Ethical Guidelines and Conditional Membership Agreement
Please review the full agreement below before signing.
1. The Partner agrees NOT to sell, barter, or exchange any Product with salvage brokers, jobbers, third-party vendors, liquidators/wholesalers, or the public, including in flea markets, thrift stores, discount outlets, online platforms, or any other for-profit context.
2. Product must be used solely to support the care of the ill, needy, or infants, and in a manner aligned with the Partner's exempt purpose.
3. When distributing Product directly to families and individuals in need, the Partner agrees to distribute in household quantities. The Partner may share Product with other 501(c)(3) organizations as sub-recipients, provided these organizations also distribute the Product solely to families and individuals in household quantities. In all cases, the Partner remains fully responsible for the use, distribution, and reporting of the Product. HTI reserves the right to require pre-approval for any sharing of Product with sub-recipients.
4. The Partner must comply with all HTI and primary donor restrictions and conditions, whether currently in effect or established in the future.
5. The Partner shall not return any Product to the original donor's physical or online retail store.
6. The Partner agrees not to solicit or advertise Product from HTI's donors or social media outlets.
7. The Partner will maintain adequate records of all Product received through HTI. These records should include details of donations and distributions, with relevant pictures for documentation when possible. This information should be available to HTI staff upon request to facilitate communication with our donors.
8. The Partner is not permitted to contact the original donor or any representative or affiliate of the donor's company. However, if the Partner had previously received donations from the original donor before establishing its relationship with HTI and disclosed this connection to HTI prior to receiving the Product donation, this restriction does not apply.
9. The Partner must ensure that no discrimination occurs in the distribution of Product based on national origin, race, creed, gender, religion, disability, or otherwise as may be prohibited by federal and state law.
Indemnification
The Partner agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless HTI, its subsidiaries, affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, volunteers, and representatives from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs) arising out of or related to the Partner's use, distribution, or handling of any Product received from HTI. This includes, but is not limited to, any claims resulting from the Partner's breach of this Agreement, misuse of the Product, or any negligent or wrongful acts or omissions by the Partner, its employees, agents, or representatives.
Partner Agreement Violations
HTI maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for violations of this Agreement. All violations and complaints will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate legal action, both criminal and civil, will be pursued if a Partner is found to be misusing donated Product in violation of this Agreement. HTI will fully cooperate with law enforcement and relevant agencies during the investigation. After carefully considering the evidence, HTI will decide whether to reinstate the Partner's privileges or terminate the partnership based on the investigation's findings.