Membership Terms

Effective date: May 1, 2026
Last updated: August 1, 2026

1. Scope and agreement

These Membership Terms govern paid and complimentary membership in the American Health Equity Association.

Membership is provided by AHEA, PBLLC, an Oklahoma public benefit limited liability company.

By purchasing, activating, renewing, accepting, or using a membership, you agree to:

  • These Membership Terms

  • AHEA’s Terms of Use

  • AHEA’s Privacy Policy

  • Additional terms clearly disclosed for a particular optional program, role, or service

If these Membership Terms conflict with the Terms of Use on a membership-specific issue, these Membership Terms control.

2. Eligibility

AHEA membership is available to adults who are at least 18 years old and have an interest in advancing health equity in professional, academic, research, educational, policy, consulting, philanthropic, organizational, or community settings.

A formal health equity title is not required.

AHEA may refuse or terminate membership obtained through fraud, material misrepresentation, account sharing, abusive conduct, or another material violation of AHEA’s policies.

3. Nature of membership

AHEA is a public benefit limited liability company, not a nonprofit or tax-exempt charitable organization.

Membership is a paid relationship providing access to benefits, services, resources, and eligibility for opportunities.

Membership fees are not charitable contributions, are not tax-deductible as charitable gifts, and do not qualify for charitable-contribution receipts.

Membership does not create:

  • Ownership or equity in AHEA

  • Statutory membership rights in a nonprofit corporation

  • A voting interest in AHEA’s legal governance

  • An employment, contractor, partnership, agency, or fiduciary relationship

  • Authority to speak or act for AHEA or People’s Health Project

AHEA may seek member input and shape programs in response to member needs. This does not create a legal governance right unless AHEA expressly provides one in writing.

4. Membership term and price

Individual membership is offered as an annual membership.

AHEA does not offer a monthly membership.

The current standard annual membership price is $149, unless a different price is clearly displayed before purchase.

AHEA may offer eligible new members an introductory first-year price, currently $99.

Unless an offer expressly states otherwise:

  • The introductory price applies only to the initial annual term

  • It does not permanently lock in the discounted price

  • The membership renews at the then-current standard annual price

Introductory pricing may be modified, suspended, or discontinued for future purchases.

The price and renewal terms displayed at checkout at the time of purchase control.

Prices are stated in U.S. dollars. Applicable taxes may be added when required by law.

AHEA may change prices for future purchases and renewals. A change does not retroactively alter a membership term already paid for.

5. Automatic renewal

Annual membership renews automatically at the end of each paid term unless canceled before the renewal charge is processed.

By purchasing or activating an automatically renewing membership, you authorize AHEA and the applicable payment provider to charge the payment method you provide for:

  • The initial amount due, if any

  • Each annual renewal

  • Applicable taxes and properly disclosed charges

Before purchase or activation, AHEA will present:

  • The recurring nature of the membership

  • The annual billing interval

  • The initial price

  • The renewal terms

  • The method for canceling

The payment method used for renewal must be authorized by the person providing it.

6. Renewal notices

AHEA will provide renewal, price-change, or other subscription notices when required by applicable law.

AHEA may also provide courtesy reminders or confirmations concerning:

  • Upcoming renewals

  • Completed renewal charges

  • Failed payments

  • Cancellations

AHEA does not guarantee that an optional courtesy reminder will be sent before every renewal.

Members remain responsible for reviewing their account and canceling before the renewal date when they do not wish to renew, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

Members are responsible for maintaining an email address they can access.

7. Cancellation

You may cancel automatic renewal at any time before the next renewal charge is processed.

You may cancel through your Squarespace customer account by opening the applicable membership or subscription and selecting the cancellation option.

You may also request assistance by contacting:

info@americanhealthequity.org

Cancellation stops future renewal charges.

A canceled member ordinarily retains access through the end of the already-paid membership term.

Deleting an email, unsubscribing from a newsletter, ceasing to use AHEA, or abandoning an account does not cancel an active membership.

Squarespace currently permits members to cancel recurring memberships through their customer accounts and retain gated access through the remainder of the billing cycle. 

8. No refunds after a charge

Membership charges are final and nonrefundable once processed, including annual renewal charges, except:

  • For an eligible unactivated sponsored membership

  • For a duplicate charge or confirmed billing error

  • When AHEA approves an exceptional refund

  • When a refund is required by law

Cancellation prevents future renewal charges but does not reverse a charge already completed.

No refund is provided merely because a member:

  • Did not use the membership

  • Did not use all available tool generations

  • Did not attend a forum or training

  • Did not apply for an opportunity

  • Was not selected for an opportunity

  • Did not receive campaign approval

  • Lost or was removed from a program role

  • Did not receive an expected professional, publication, policy, organizational, or community outcome

Nothing in this section limits a refund, cancellation, withdrawal, or consumer right that cannot legally be waived.

9. Failed and disputed payments

If a payment is declined, reversed, disputed, or otherwise unsuccessful, AHEA or its payment provider may:

  • Retry the payment

  • Request updated payment information

  • Suspend member access

  • Allow a limited period to correct the problem

  • Cancel the membership

  • Reverse referral credits connected with the payment

AHEA may recover amounts validly owed, subject to applicable law.

10. Membership benefits

Membership benefits may include:

  • Access to AHEA’s member tool suite

  • Member Strategy Forums

  • Profiles and Cases in Health Equity Practice

  • AHEA Leadership Network opportunities

  • Council, committee, editorial, reviewer, research, and contributor opportunities

  • People’s Health Project campaign-leadership and campaign-team pathways

  • Research, review, authorship, publication, and professional-recognition opportunities

  • Member information, resources, and communications

The benefits available at a particular time are described on AHEA’s official website and member pages.

Membership provides access to AHEA’s overall membership offering. It does not guarantee that every program, feature, tool, publication, schedule, or opportunity will remain unchanged throughout the term.

11. Monthly member tool-generation allowance

During an active membership term, each individual paid or complimentary member may complete up to 100 tool generations per calendar month across the complete AHEA tool suite.

The allowance is shared across all tools. It is not a separate 100-generation allowance for each tool.

A generation counts when an AHEA tool successfully completes a request and returns a result.

This includes a valid Evidence in Practice response explaining that the available evidence was insufficient to complete the requested synthesis.

A request ordinarily does not count when it is:

  • Rejected as invalid

  • Blocked before processing

  • Blocked by a rate limit

  • Blocked because the monthly allowance has already been reached

  • Not completed because of a confirmed technical or provider failure

  • Not returned because output validation or source-integrity validation failed

The allowance resets at 12:00 a.m. Central Time on the first day of each calendar month, using the America/Chicagotime zone.

Unused generations:

  • Do not roll over

  • Have no cash or credit value

  • Cannot be transferred, pooled, shared, or resold

Each individual member, including each activated group member, receives a separate allowance.

Once the allowance is reached, additional tool generations will be unavailable until the next monthly reset. Other available membership benefits remain accessible.

AHEA may also apply reasonable short-term rate limits, security controls, and fair-use measures to prevent automated, abusive, fraudulent, unusually burdensome, or unauthorized use.

AHEA may change the monthly allowance for future membership or renewal terms.

A material reduction will ordinarily take effect no earlier than the member’s next renewal, except when an earlier change is reasonably necessary for:

  • Security

  • Legal compliance

  • Provider restrictions

  • Misuse prevention

  • Service stability

Administrative and testing access may be exempt from the allowance for security, support, testing, and operational purposes.

12. Digital-tool availability

Tool access is also subject to:

  • Account and email verification

  • Technical availability

  • Maintenance

  • Provider availability

  • Short-term rate limits

  • Security controls

  • Compliance with AHEA’s Terms of Use

Access does not guarantee:

  • Unlimited use

  • Uninterrupted availability

  • A particular generation speed

  • A particular model, evidence source, interface, or output format

AHEA may modify tools, models, evidence sources, input limits, outputs, interfaces, and usage controls for quality, security, cost management, legal compliance, or service improvement.

Members may not share tool access or permit another person to generate content through their account.

13. Selective opportunities are not guaranteed

Membership may make a person eligible to pursue an opportunity. It does not guarantee:

  • Appointment to a committee, council, editorial board, or Leadership Network role

  • Selection as a reviewer, editor, author, trainer, contributor, facilitator, campaign leader, or campaign-team member

  • Acceptance or publication of a Profile, Case, manuscript, report contribution, or campaign

  • Authorship or contributor credit

  • Platform or supporter-data access

  • Certification or successful completion of training

  • A professional, employment, funding, academic, publication, policy, or community outcome

AHEA may consider:

  • Experience and qualifications

  • Quality and completeness

  • Program and campaign needs

  • Available capacity

  • Conduct

  • Geographic representation

  • Subject-matter fit

  • Conflicts of interest

  • Community and stakeholder considerations

  • Other relevant factors

14. Profiles and Cases

Current members may submit Profiles in Health Equity Practice and completed Cases in Health Equity Practice for consideration.

AHEA will make every reasonable effort to publish complete submissions that meet applicable program requirements and are suitable for publication.

Operational, editorial, legal, ethical, confidentiality, accuracy, rights, capacity, or other legitimate concerns may prevent or delay publication.

Submission does not guarantee publication.

15. People’s Health Project member opportunities

15.1 Membership eligibility

Active membership may make a person eligible to apply for:

  • Formal PHP campaign leadership

  • Formal campaign-team participation

  • Community Health Leadership Training

  • Certificates

  • Campaign-platform access

  • Community Health Impact Report and other publication roles

  • Other PHP leadership, contributor, or implementation opportunities

Membership eligibility does not guarantee selection, approval, access, training completion, certification, publication, or continued participation.

15.2 Applications and approval

Before receiving a formal role or responsibility, a member may be required to:

  • Complete an application or review process

  • Provide accurate qualifications and disclosures

  • Accept AHEA’s current Terms of Use, including the PHP participation terms

  • Complete designated training

  • Pay a separately disclosed training or program fee

  • Receive express approval from AHEA

Prior discussion, informal encouragement, membership payment, an application, or general alignment with PHP’s mission does not constitute approval.

15.3 Training and additional fees

AHEA may require training for a particular campaign, role, platform, leadership pathway, or use of PHP branding or resources.

Training may require an additional fee that is not included in general membership.

Applicable fees, payment terms, refund terms, completion requirements, and access conditions will be disclosed before enrollment or purchase.

Paying a fee or completing training does not, by itself, guarantee:

  • Campaign approval

  • A formal role

  • A certificate

  • Platform access

  • Branding permission

  • Publication

  • Authority to speak or act for AHEA or PHP

15.4 Formal authority and access

A member may not represent AHEA or PHP, use PHP branding, access supporter information, operate a campaign platform, lobby in PHP’s name, or make public or organizational commitments unless AHEA has expressly authorized the activity.

Authorization:

  • Is limited to the approved role and campaign

  • May be subject to conditions

  • May be revised or withdrawn

  • Ends when the role, campaign, membership, or stated authorization period ends

Members must comply with the PHP participation provisions in the Terms of Use.

15.5 Removal from a PHP role

AHEA may limit, suspend, or end a member’s PHP role or access for:

  • Failure to follow an approved campaign plan

  • Failure to complete required training

  • Unauthorized advocacy or representation

  • Misuse of branding, platforms, or supporter information

  • Inaccurate or misleading communications

  • Harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or disruptive conduct

  • Confidentiality or privacy violations

  • Conflicts, legal concerns, stakeholder concerns, or organizational risk

  • Failure to comply with AHEA’s policies

  • Another legitimate program or campaign reason

Ending a PHP role does not necessarily terminate the person’s general AHEA membership.

Serious or repeated misconduct may result in membership suspension or termination.

Loss of a role, campaign, authorization, title, platform access, publication opportunity, or certificate does not create a refund right.

16. Additional fees

Membership does not automatically include every service AHEA may offer.

Separate fees may apply to:

  • Community Health Leadership Training

  • Journal article-processing charges

  • Special training or certificate programs

  • Optional events or services

  • Other offerings identified as requiring additional payment

Any additional fee will be disclosed before purchase or enrollment.

Additional payments are not charitable contributions.

17. Sponsored memberships for another person

A person or organization may purchase an annual AHEA membership for another adult.

This payment:

  • Purchases membership services for the recipient

  • Is not a charitable donation

  • Is not tax-deductible as a charitable contribution

  • Does not entitle the purchaser to control the recipient’s account or private activity

17.1 Activation

A sponsored membership must be activated within 90 days after AHEA receives payment of the applicable invoice.

Activation occurs when the recipient:

  • Uses the activation or discount code issued by AHEA

  • Creates and controls their own account

  • Provides required account information

  • Personally accepts AHEA’s Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Membership Terms

  • Authorizes any payment method required for future renewals

The recipient’s membership term begins on the date of activation, not the date the purchaser paid the invoice.

The purchaser may not create the recipient’s account or accept AHEA’s policies on the recipient’s behalf.

17.2 Substitution and refund before activation

Before any recipient activates the membership, the purchaser may:

  • Request a refund

  • Substitute another eligible adult recipient

There is no fixed limit on substitutions before activation, provided no recipient has activated the membership and the 90-day activation period has not ended.

If no recipient activates the membership within the 90-day period, the purchaser may request a refund for the unactivated purchase.

17.3 After activation

Once a recipient activates the sponsored membership:

  • The purchase becomes final and nonrefundable

  • The membership cannot be transferred or reassigned

  • A replacement recipient requires a separate purchase or arrangement

  • The recipient controls the account

  • The recipient is responsible for future renewal decisions

  • Future renewals are charged to a payment method authorized by the recipient unless AHEA expressly arranges otherwise

17.4 Information available to the purchaser

AHEA may tell the purchaser:

  • Whether an invitation was sent

  • Whether the membership was activated

  • The membership start and end dates

  • Whether the membership remains assigned

AHEA will not provide the purchaser with the recipient’s:

  • Tool activity, prompts, or generated results

  • Survey responses

  • Applications or submissions

  • Forum participation

  • Campaign participation

  • Private correspondence

  • Other personal member activity

18. Group memberships

Discounted group pricing may be available to organizations purchasing multiple memberships.

Group arrangements are purchased through an AHEA invoice or another written arrangement.

Seat quantities, pricing, payment responsibility, activation periods, term length, and administrative details may be established through the applicable quote, invoice, order, or written agreement.

Unless a group agreement states otherwise:

  • Each membership is assigned to one adult recipient

  • Each recipient creates and controls their own account

  • Each recipient personally accepts AHEA’s policies

  • Each activated recipient receives an individual monthly tool allowance

  • Accounts, credentials, and allowances may not be shared or pooled

  • The sponsoring organization may provide information needed to issue invitations

  • The organization represents that it is authorized to provide that information

  • Future renewals are the responsibility of the activated recipient and are charged to a payment method authorized by the recipient unless AHEA expressly arranges otherwise

18.1 Reassigning an unactivated group membership

An organization may request reassignment of an unactivated membership with AHEA’s assistance.

An organization may make more than one substitution before activation, provided no recipient has activated the membership and the applicable activation period has not ended.

Once a recipient activates the membership:

  • The membership cannot be transferred or reassigned

  • The membership cannot be reassigned if the recipient later leaves the sponsoring organization

  • A replacement recipient requires a separate purchase or arrangement

  • Previous account activity, tool usage, applications, submissions, and personal information do not transfer

18.2 Information available to the sponsoring organization

AHEA may provide the sponsoring organization with:

  • Whether an invitation was sent

  • Whether a membership was activated

  • The membership start and end dates

  • Whether the membership remains assigned

AHEA will not disclose the member’s private activity merely because an organization sponsored the initial membership.

A separate written group agreement controls if it conflicts with these provisions.

19. AHEA referral program

AHEA may offer a referral program described as:

Give $25, get $25. Invite a colleague to join AHEA, and you’ll receive $25 toward your next annual renewal when they become an annual member. They’ll get $25 off their first year, too.

19.1 Eligibility

To qualify:

  • The referring person must be a current AHEA member

  • The referred person must be a new annual AHEA member

  • Both people must be at least 18 years old

  • The referral must be attributed through AHEA’s designated link, code, or process

  • The referred membership must be activated and successfully paid

Whether a referral discount may be combined with another offer will be stated in the applicable offer or checkout.

19.2 Referring-member credit

After the referred member activates and successfully pays for an eligible membership, the referring member earns a $25 credit toward their next annual renewal.

Referral credits:

  • May be combined to reduce the next annual renewal charge to $0

  • Cannot reduce the renewal charge below $0

  • Cannot be exchanged for cash

  • Cannot produce a refund or negative balance

  • Are not transferable

  • Do not carry beyond the next renewal

  • Are forfeited to the extent they exceed the next renewal amount

  • Require the referring member to have active membership when earned and redeemed

Credits connected with a refunded, canceled, disputed, reversed, or fraudulent transaction may be denied or reversed.

The following do not qualify:

  • Self-referrals

  • Duplicate accounts

  • Fraudulent referrals

  • Attempts to evade membership or referral rules

  • Refunded purchases

  • Chargebacks

  • Canceled or unsuccessful transactions

AHEA may correct or reverse credits issued in error.

AHEA may change, suspend, or discontinue the referral program prospectively.

19.3 Referral disclosure

A member publicly recommending AHEA through a referral link or code must clearly disclose the potential benefit.

Suggested disclosure:

I may receive $25 toward my next AHEA renewal if you join through my referral.

20. Member conduct

Members agree to:

  • Treat members, applicants, contributors, reviewers, supporters, and community participants respectfully

  • Use member spaces for lawful and appropriate purposes

  • Protect confidential and private information

  • Follow forum, editorial, review, campaign, training, and program procedures

  • Disclose relevant conflicts of interest when requested

  • Provide accurate information

  • Avoid misrepresenting an AHEA or PHP title, appointment, decision, approval, or endorsement

  • Refrain from harassment, threats, discrimination, retaliation, or disruptive conduct

  • Avoid unauthorized solicitation using member information or spaces

  • Refrain from circumventing tool, usage, referral, payment, or account controls

  • Comply with the PHP participation terms when participating in a PHP activity

AHEA may establish additional expectations for particular programs and roles.

21. Confidentiality and member spaces

Member Strategy Forums and other activities may involve discussion of professional experiences, organizational challenges, campaign plans, or developing ideas.

Members may not:

  • Record sessions without permission

  • Disclose another participant’s identifying or sensitive information without authorization

  • Share confidential editorial, review, application, committee, training, campaign, or supporter materials

  • Use information obtained through member spaces for unauthorized solicitation, retaliation, or personal advantage

AHEA may encourage confidentiality but cannot guarantee that every participant will comply.

Members should avoid sharing information they are not authorized or prepared to disclose.

22. Applications and submissions

Applications and submissions are governed by the Terms of Use, including its review and publication provisions.

Applications for leadership, editorial, reviewer, committee, council, and campaign roles are reviewed privately.

When a member submits material through a public-facing publication, recognition, campaign, or contributor opportunity, the member authorizes review and, if selected, publication and related use as described in the Terms of Use.

23. Use of AHEA and PHP titles

A member may accurately state that they are an AHEA member during an active membership term.

A person selected for a formal appointment, campaign role, or contributor role may accurately use the title assigned by AHEA, subject to:

  • The appointment or authorization term

  • Any title-use guidance

  • Continued good standing

  • Accurate representation of the role

  • Compliance with AHEA’s Terms of Use

Membership or appointment does not authorize a person to:

  • Enter into agreements for AHEA

  • Make official statements for AHEA or PHP

  • Represent that AHEA endorses an employer, service, political position, campaign, or outside project

  • Use AHEA or PHP logos without permission

  • Continue using a time-limited title as current after the appointment ends

  • Describe a limited campaign role as general organizational authority

Past service may be described accurately as past service.

24. Suspension or termination by AHEA

AHEA may suspend or terminate membership for:

  • Nonpayment

  • Account or credential sharing

  • Fraud or material misrepresentation

  • Harassment, threats, discrimination, or retaliation

  • Misuse of member, supporter, or campaign information

  • Unauthorized disclosure of confidential materials

  • Misuse of AHEA or PHP names, titles, platforms, or branding

  • Unauthorized advocacy or representation in AHEA’s or PHP’s name

  • Circumvention of tool, usage, referral, payment, or access controls

  • A material violation of AHEA’s policies

  • Conduct creating a material legal, safety, security, privacy, or reputational risk

When appropriate, AHEA may provide notice and an opportunity to address the issue.

Immediate action may be taken when reasonably necessary to protect people, information, systems, campaigns, or programs.

A member suspended or terminated for misconduct, nonpayment, fraud, account sharing, or another material policy violation is not entitled to a refund except where required by law.

25. Membership ended by AHEA without cause

If AHEA terminates an individual membership without cause or permanently discontinues the membership program before the end of a paid term, AHEA may provide:

  • A prorated refund

  • A comparable credit

  • Continued access

  • Substantially comparable benefits

A member terminated because of misconduct, nonpayment, fraud, account sharing, or another material policy violation is not eligible for a refund under this section.

26. Changes to the membership program

AHEA is a developing organization.

Programs, tools, publications, schedules, criteria, campaigns, and opportunities may change as capacity and member needs evolve.

AHEA may make reasonable changes without creating an automatic right to a refund.

A material price or automatic-renewal change will be communicated, and additional consent will be obtained when required by law.

27. Communications

Members agree to receive administrative communications necessary to manage:

  • Membership and billing

  • Account access and security

  • Material changes to membership terms

  • Applications and submissions

  • Programs for which the member registered or applied

  • Leadership, editorial, reviewer, campaign, training, or contributor responsibilities

  • Platform, supporter-data, or branding access

Administrative communications are separate from optional promotional newsletters.

28. Taxes and professional advice

Membership fees and sponsored-membership payments are not charitable contributions or tax-deductible charitable gifts.

A membership payment may or may not qualify as a business, professional, educational, or other deductible expense depending on the payer’s circumstances and applicable law.

AHEA does not provide tax advice. Members and purchasers should consult their own tax advisers.

29. Governing law

These Membership Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Oklahoma, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

The dispute provisions in AHEA’s Terms of Use also apply to membership disputes.

30. Changes to these Membership Terms

AHEA may update these Membership Terms.

The current version will be posted with a revised effective date.

Material changes may also be communicated through:

  • The website

  • The customer account

  • Checkout or activation

  • Member communications

  • Email

  • Another reasonable method

Changes to a future renewal term may take effect at the next renewal.

Changes required for security, legal compliance, provider restrictions, privacy protection, or misuse prevention may take effect sooner when reasonably necessary.

31. Contact

Questions about membership, billing, renewal, cancellation, referrals, sponsored memberships, group memberships, or PHP member opportunities may be sent to:

AHEA, PBLLC
PO Box 5484
Edmond, OK 73083
info@americanhealthequity.org