non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, and sublicensable only to the hosting, storage, content-delivery, and email providers we use to operate the Services. You keep ownership, and you may take your content down at any time. Because project pages are archived permanently as part of the public record of the Grant Program, the licence to host and display material already published on a campaign page survives the end of your campaign and the closure of your account; every other part of it ends when you remove the content. You confirm you have the rights needed to grant this licence for everything you upload.

Users may not copy, steal, or misuse other creators' content.

10a. Copyright Complaints and Repeat Infringers

We respond to notices of claimed copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Send notices, and counter-notices, to our designated copyright agent at dmca@indiecrowdfund.com. The procedure, and what a valid notice must contain, is set out in our DMCA Policy.

We have adopted and will reasonably implement a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who are repeat infringers of copyright. Campaigns and content removed following a valid notice count toward that assessment, and an account terminated under this section is subject to Section 6 of our Data Deletion Policy.

11. Platform Rights

IndieCrowdfund may:

• Remove content that violates these Terms
• Suspend or terminate accounts
• Modify or update the Services
• Interrupt access for maintenance or system upgrades
• Refuse service at our discretion

11a. Termination for Violation, Ban Evasion, and Retained Records

This section applies to any termination for breach of these Terms or our policies — including fraud, harassment, prohibited content, misuse of grant funds, misrepresentation, or repeat copyright infringement. It applies in addition to, and independently of, the chargeback ban in Section 5a, and it applies whether or not a chargeback is involved.

11a.1 A Ban Attaches to the Person

A ban is not merely the closing of an account record. Where we terminate an account for a violation, you may not register, operate, or benefit from another account on IndieCrowdfund, and you may not ask or pay another person to hold one for you. Creating or using a further account after a ban is itself a breach of these Terms, and any such account may be terminated without notice, with pledges made through it cancelled. Ending the ban requires our written agreement.

11a.2 Records We Keep, and Which Deletion Does Not Remove

A ban we cannot recognise is not a ban. You acknowledge and agree that, where your account has been terminated for a violation, we may retain the following, and that a request to delete your account or your personal data does not oblige us to erase it:

• The name on the account, and any name given for shipping or verification
• The email address or addresses associated with the account
• Any phone number provided for verification
• The last known IP address or addresses used to access the account
• Device and browser signals recorded at sign-up or sign-in
• Payment identifiers connected with the violation — processor-side references, never full card numbers
• The enforcement record itself: the date, the reason, and who applied it

We compare these against new and existing accounts to identify the same person returning. A name on its own is weak evidence and we do not act on one alone — it is used together with the other identifiers above, and a match is reviewed before any account is closed.

We keep these for as long as the ban remains in force, which for a permanent ban means indefinitely. We keep nothing else for this purpose: everything outside this list is deleted or anonymised on the ordinary schedule set out in our Data Deletion Policy, and Section 6 of that Policy governs how these records are handled.

These records are held under restricted access and used only to detect and prevent ban evasion, to enforce the original decision, to protect other users and our payment processors from repeat abuse and fraud, and to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. They are never used for marketing, advertising, personalisation, or profiling, are never included in creator-facing backer reports or exports, and are never sold or shared with third parties for their own purposes.

11a.3 Why We May Refuse Erasure

The right to erasure is not absolute, and our basis for declining it as to the records above is our legitimate interest in the security and integrity of the platform and in preventing fraud and repeat abuse — a purpose expressly recognised by Article 6(1)(f) and Recital 47 of the GDPR — together with the exceptions in Article 17(3) covering legal obligations and the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims, and the exceptions in California Civil Code § 1798.105(d) covering the detection of security incidents and protection against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity. Comparable provisions in other jurisdictions are applied the same way. Nothing in this section removes a right you hold that cannot be waived by agreement, and your other data-subject rights are unaffected.

11a.4 Contesting a Ban

If you believe a termination was wrong, or that we no longer have reason to hold your identifiers, write to support@indiecrowdfund.com setting out why. We will review it and reply in writing. Where we agree, we lift the ban and delete the records held under 11a.2. Chargeback bans under Section 5a follow the appeal rule stated there.

12. Disclaimers

The Services are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranty of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, IndieCrowdfund disclaims all warranties, express, implied, and statutory, including the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement, and any warranties arising from course of dealing or usage of trade.

We do not guarantee:

• Project success
• Creator performance
• Reward delivery
• Platform uptime, or that the Services will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• Accuracy of user-submitted information

Use the platform at your own risk.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so some of the above may not apply to you. Nothing in this section limits any warranty or right that cannot be excluded or limited under the law that applies to you.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, IndieCrowdfund will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising out of or relating to the Services, even if we have been advised of the possibility of those damages.

Subject to the exceptions below, and to the fullest extent permitted by law:

• IndieCrowdfund is not liable for losses related to project failures, disputes, delays, or unfulfilled rewards
• Our total aggregate liability for all claims arising out of or relating to the Services will not exceed the greater of (a) the total amount you paid to us in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred US dollars (US$100)

What this section does not limit

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, for gross negligence or willful misconduct, for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Where a limitation in this section is held unenforceable as to a particular claim, it continues to apply to every other claim.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in such cases, the limitations apply to the maximum extent allowed, and your statutory rights as a consumer are unaffected.

13a. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless IndieCrowdfund, Divinity Comics Inc., and their officers, directors, employees, and agents from any third-party claim, demand, loss, or expense, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of:

• Content you submit, publish, or distribute through the Services
• Your breach of these Terms or of any law
• Your infringement of anyone else's intellectual property or other rights
• For creators: your campaign, your use of grant funds, and your fulfillment of, or failure to fulfill, rewards you offered

This does not apply to the extent the claim arises from our own gross negligence, willful misconduct, or breach of these Terms. We will notify you promptly of any claim, let you control the defense with counsel of your choosing, and cooperate at your expense; you may not settle a claim in a way that imposes any obligation or admission on us without our written consent, and we may participate at our own cost. Nothing here requires you to indemnify us for anything the law does not permit.

14. Dispute Resolution

14.1 Talk to Us First

Before starting an arbitration or a lawsuit, send a written Notice of Dispute to support@indiecrowdfund.com describing the dispute and the relief you want. We will do the same for any dispute we have with you. Both sides agree to try in good faith to resolve it for 60 days after the notice is sent. This step is a condition of starting arbitration, and the deadline to bring a claim pauses while it runs.

14.2 Arbitration

If we cannot resolve it, the dispute will be settled by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, before a single arbitrator, rather than in court. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this section. The arbitrator decides all issues except those reserved to a court in 14.4, including the scope and enforceability of this section.

You may choose to have the arbitration conducted by telephone or videoconference, on written submissions, or in person in the county where you live. We will pay the arbitration filing, administration, and arbitrator fees that exceed what it would have cost you to file the same claim in court, except where the arbitrator finds your claim frivolous. Each side otherwise bears its own legal costs, unless the law or the arbitrator's award provides otherwise.

14.3 No Class Actions

Disputes must be brought individually. Neither side may bring a claim as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding, and the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims or preside over any representative proceeding.

If this paragraph 14.3 is found unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief, then that claim or request must be brought in court and is severed from arbitration; the rest of this Section 14 still applies to everything else. Nothing here waives a right to public injunctive relief where that right cannot be waived by law.

14.4 What Stays Out of Arbitration

• Claims that qualify for small-claims court, brought individually in that court
• Requests for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief to stop infringement or misuse of intellectual property, which either side may bring in a court of competent jurisdiction
• Any claim or remedy that applicable law says cannot be sent to arbitration, including complaints to a government agency, which you may always make

14.5 Many Similar Claims

If 25 or more claims of a substantially similar kind are filed against us by or with help from the same lawyers or coordinated group, the claims will be arbitrated in staged batches of no more than 50, each batch before a single arbitrator, with the deadline to bring a claim paused for every claim awaiting its batch. This keeps the process workable for both sides and does not reduce anyone's right to have their own claim heard.

14.6 How to Opt Out

You may reject this Section 14 by emailing support@indiecrowdfund.com with your name, the email address on your account, and a statement that you opt out of arbitration. Send it within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, or within 30 days of the date this section was added, whichever is later. Opting out affects nothing else in these Terms, and we will not treat it as a reason to close your account or refuse you service.

15. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Indiana, without regard to conflicts of law. For any dispute not subject to arbitration under Section 14, you and IndieCrowdfund agree to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Indiana, and each side waives any objection to that venue.

If you are a consumer resident in a jurisdiction whose law gives you rights that cannot be waived by agreement, nothing in this section deprives you of those rights or of the protection of the mandatory law of the place where you live.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time — for example to reflect new features, a change of payment processor, or legal and regulatory requirements.

How changes take effect

• Material changes:we will give at least 30 days' notice, by email to the address on your account and by notice on the website. The change takes effect on the effective date stated in that notice.
• Non-material changes — clarifications, typographical corrections, and changes required by law or by a payment processor on shorter notice — take effect when posted.
• Changes apply going forward only. They do not alter the terms that governed a campaign already launched or a pledge already made before the effective date.

Your choices

If you continue to use IndieCrowdfund as a creator or a backer on or after the effective date, you accept the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you may reject the change by written notice to support@indiecrowdfund.com before that date. If you do:

• Creators: any campaign already live continues under the Terms in force when it launched, through fulfillment. You may not launch a new campaign without accepting the updated Terms.
• Backers: pledges already made continue under the Terms in force when they were made. You may not make new pledges without accepting the updated Terms.

We keep dated copies of prior versions of these Terms and will provide the version that applied to your campaign or pledge on request.

16a. General Provisions

• Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, that provision is limited or removed to the minimum extent necessary and the rest of these Terms stay in full force. Section 14.3 is the one exception, and is handled the way that paragraph describes.
• No waiver. If we do not enforce a provision, that is not a waiver of it, and it does not stop us enforcing it later.
• Assignment. You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your account without our written consent. We may assign them to an affiliate or in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, on notice to you.
• Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the policies they link to — including the Grant Agreement, Backer Agreement, Content Guidelines, Privacy Policy, Chargeback Handling Policy, and Data Deletion Policy — are the entire agreement between you and us about the Services, and replace any earlier understanding on the same subject. Where a campaign-specific agreement conflicts with these Terms, that agreement controls for that campaign.
• Survival. Sections 5a, 6a, 10, 10a, 11a, 12, 13, 13a, 14, 15, and this section survive the end of your account or of these Terms, along with anything else that by its nature should.
• Force majeure. Neither side is liable for a failure or delay caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disaster, war, civil unrest, labor disputes, epidemic, failure of a payment processor or hosting provider, or government action. This does not excuse any obligation to pay money already owed.
• Notices and electronic communications. You consent to receive communications, agreements, notices, and disclosures from us electronically — by email to the address on your account, or by posting to the Services — and agree that these satisfy any legal requirement that they be in writing. Legal notices to us go to support@indiecrowdfund.com. Keep your email address current; a notice sent to the address on your account is effective when sent. You may withdraw consent to electronic delivery by writing to us, but we may then have to close your account, because the Services are delivered electronically.
• No third-party beneficiaries. These Terms do not give rights to anyone who is not a party to them, except that Divinity Comics Inc. and the people listed in Section 13a may enforce the provisions that benefit them.
• Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between you and us. Creators are not our employees or agents, and we do not control their projects.

17. Contact Information