Terms of Service

Effective Date: January 30, 2026

Last Updated: January 30, 2026

Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Cognitive360's website, services, and consulting offerings. By accessing our website or engaging our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access our website or use our services.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Client," "you," or "your") and Cognitive360 ("Company," "we," "our," or "us").

Services Description

Cognitive360 provides comprehensive political consulting services, including but not limited to:

  • Campaign strategy development and management
  • Research, polling, and data analytics
  • Media relations and communications
  • Digital marketing and social media management
  • Fundraising strategy and donor development
  • Field operations and voter contact programs
  • Compliance consulting and FEC guidance

Specific services will be outlined in individual engagement agreements or statements of work.

Engagement and Contracts

Service Agreements

All consulting services require a signed engagement agreement or contract that specifies the scope of work, deliverables, timeline, compensation, and other relevant terms. These Terms supplement but do not replace individual service agreements.

Modifications

Any modifications to the scope of services must be agreed upon in writing by both parties. Changes may result in adjustments to fees and timelines.

Fees and Payment

Payment Terms

  • Fees for services will be specified in your engagement agreement
  • Payment terms are typically net 15 days from invoice date unless otherwise specified
  • Retainer fees may be required for ongoing services
  • Late payments may incur interest charges at 1.5% per month or the maximum rate permitted by law

Expenses

Clients are responsible for reimbursing reasonable expenses incurred in connection with services, including travel, research costs, media production, advertising spend, and third-party vendor fees. Significant expenses will be pre-approved by the client.

Refunds

Retainer fees and deposits are generally non-refundable. Fees for work completed are not refundable, even if services are terminated early.

Client Responsibilities

Clients agree to:

  • Provide accurate, complete, and timely information necessary for services
  • Respond promptly to requests for approvals, feedback, and decisions
  • Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local election laws
  • Ensure FEC compliance and proper campaign finance reporting
  • Obtain necessary permissions and rights for materials provided to us
  • Pay all fees and expenses in accordance with the engagement agreement
  • Maintain confidentiality of proprietary strategies and materials

Confidentiality

Mutual Confidentiality

Both parties agree to maintain the confidentiality of all proprietary and sensitive information shared during the engagement. This includes campaign strategies, polling data, donor information, research findings, and any other confidential materials.

Exceptions

Confidentiality obligations do not apply to information that: (a) is publicly available through no fault of the receiving party; (b) was rightfully known prior to disclosure; (c) is independently developed; or (d) must be disclosed by law or court order.

Duration

Confidentiality obligations survive the termination of services and continue indefinitely unless otherwise specified in the engagement agreement.

Intellectual Property

Client Materials: Clients retain all rights to materials, content, and information they provide to us.

Work Product: Campaign strategies, creative materials, and deliverables developed specifically for your campaign become your property upon full payment. However, we retain the right to use general methodologies, processes, and know-how developed during our engagement.

Portfolio Use: Unless otherwise agreed, we may reference our work for your campaign in our portfolio, case studies, and marketing materials, subject to confidentiality obligations.

Third-Party Tools: Some deliverables may incorporate third-party tools, software, or licensed materials. Rights to these items remain with their respective owners.

Termination

Termination by Either Party

Either party may terminate the engagement with 30 days' written notice, unless otherwise specified in the engagement agreement. Client remains responsible for payment of all fees for work completed and expenses incurred through the termination date.

Immediate Termination

We reserve the right to terminate services immediately if: (a) client fails to pay fees when due; (b) client breaches these Terms or the engagement agreement; (c) client engages in illegal or unethical conduct; or (d) the relationship becomes untenable.

Effect of Termination

Upon termination, we will provide all completed work product to the client. The client must immediately pay all outstanding fees and expenses. Confidentiality obligations and intellectual property provisions survive termination.

Disclaimers and Limitations

No Guarantees

Political campaigns involve numerous variables beyond our control. While we provide expert strategic guidance, we cannot and do not guarantee election results, fundraising totals, media coverage, or any specific outcomes.

Services "As Is"

Our services are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Cognitive360 shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability shall not exceed the fees paid by client in the six months preceding the claim.

Legal Compliance

FEC and Election Law Compliance

Clients are ultimately responsible for compliance with all federal, state, and local election laws, including Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations, campaign finance laws, and disclosure requirements. While we provide guidance on compliance matters, we are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Clients should consult with qualified election law attorneys for legal advice.

Reporting Requirements

Clients must ensure proper reporting of campaign expenditures for our services in accordance with applicable law. We will provide necessary documentation to support compliance reporting.

SMS and Text Messaging Terms

SMS Services

As part of our consulting services, we may provide SMS and text messaging programs for political campaigns, voter outreach, fundraising, and grassroots mobilization. Use of SMS services is subject to these additional terms and applicable law.

TCPA Compliance

All SMS programs must comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), state telemarketing laws, and mobile carrier regulations. By engaging our SMS services, clients agree to:

  • Obtain express written consent before sending text messages to recipients
  • Maintain proper documentation of consent
  • Provide clear opt-out mechanisms in all messages
  • Honor opt-out requests immediately
  • Include required disclaimers and disclosures
  • Comply with quiet hours and message frequency restrictions
  • Use only compliant phone numbers and messaging platforms

Consent Requirements

Prior express written consent must be obtained before sending automated text messages. Valid consent requires:

  • Clear and conspicuous disclosure that the person is agreeing to receive text messages
  • Disclosure that consent is not required as a condition of purchase or service
  • Disclosure of message frequency (or that frequency may vary)
  • Statement that message and data rates may apply
  • Clear instructions for opting out
  • Affirmative action by the recipient (e.g., checking a box, texting a keyword)

Clients are responsible for obtaining, documenting, and maintaining all required consents.

Message Content Requirements

All text messages must:

  • Clearly identify the sender (campaign, candidate, or organization)
  • Include "Msg&Data rates may apply" disclosure (or similar)
  • Provide opt-out instructions (e.g., "Reply STOP to opt-out")
  • Include required political disclaimers when applicable
  • Comply with character limits and formatting requirements
  • Not contain misleading or deceptive content

Opt-Out Obligations

Recipients must be able to opt-out of messages at any time by replying with standard keywords such as STOP, END, QUIT, or UNSUBSCRIBE. Opt-out requests must be honored immediately (within the time required by law, typically within one business day). Once opted out, no further messages may be sent except a single confirmation of the opt-out.

Prohibited Uses

SMS services may not be used to:

  • Send messages without proper consent
  • Continue messaging after opt-out
  • Send messages to reassigned phone numbers without new consent
  • Exceed stated message frequency
  • Send messages during prohibited hours (typically before 8am or after 9pm local time)
  • Make false or misleading claims
  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Send spam or unsolicited commercial messages

Client Responsibilities

Clients are solely responsible for ensuring their SMS programs comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including TCPA, state telemarketing laws, and FCC rules. Clients must provide us with compliant recipient lists, consent documentation, and approved message content. Clients are responsible for any violations resulting from their instructions, content, or lists.

Third-Party Platforms

We use third-party SMS platforms to deliver messages. These platforms have their own terms of service and acceptable use policies. Clients must comply with all platform requirements. We are not responsible for service interruptions, delivery failures, or platform policy changes.

Carrier Filtering and Blocking

Mobile carriers may filter, block, or delay messages based on content, volume, or carrier policies. We cannot guarantee message delivery. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. High-volume campaigns may face increased scrutiny and filtering.

Political Messaging Regulations

Political campaign messages must comply with FEC disclaimer requirements, state campaign finance laws, and political messaging regulations. Required disclaimers must be included where space permits. Certain types of campaign communications may have additional restrictions.

Fees and Charges

SMS service fees are based on message volume, platform costs, and service complexity. Clients are responsible for all costs including per-message fees, platform fees, short code or toll-free number fees, and carrier pass-through charges. Pricing will be specified in your engagement agreement.

Limitation of Liability for SMS Services

We are not liable for: (a) messages that are blocked, filtered, delayed, or not delivered; (b) recipient mobile carrier charges; (c) violations of TCPA or other laws resulting from client-provided lists or instructions; (d) platform outages or technical failures; (e) carrier policy changes or service interruptions; or (f) loss of phone numbers or messaging capacity.

TCPA Liability Warning

TCPA violations can result in significant statutory damages ($500 to $1,500 per violation) and class action lawsuits. Clients are ultimately responsible for ensuring their SMS programs comply with all applicable laws. We strongly recommend consulting with qualified telecommunications and election law attorneys before launching SMS campaigns.

SMS Service Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate SMS services immediately if we believe the client is violating TCPA, using non-compliant lists, ignoring opt-out requests, or engaging in practices that could result in legal liability or platform violations.

Indemnification

Client agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Cognitive360, its officers, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) client's breach of these Terms; (b) client's violation of any law or regulation; (c) client's campaign activities; or (d) materials provided by client that infringe third-party rights.

Prohibited Activities

When using our services or accessing our website, you may not:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Infringe upon intellectual property rights
  • Transmit harmful code, viruses, or malware
  • Attempt unauthorized access to our systems
  • Use our services for illegal or fraudulent purposes
  • Engage in vote buying, voter intimidation, or election fraud
  • Make false or defamatory statements
  • Share confidential information without authorization

Dispute Resolution

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Connecticut, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Arbitration

Any dispute arising from these Terms or our services shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association's Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in Connecticut, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive relief in court for breaches of confidentiality or intellectual property rights without first resorting to arbitration.

General Provisions

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with any engagement agreement, constitute the entire agreement between the parties and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

Amendments: We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated to active clients. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance.

Severability: If any provision is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Waiver: Failure to enforce any provision does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision.

Assignment: Client may not assign rights or obligations under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations to a successor entity.

Force Majeure: Neither party shall be liable for failure to perform due to causes beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor disputes, or government actions.

Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact:

Cognitive360

Email: legal@cognitive360.org

Headquarters: Southbury, CT | Castries, St. Lucia

Acknowledgment

By using our website or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.