Terms

The short
version

Be decent, don't misuse the directory, and understand that we're a community rather than a service you've bought.

Last updated 27 July 2026 · Version [1.0]

TEMPLATE — NOT YET LEGAL ADVICE.
Written to reflect how NBWC actually operates so an attorney has something concrete to work from. Before publishing: fill every [BRACKET], and have a New York attorney review sections 8 and 9 in particular — liability and governing law are where templates do real damage.

1. What you're agreeing to

By using this site, applying for membership, or attending an NBWC event, you agree to these terms and to the code of conduct. The code of conduct is the one that matters day to day; this page covers the rest.

These terms are between you and [LEGAL ENTITY NAME].

2. Membership

  • Membership is free. There are no dues, no tiers, and no paid upgrades.
  • Applications are reviewed by people, and admission is at our discretion. We aim to answer within two weeks and we'll tell you either way.
  • Being declined isn't permanent. You're welcome to apply again after [REAPPLICATION PERIOD, e.g. six months].
  • Membership is personal to you. You can't transfer it, share your login, or use it on behalf of an organisation.
[ELIGIBILITY] If NBWC has stated eligibility criteria beyond geography and participation, they belong here and on the Fellowship page, worded identically. Architecture plan §15, question 5.

3. Your account

  • Keep your sign-in details to yourself. Anything done through your account is treated as done by you.
  • Tell us promptly if you think someone else has got in.
  • Keep your profile broadly accurate. You don't have to fill it in, but what's there shouldn't be misleading.

4. Acceptable use

The directory is for finding and contacting individual members. You agree not to:

  • Use it for bulk outreach, cold pitching, or recruiting — however it's dressed up
  • Add any member to a mailing list, newsletter, or CRM without her asking
  • Copy, scrape, export, or otherwise collect member information
  • Share member information with anyone outside the Collective
  • Use automated tools against this site, or try to get at anything you're not signed in for

This is the clause we enforce most often, and enforcement means losing your membership rather than a warning.

5. What you post

  • You keep ownership of your bio, photograph, and anything else you add.
  • You give us permission to display it in the member directory and, where you've agreed, in Collective communications. That permission ends when you remove the content or leave.
  • Only upload things you have the right to upload — a photograph you took or commissioned, not one you found.
  • We can remove content that breaches these terms or the code of conduct.

6. Events

  • Events are organised by NBWC and hosted in venues we don't own. Follow the host's rules while you're there.
  • Where an event has a cost, it's stated up front and NBWC takes nothing from it.
  • Photographs are usually taken. We ask before publishing, you can decline on arrival, and anything already published comes down on request without a reason.
  • Repeatedly reserving a place and not appearing may cost you access to future events.

7. Ending membership

  • You can leave whenever you like, from your profile page. Your entry disappears from the directory immediately.
  • We may suspend or end a membership for a breach of these terms or the code of conduct. Where it's practical and safe to do so, we'll tell you why.
  • Serious breaches — harassment, misuse of member information, anything that puts a member at risk — end membership immediately and without notice.

8. Liability

NBWC introduces people. It doesn't vet anyone's professional qualifications, insure anyone's work, or take part in whatever members arrange between themselves.

  • Any work, contract, or arrangement you enter into with another member is between the two of you.
  • We don't verify credentials, licences, or insurance, and membership isn't an endorsement.
  • The site is provided as it is. We'll do our best to keep it working and secure, but we can't promise it will never be unavailable.
[ATTORNEY REQUIRED] Limitation-of-liability and indemnity wording is jurisdiction-specific and unenforceable if drafted badly. Do not copy standard language from another site. Have this section written or approved by a New York attorney.

9. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, and any dispute will be handled in the courts of [COUNTY], New York.

[CONFIRM] Venue and any arbitration or class-action provisions need an attorney's decision, not a template's.

10. Changes

We'll email members before anything material changes here, rather than updating the page quietly. Continuing to use your membership after a change means you accept it.

Questions about any of this go to [CONTACT EMAIL] or through the contact form.