Terms.

Last updated: August 11, 2026

1. Parties & scope

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website at america250cfc.org (the "Site") and your participation in the America250 Community Futures Challenge (the "Program"). The Site and the application portal are owned and operated by Pacheco Ventures ("Pacheco," "we," "our," or "us"). The Program is funded by Philip Morris International's U.S. business ("PMI U.S.") and operated by Pacheco. By accessing the Site or submitting an application, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy.

2. Eligibility

• The lead applicant must be a U.S.-based 501c3 (individual, team, organization, or community group), with a clearly identified lead applicant who is 21 years of age or older at the time of submission.
• The proposed project must serve adults 21 and older within a defined U.S. community. Projects primarily serving individuals under 21 are not eligible.
• The project must be in early-stage, pilot, or scaling phase. Fully self-sustaining or mature programs are not eligible.
• The project must not involve lobbying, partisan political activity, electioneering, or individual cash assistance.
• The project must not involve restricted categories including tobacco, nicotine, cannabis, alcohol, gambling, firearms, or similar regulated industries.
• Employees of Pacheco Ventures, PMI U.S., Arizona State University, and any other named program partners — and their immediate families — are not eligible to apply.

3. Submissions

• Submissions open September 2026 and close at 11:59 PM ET on November 30, 2026.
• One submission per applicant. Duplicate submissions will be disqualified.
• You represent that all material in your submission is original or properly licensed, that you have authority to submit it, and that it does not infringe any third-party rights.
• You represent that all statements in your submission are accurate to the best of your knowledge.
• Submissions may be edited, abridged, or quoted by the Program for program reporting and storytelling purposes, with attribution.
• Incomplete or materially inaccurate submissions will not be considered.

4. Judging

Submissions are independently judged by a panel of nationally acclaimed leaders convened for the Program. Each submission is scored on a 0–10 scale across five weighted dimensions totaling 100%: Community Impact (25%), Feasibility (20%), Innovation (20%), Sustainability (20%), and Founder/Team (15%). The selection process includes Eligibility Review, Scored Review, Finalist Selection, and Verification. Decisions of the judging panel are final and not subject to appeal.

5. Awards

• Five winning applicants will each receive a grant of $50,000 USD, totaling $250,000 across the Program.
• Grants are unrestricted, but recipients are expected to deliver against the project plan submitted in their application and to participate in light reporting and storytelling moments tied to the Program through December 2027.
• Funds may not be used for lobbying, political contributions, restricted categories listed in Section 2, or activities outside the approved project scope.
• Recipients are responsible for all applicable taxes.
• Awards are not transferable. We reserve the right to substitute an award of equal or greater value if the original cannot be delivered for any reason.
• Recipients will have ongoing reporting obligations and may be required to submit to auditing to ensure that the funds are used for the designated purpose. The funders reserve the right to seek reimbursement of any funds which have not been used for the permitted purpose in violation of the Terms and the Program rules.
• Selection as a winner is contingent on successful Verification (Stage 4) and acceptance of these Terms in writing.

6. Intellectual property

• You retain all intellectual property rights in your submission.
• By submitting, you grant to Pacheco Ventures (as Program operator), PMI U.S. (as Program funder), and ASU (as Program partner) a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, and display your submission and your name, organization, and likeness for the limited purpose of operating, reporting on, and promoting the Program, including ongoing publicity of the successful initiatives.
• The "PMI U.S. AMERICA 250" lockup, the "America250 Community Futures Challenge" name, and related marks are the property of their respective owners. You may not use them without prior written permission, except to factually describe your participation in the Program.

7. Acceptable use of the Site

You agree not to: (a) attempt to bypass authentication or access controls; (b) probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Site or its infrastructure; (c) interfere with the Site's operation or impair its availability; (d) submit malicious code or attempt to exploit vulnerabilities; (e) impersonate any person or entity; (f) collect personal information about other users; or (g) use the Site for any unlawful purpose. We may suspend or terminate access for any violation.

8. Privacy

Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy. In particular: applicant personal information is collected, stored, and managed by Pacheco Ventures, and is not shared with PMI U.S. PMI U.S. receives only aggregate, non-identifying program reporting and the names of selected winners after public announcement.

9. Disclaimers

The Site and the Program are provided "as is" and "as available." To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

10. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither the Program, Pacheco Ventures, PMI U.S., Arizona State University, nor any program partner shall be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or relating to your use of the Site or participation in the Program, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total aggregate liability for any claim shall not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Program, Pacheco Ventures, PMI U.S., Arizona State University, and any other named partners — and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents — from any claim arising out of (a) your use of the Site, (b) your submission, (c) your breach of these Terms, or (d) your violation of any applicable law.

12. Governing law & jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Program shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Maricopa County, Arizona, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts. This Section does not limit any non-waivable consumer rights you may have under the laws of your state of residence.

13. Changes

We may revise these Terms at any time by posting an updated version on this page. Material changes will be flagged with a revised "Last updated" date and, where reasonably possible, by additional notice via email to applicants. Continued use of the Site or participation in the Program after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Severability & entire agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force. These Terms (together with the Privacy Policy and any program rules posted on the Site) constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Site and the Program, and supersede any prior agreements on those subjects.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to legal@america250cfc.org. A mailing address is available on request.