Gifthood Community Rules

Gifthood is a place for neighbors to give and receive free things. No money, no selling, no catch — just stuff finding a new home instead of a landfill, and people helping people nearby.

These rules keep it that way. They're short on purpose. The full legal version, including liability and account terms, lives in our Terms of Use — this page is the neighborly summary, and the two are meant to agree. Where they differ, the Terms of Use control.

The spirit of the place

Treat people the way you'd want a good neighbor to treat you. Be honest, be kind, be safe, and remember there's a real person on the other end of every listing.

Gifthood is not a marketplace. Nothing here is for sale, traded, or rented. If money, swaps, or "donations" enter the picture, it doesn't belong on Gifthood.

What you can give and ask for

Almost anything you'd hand to a neighbor over the fence: furniture, kitchen things, clothes, books, plants, tools, kids' gear, garden extras, leftover project supplies. Both offers ("I'm giving this away") and requests ("I'm looking for this") are welcome and equal.

What's not allowed

Some things can't be safely or legally given away, so please keep these off the platform entirely:

• Anything illegal, stolen, counterfeit, or trademark-infringing.
• Illegal drugs, controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia.
• Marijuana and THC products — including any product containing THC. Even where your state or city has legalized it, marijuana is still a federally controlled substance in the US, so it's not allowed on Gifthood regardless of local law. (CBD products are fine — see the note below.)
• Prescription medications and anything prescribed to a person — this includes prescription medical devices and fitted items like prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids, or CPAP supplies. These are matched to one individual; never pass along something that was prescribed for someone else. (Nonprescription drugstore reading glasses are fine.)
• Weapons — firearms, ammunition, and items meant to be used as weapons.
• Alcohol, tobacco, and vaping products.
• Hazardous materials — fireworks, flammable or toxic chemicals, asbestos, damaged batteries, and similar.
• Recalled items. If a product has been recalled by its maker or a safety agency, don't offer it. (You can check at recalls.gov.)
• Unsafe food — anything expired, spoiled, improperly stored, or otherwise not safe to eat.
• Safety-critical gear that may be expired or outdated — car seats, cribs, bike helmets, and the like, unless they meet current safety standards and haven't expired. When in doubt, leave it out.
• Used personal-care, hygiene, or medical items, human remains, or bodily fluids.
• Money substitutes — cash, gift cards, lottery tickets, cryptocurrency.
• Ads, recruiting, MLM pitches, or any commercial use. No selling, no promoting a business.

A note on CBD. CBD products that contain no THC (or only trace amounts within legal limits) are allowed. Treat them like the OTC medicine note below — offer only sealed, unexpired products, describe them honestly, and don't make health claims about them. Anything containing meaningful THC is marijuana for our purposes and isn't allowed.

A note on over-the-counter medicine. Sealed, unexpired OTC products (pain relievers, allergy tablets, bandages, and the like) are allowed — but please be careful with them. Only offer items that are factory-sealed, unopened, and well within their expiration date, and say so in your listing. Never offer loose pills, opened packaging, or anything whose storage you can't vouch for. Receivers: check the seal, the expiration date, and the active ingredients yourself before using anything, and talk to a pharmacist or doctor if you're unsure. Medicine is one place where "when in doubt, skip it" really matters.

If you're unsure whether something belongs here, err on the side of not posting it, or report a listing you think crosses a line.

How to be a good neighbor

• Be respectful. No harassment, hate speech, threats, slurs, or rudeness. No discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic — in who you'll give to, accept from, or how you treat people.
• Be honest in your listings. Describe items accurately. Disclose damage, defects, missing parts, or "for parts only." A clear photo and an honest note save everyone a wasted trip.
• Follow through. If you claim an item, show up. If you offer one and pick a recipient, honor it. Don't ghost people you've agreed to meet.
• Don't spam. No duplicate posts, no flooding the feed.
• Keep it to giving and getting items. Gifthood is for offering and requesting things, not for seeking recommendations, advice, services, or general discussion. Listings asking for opinions, referrals, or help (rather than an item) belong elsewhere.
• Keep it free. Don't ask for payment, trades, or "gas money."
• Say so if you plan to resell. Reselling a gift elsewhere isn't banned, but it changes what a giver is agreeing to — so if that's your plan, mention it when you ask. Givers can then decide freely, whether they're happy to support a reseller, a maker who reuses materials, or a cause. Quietly taking gifts to flip them breaks the trust this runs on.

Staying safe

Gifthood connects you with neighbors you may not know, so a little good judgment goes a long way. Pick the kind of handoff you're comfortable with — there's no single right way.

• Porch pickups are welcome. Leaving an item on the porch, in a bin, or on the steps for someone to grab is a Gifthood staple — it's easy, low-pressure, and keeps the spirit casual. Do it the smart way: agree on timing in private first, and only share your exact address with the specific person picking up, through private coordination — never in a public listing or note.
• Meet in public if you'd rather. A coffee shop, a library, or a busy parking lot is a great option, especially for higher-value items or if you'd just feel more comfortable. We'll surface a gentle reminder at hand-off.
• Keep your exact address private until you choose to share it. Gifthood only ever shows an approximate area, never your precise location — that's deliberate, for your safety. Sharing your address with one neighbor for a porch pickup is your call; posting it publicly is not.
• Take only what's been offered to you. A porch pickup is for the specific person it was set out for. Seeing something on a neighbor's step doesn't make it yours — if you're not sure whether an item is meant for you, ask first. If something you set out goes missing, check with the community before assuming the worst; mix-ups happen.
• Trust your instincts. Whatever the handoff style, if something feels off you don't owe anyone the exchange. Walk away.
• Look out for vulnerable neighbors. If you're a parent, guardian, or helping someone who's less tech-savvy, lend a hand with the safety basics.

A note on what Gifthood is: we connect neighbors, but we don't vet users or inspect items, and we're not part of any exchange. The handoff is between you and the other person.

If you're receiving something

• Inspect it yourself. Secondhand goods come as-is, with no warranty. Look things over before you use them.
• Do your own homework on safety. The person giving an item away may not know it's been recalled or is past its safe life. Check recalls (recalls.gov) and use your judgment, especially for electronics, kids' gear, and anything safety-critical.
• Be gracious. A thank-you goes a long way. So does letting someone know if you can no longer pick something up.

If you're giving something

• Disclose what you know. Tell people about damage, quirks, or anything that affects safety or use.
• Clean it up reasonably. Don't pass along something filthy or genuinely unsafe.
• Be clear and responsive. Mark items pending or gone as things change so the feed stays accurate.

Rehoming animals

Finding a new home for a pet through neighbors is welcome on Gifthood. It can be a kinder path than a shelter — but an animal is a life, not an item, so it asks more of you than passing along a couch.

• Do your due diligence, genuinely. If you love an animal, you'll take the time to place it with the right person — talk with them, ask about their home and situation, and don't just hand off to the first reply. There's no rush, and no obligation to say yes to anyone.
• Be fully honest about the animal. Age, temperament, health, history, and any needs or behavior issues. Never pass off a sick or injured animal as healthy.
• Animals are always free, never sold. As with everything here, no money, rehoming fees, or trades. (A genuine "free to a good home" is the whole point; "free to a good home" used to source animals for resale or harm is exactly what this guards against.)
• Don't abandon an animal you can't place. If a rehoming doesn't work out, contact a local shelter, rescue, or your vet — never leave an animal to fend for itself.
• Follow the law. Local rules govern which animals can be kept or transferred, spay/neuter, licensing, and more. They're your responsibility.

Gifthood doesn't screen people or verify homes — that makes your own care in choosing a home the only safeguard there is. Take it seriously.

How interest and messaging work

When you want something, you raise your hand with a short public note. The giver sees everyone who's interested and decides — there's no line, no "you're next," no first-come lock. Be patient and kind about it.

Givers: there's no rush to pick the first hand up. Letting an offer sit for a little while lets more neighbors see it, and choosing a recipient however feels fair to you — not just fastest-to-reply — tends to spread the goodwill around. If you do need something gone quickly, that's fine too; just say so.

Keep the public note short and friendly ("still available?"). Save the where-and-when details for private coordination — never post addresses or phone numbers in a public spot.

Reporting and what happens next

See a listing or a person that breaks these rules? Report it — the option is always within reach on listings and profiles, and you can block or mute anyone you'd rather not see.

When something's reported, we review it. We can remove listings and stop a bad actor's posts from appearing across the community. Repeated or serious violations can mean losing access to Gifthood. We aim to be fair and to keep this a place that feels safe and welcoming.

What might come later

Gifthood starts focused on things — physical items you can give or ask for. A couple of ideas we're considering for the future, not part of the app today:

• Gifts of self. Offering skills, time, or a helping hand — a ride, a lesson, an hour of yard work — is core to the gift-economy spirit, and we'd like to find a way to support it that stays safe and clear. For now, Gifthood is items-only.
• A public thank-you. A way to leave a note of gratitude on a listing once an exchange wraps up, so the kindness is visible and the community feels alive.

If and when these land, they'll come with their own guidance here.

The fine print

These rules are part of, and summarized from, our full Terms of Use, which covers your account, liability, and the legal details. Please read them — by using Gifthood you agree to both.

We'll update these rules as the community grows. Thanks for helping keep Gifthood generous, honest, and neighborly.