Terms of Use
Operated by Closely Crafted, Inc. · Effective date: October 10, 2026 · Last updated: October 10, 2026
Summary. The Platform is a free, nonprofit board for jobs, apprenticeships, and craft resources. We help people connect, but we are not an employer or employment agency, and we do not guarantee jobs or candidates. Employers must post real, lawful opportunities and treat applicants fairly. Everyone must be honest and respectful. Please read the full Terms, which include important limits on our liability (Sections 14 and 15).
1. Agreement to these Terms
These Terms of Use (“Terms”) are an agreement between you and Closely Crafted, Inc. (“Closely Crafted,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) governing your use of the website at https://www.closelyconnected.org/ and related services provided by Closely Connected resource board (the “Platform”). By creating an account, checking the box to accept these Terms, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share information; it is a separate notice and is not part of these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Platform.
If you use the Platform for a business or organization, you accept these Terms on its behalf and confirm you have authority to do so. “You” then includes that organization.
2. Who may use the Platform
• You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter into a binding contract.
• “Job Seekers” are individuals looking for work or training, including employment, freelance, contract, apprenticeship, and mentorship opportunities.
• “Employers” are brands, factories, workshops, other businesses and nonprofits, and individual mentors that post work, apprenticeship, mentorship, or training opportunities. Employers must be legally operating and may need to complete our verification process before posting.
• You may not use the Platform if we have previously removed you from it.
• Each person may have only one Job Seeker account. Employers may add authorized team members as the Platform allows.
3. What the Platform is and what it is not
Closely Connected is a free resource operated by Closely Crafted, a nonprofit, to help craftspeople and Employers in the Garment District find each other, to pass craft skills on to the next generation, and to share information about work in the trades.
• We are not an employer, employment agency, staffing firm, or recruiter. We do not make hiring decisions, negotiate on anyone’s behalf, or act as anyone’s agent. We are not a party to any employment, freelance, or contractor relationship between users.
• We do not guarantee results. We cannot promise that any Job Seeker will find work, that any Employer will find candidates, or that any opportunity will be available, accurately described, or lawful.
• We do not charge Job Seekers. Using the Platform is free for Job Seekers, and Employers may currently post opportunities free of charge. No one may charge a Job Seeker a fee for an opportunity found through the Platform.
• Our review is limited. We may verify Employers and review postings, but we cannot confirm every statement users make. Do your own research before accepting work or hiring someone.
4. Your account
• Give us accurate, current information and keep it up to date.
• Keep your password confidential. You are responsible for activity on your account.
• Tell us right away at info@closelyconnected.org if you think someone has used your account without permission.
• We may ask you to verify your identity or, for Employers, your business.
5. Rules for Job Seekers
If you use the Platform as a Job Seeker, you agree to:
• describe your skills, experience, training, and credentials truthfully;
• post only portfolio images and other materials you have the right to share (if you made a piece for a client or employer, check whether you need their permission to show it);
• not post Social Security numbers, government ID numbers, bank or card numbers, or other sensitive information described in our Privacy Policy; and
• use Employer information only to pursue work opportunities.
Staying safe. Research Employers before sharing personal information or accepting work. Meet at a business location or in a public place. Never pay money to get a job, buy equipment or training as a condition of being hired, or deposit a check and send money back. Share Social Security, bank, or ID information only after you have verified a genuine job offer, and then only directly with the Employer. Report anything suspicious to info@closelyconnected.org.
6. Rules for Employers
If you post opportunities or contact Job Seekers, you agree to the following. These rules are conditions of using the Platform. They do not reduce any obligation you have under law.
1. Real opportunities, accurately described. Post only real, currently available opportunities that you are authorized to fill. Accurately state who the employer is, the duties, work location, schedule, and pay, and whether the role is employment (W-2) or freelance/independent contractor work. Do not post ads to collect personal information, build mailing lists, or recruit for other job boards. Staffing agencies and recruiters must identify themselves as such.
2. Pay transparency. Include a good-faith minimum and maximum pay range (or a fixed rate) in every posting and comply with any other requirements of New York State and New York City pay-transparency laws (including New York Labor Law § 194-b and NYC Administrative Code § 8-107(32)) that apply to you.
3. No discrimination. Do not discriminate, or state or imply any preference, limitation, or specification, based on any characteristic protected by federal, New York State, or New York City law – including actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, sex, gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy, marital or partnership status, caregiver status, height, weight, or military or veteran status. Provide reasonable accommodation as the law requires.
4. Fair-chance and screening laws. Do not include statements in postings about arrest or conviction records (such as “background check required” or “no felonies”) and follow the NYC Fair Chance Act and related laws on when and how you may ask about criminal history. Do not ask applicants about their salary history or use consumer credit history in hiring, except as the law allows.
5. Lawful pay and classification. Pay at least the applicable minimum wage and any required overtime. Classify workers correctly as employees or independent contractors under applicable law; do not describe a job as “freelance” or “1099” to avoid employment obligations. When you hire a freelancer, provide a written contract and pay on time as required by the New York City and New York State Freelance Isn’t Free Acts. Do not post unpaid work, unpaid “trial” shifts, or unpaid internships, apprenticeships, or training placements unless they fully comply with the law. Describe any apprenticeship or mentorship accurately, including its length, schedule, pay or stipend, and what the participant will learn, and state whether it is a registered apprenticeship program.
6. No fees or purchases. Do not require Job Seekers to pay any fee or deposit, or make any purchase (for example, for training, materials, tools, or uniforms), to apply or to be hired, except as the law expressly permits.
7. Prohibited postings. Do not post multi-level marketing or “business opportunity” schemes; commission-only roles without clearly saying so; work involving illegal activity or adult or sexual services; or opportunities that require Job Seekers to recruit others.
8. Protecting Job Seeker information. Use information you receive about Job Seekers only to evaluate and communicate with them about work opportunities. Do not sell, publish, or share it (other than with service providers who need it for your hiring process), use it for marketing, or add Job Seekers to mailing lists without their consent. Do not scrape, bulk-download, or export Job Seeker profiles. Protect the information with reasonable safeguards as required by law, including New York’s SHIELD Act, and delete it when you no longer need it.
9. Automated hiring tools. If you use an automated employment decision tool to screen candidates for jobs in New York City, you are responsible for complying with NYC Local Law 144 of 2021, including its bias-audit and notice requirements.
10. Your hiring decisions. You alone are responsible for your postings, your hiring decisions, and your obligations as an employer or client, including employment eligibility verification, background checks, wages, workplace safety, and required insurance.
We may remove postings and suspend or remove Employers that violate these rules, and we may report suspected violations of law to the appropriate agencies.
7. Rules for everyone
You may not:
• use the Platform for anything illegal, fraudulent, or misleading;
• harass, threaten, demean, or discriminate against anyone, or post hateful, sexually explicit, or violent content;
• impersonate any person or organization, or misrepresent your affiliation with anyone;
• post anyone else’s personal information without their permission;
• send spam, chain messages, or unsolicited advertising;
• use bots, scrapers, or other automated means to access the Platform or collect information from it, except as we expressly allow;
• probe, scan, or test the Platform’s security, interfere with its operation, or introduce malware;
• copy, modify, or reverse engineer the Platform’s software, except as the law allows;
• post content that infringes anyone’s copyright, trademark, privacy, or other rights; or
• create a new account after we have suspended or removed you.
8. Your content
“User Content” means anything you post or send through the Platform, including profiles, portfolio images, job postings, applications, and messages.
• You own your User Content. These Terms do not transfer ownership to us.
• License to us. You grant Closely Crafted a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, store, copy, display, format (for example, resize or crop images), translate, and transmit your User Content, solely to operate, provide, secure, and improve the Platform and as your settings direct. This license ends when you delete the User Content or your account, except for copies kept as described in our Privacy Policy, in routine backups, or already shared with other users.
• Promotion only with permission. We will not feature your name, portfolio, or story in Closely Crafted’s newsletters, social media, events, fundraising, or reports to funders without your separate permission.
• Your responsibility. You are responsible for your User Content. You confirm that you have all rights needed to post it and that it complies with these Terms and the law.
• Our right to moderate. We may review, refuse, reformat, or remove User Content, and may restrict accounts, at our discretion. We are not obligated to monitor User Content and are not responsible for it.
• Feedback. If you send us ideas or suggestions about the Platform, we may use them without any obligation to you.
9. Legal resources, templates, and know-your-rights information
The Platform offers general information, such as sample contracts and know-your-rights guides, for educational purposes.
• This is not legal advice. These materials are general information, may not reflect the most current law, and may not fit your situation.
• No attorney-client relationship. Using these materials, or contacting Closely Crafted about them, does not create an attorney-client relationship with Closely Crafted or with any lawyer who helped prepare them.
• Use templates with care. Sample contracts are starting points. You are responsible for adapting them to your circumstances and for any agreement you sign. Consider consulting a lawyer.
10. Closely Crafted’s intellectual property
The Platform, including its software, design, text, graphics, and resources (other than User Content), belongs to Closely Crafted or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws. Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Platform for its intended purpose.
CLOSELY CRAFTED, GARMENT DISTRICT RESOURCE HUB, and our logos are trademarks of Closely Crafted. You may not use them without our written permission, except to refer accurately to the Platform (for example, “I found this job on Closely Crafted”).
11. Copyright complaints
We respect intellectual property rights and respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), 17 U.S.C. § 512.
Notices. To report content you believe infringes your copyright, send our designated agent a written notice that includes:
1. your physical or electronic signature;
2. identification of the copyrighted work you claim is infringed;
3. identification of the material you claim is infringing and where it appears on the Platform (such as a URL);
4. your address, phone number, and email address;
5. a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
6. a statement that the information in your notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.
Counter-notices. If your content was removed and you believe it was removed by mistake or misidentification, you may send our designated agent a counter-notice that includes: your physical or electronic signature; identification of the removed material and where it appeared; a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed by mistake or misidentification; your name, address, and phone number; and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district of your address (or, if your address is outside the United States, any judicial district in which we may be found) and will accept service of process from the person who sent the original notice.
Designated agent: DMCA Agent, Closely Crafted, Inc., 23 Pell Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013, kat@closelycrafted.org.
Repeat infringers. In appropriate circumstances, we will terminate the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe others’ copyrights.
12. Third-party websites and services
The Platform may link to Employer websites, online application systems, training providers, and other third-party services. We do not control them and are not responsible for them, and a link is not an endorsement. Their own terms and policies govern your use of them.
13. Suspension, termination, and changes to the Platform
• By you. You may stop using the Platform and delete your account at any time.
• By us. We may suspend or terminate your account, remove your content, or limit your access at any time if we believe you have violated these Terms or the law, if your use creates risk for other users or for Closely Crafted, or if required by law or our grant agreement.
• Changes to the Platform. We may change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Platform at any time. If we plan to shut down the Platform or transfer it to another organization, we will try to give you at least 30 days’ notice and a chance to download your information.
• What survives. Sections 8 (to the extent described there), 9, 10, and 14 through 19 survive termination.
14. Disclaimers
THE PLATFORM AND ALL CONTENT AND RESOURCES ON IT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CLOSELY CRAFTED DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY INFORMATION ON IT – INCLUDING JOB POSTINGS, USER PROFILES, AND LEGAL RESOURCES – IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR CURRENT. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF ANY USER, ON OR OFF THE PLATFORM, OR FOR ANY EMPLOYMENT OR WORK RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USERS.
15. Limitation of liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: (A) CLOSELY CRAFTED AND ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, CONTRACTORS, AND AGENTS (THE “CLOSELY CRAFTED PARTIES”) WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, WAGES, OR OPPORTUNITIES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PLATFORM OR THESE TERMS; AND (B) THE CLOSELY CRAFTED PARTIES’ TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PLATFORM OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS (US $100) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US TO USE THE PLATFORM IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE.
THESE LIMITATIONS APPLY UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, EVEN IF WE WERE ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS LIMITS LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING LIABILITY FOR GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT.
16. Indemnification
Employers. If you are an Employer, you will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Closely Crafted Parties from and against all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, fines, penalties, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your postings or other User Content; (b) your recruiting, hiring, employment, or contracting practices, including any claim by a Job Seeker or worker; (c) your use or handling of Job Seeker information; or (d) your violation of these Terms or applicable law.
All users. To the extent permitted by law, you will indemnify the Closely Crafted Parties for claims arising out of your willful violation of these Terms or applicable law.
We will notify you of any claim for which we seek indemnification, and we may participate in the defense with counsel of our choosing. You may not settle any claim that imposes obligations on a Closely Crafted Party without our written consent.
17. Disputes
• Talk to us first. If you have a concern, contact us at info@closelyconnected.org. You and we agree to try to resolve any dispute informally for at least 30 days before starting a lawsuit, except for claims seeking emergency relief or brought in small claims court.
• Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, and by applicable federal law.
• Where disputes are heard. Any lawsuit about these Terms or the Platform must be brought in the state or federal courts located in New York County, New York, and you and we consent to their jurisdiction. Either of us may instead bring an eligible claim in small claims court.
18. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated Terms and change the “Last updated” date. For material changes, we will notify you by email or a notice on the Platform at least 30 days before they take effect. If you keep using the Platform after changes take effect, you accept the updated Terms. Changes will not apply to disputes that arose before they took effect.
19. General terms
• Entire agreement. These Terms, together with any additional terms we show you for specific features, are the entire agreement between you and us about the Platform. Our Privacy Policy is a separate notice and is not part of this agreement.
• Severability. If any part of these Terms is unenforceable, the rest stays in effect, and that part will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted.
• No waiver. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.
• Assignment. You may not transfer these Terms without our written consent. We may assign them in connection with a merger, reorganization, or transfer of the Platform.
• No third-party beneficiaries. Except for the Closely Crafted Parties under Sections 15 and 16, these Terms do not give rights to anyone else.
• Electronic communications. We may provide notices and agreements to you electronically, and they satisfy any legal requirement that they be in writing.
• Translations. If we provide these Terms in other languages, the English version controls if there is a conflict to the extent permitted by law.
• Events beyond our control. We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
20. Contact us
Closely Crafted, Inc., 23 Pell Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY | info@closelyconnected.org