Terms of Use
This document is a draft prepared for Board adoption. It governs use of this website and the member portal.
NTOCUDA DIASPORA USA is the public brand of Ntong Cultural and Development Association - Diaspora USA, Inc., which is organizing as a Maryland tax-exempt nonstock corporation and intends to apply to the Internal Revenue Service for recognition under Section 501(c)(3). The organization has not yet received an IRS determination letter. Nothing on this website should be understood as tax advice or as a guarantee that a payment or contribution is tax-deductible.
Acceptance
By using this website or the member portal, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.
No professional advice
Content on this site is provided for general information about NTOCUDA DIASPORA USA and its activities. It is not legal, tax, financial, medical, or immigration advice, and it should not be relied on as such.
No solicitation at this time
We are not soliciting charitable contributions or pledges at this time. Maryland treats a written request for support — including a pledge request — as charitable solicitation, so no solicitation will take place until Maryland charitable-solicitation registration or a documented exemption has been confirmed and the Board authorizes it.
Maryland formation, charitable-solicitation compliance, organizational banking, and related controls are still being completed. We are not requesting donations or pledges, and no payment instructions will be published until the Board confirms that the organization is legally and operationally ready to accept funds. Please do not send money to a personal account.
The support form on this website only adds you to our updates list. It collects no amounts and creates no debt, contract to pay, or entitlement to a receipt, acknowledgment letter, or tax benefit. Any pledge recorded previously is a non-binding statement of intent only.
Legal name and independence
The exact legal name of the USA organization is Ntong Cultural and Development Association - Diaspora USA, Inc.. NTOCUDA DIASPORA USA is its public brand.
Ntong Cultural and Development Association - Diaspora USA, Inc. is a legally and financially independent USA organization. It is not a branch, agent, or subsidiary of NTOCUDA Cameroon. It has its own membership, Board, officers, records, bank arrangements, and finances; it does not claim the Cameroon association's registration, tax status, assets, or liabilities; and the Cameroon association is not responsible for those of the USA corporation. Support for projects in Ntong is provided through the USA corporation's own grant and reporting procedures.
Membership and dues
Membership is subject to eligibility criteria and approval by the authorized officers of the organization. Membership standing, voting rights, and eligibility to hold office are governed by the Constitution and Bylaws. The annual membership fee is a membership due and is not represented as a tax-deductible charitable contribution.
Welfare and Trouble Fund
The Welfare/Trouble Fund is suspended. No Trouble Fund contributions are being requested, collected, or held while the organization completes Maryland formation and its Internal Revenue Service application. The fund is excluded from the 501(c)(3) application, is not a charitable program of the corporation, is not insurance or a loan, and creates no contractual right to any payment or benefit.
Any future emergency assistance will be redesigned as objective, need-based relief open to a sufficiently broad charitable class, assessed on documented need and without requiring prior contributions — or it will be operated entirely separately from the 501(c)(3), with separate funds, separate records, and no charitable tax receipts.
Member portal, accounts, and conduct
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and for activity that occurs under it. You agree not to misuse the portal, attempt unauthorized access, misrepresent your identity or standing, or use member information, internal messages, documents, meeting content, or minutes for purposes unrelated to the organization.
Meetings, recording, and transcription
Meetings may be recorded or transcribed to prepare minutes where consent has been given. Do not share meeting content, recordings, transcripts, or draft minutes outside the authorized audience.
Intellectual property
The organization's name, logo, seal, and site content are owned by the organization or used with permission. You may not use them to imply endorsement, affiliation, or authority to solicit funds without written authorization.
Third-party services and links
The site relies on third-party hosting, email, and video conferencing services and may link to other sites. We are not responsible for the content or practices of third parties.
Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the information we hold. No transmission, application, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Availability and changes
The site and portal are provided on an "as available" basis. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue features, and we may update these terms as the organization completes formation and adopts governance policies.
Governing law and contact
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Questions may be sent to info@ntocuda-diaspora.org.