CleverCrow is operated by Clever Crow, LLC (“CleverCrow”, “we”, “us”). By creating an account, backing an issue, or installing the CleverCrow GitHub App on a repository you control, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't use the service.
Last updated 26 July 2026.
CleverCrow lets backers fund work on specific GitHub issues; when a fix for a funded issue is merged, the pool on that issue pays the repository's maintainer. Maintainers do the work on their own terms; we provide the platform, the funding pools, and the payment rails. We do not employ maintainers, and we do not guarantee that any issue will be fixed or that any particular outcome will result from a backing. (An optional AI coding agent was previously offered and has been retired; all runs under it have concluded.)
You sign in with GitHub. You are responsible for keeping your GitHub account secure; activity through a compromised GitHub account is treated as activity by you. You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction) to use CleverCrow.
You back a specific GitHub issue with an exact amount. Your card is charged via Stripe, with card processing fees added to the charge (shown before you pay) so your full chosen amount lands in your CleverCrow wallet; a backing then earmarks that amount for the issue. A backing is withdrawable in full at any time before the issue settles. When a fix for the issue is merged, your backing settles and is no longer refundable: it pays CleverCrow's settlement fee and the maintainer. Card processing fees paid at top-up are not returned on refund. Full refund mechanics are described on the Refund Policy page and are incorporated into these terms by reference.
Backings are not donations and are not tax-deductible. CleverCrow's only fee is a flat 10% of the issue's pool (5% for maintainers enrolled in the founding-maintainer rate, for the term shown on their Payouts page), charged at settlement when a fix merges and the pool pays the maintainer. Maintainer payouts additionally deduct Stripe's payout costs at cost, with no markup, as described in the Payouts section below. The fee model lives on the About page.
Backing an issue funds the work and pays the maintainer, nothing more. It grants you no ownership, equity, intellectual-property, licensing, or control right in the repository, the maintainer's project, any resulting code, or CleverCrow. A backing is not an investment and confers no governance or decision-making authority over how the maintainer runs their project. Your sole benefit is that the funded work is attempted and, if merged, lands in the maintainer's repository under that repository's existing license (see Section 6).
You decide what to build and whether any pull request merges; a funded issue pays out only when you merge a fix. You are responsible for the code that lands on your repository, regardless of who or what wrote it. You are responsible for ensuring you have the authority to install the CleverCrow GitHub App on the repositories you grant it access to.
Funded work is a transparent record. The backers who funded an issue can see its funding and settlement record, including the line-item receipt and the merged pull request that closed it; that audit trail shows them what their backing paid for.
Payouts. When a fix for a funded issue merges, the pool settles and the remainder (after CleverCrow's settlement fee, 10% or your founding rate if you hold one) accrues to your payout balance. Receiving payouts requires connecting a payout account through Stripe, completing Stripe's identity verification, and accepting the payout terms presented during onboarding; payout availability depends on your country and on your repository meeting our eligibility checks. Accrued balances are paid monthly in one batched transfer, with balances under $10 rolling forward. Each monthly payout deducts Stripe's payout costs at cost, with no markup: $2.25 plus 0.25% of the amount sent, plus a 0.25% cross-border charge for payout accounts outside the US. These are Stripe's published rates for sending your payout; CleverCrow keeps no part of them beyond what Stripe charges us. Payouts are sent in USD; if your bank account is in another currency, Stripe converts the funds at its exchange rate at the time of payout, and the converted amount reflects that rate. Settlements that are the subject of a payment dispute or confirmed fraud may be withheld or reversed from your payout balance. You are responsible for any taxes on amounts paid to you.
You may uninstall the CleverCrow GitHub App at any time. Doing so does not reverse settlements that already occurred.
You agree not to use CleverCrow to: target repositories you do not have rights to modify; attempt to exfiltrate credentials, secrets, or other backers' data from the platform; probe, scan, or attack our infrastructure outside an explicitly authorized security engagement; generate or distribute malware; or harass, defame, or threaten other users. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules.
Security reports are welcome and encouraged at security@clevercrow.io.
Code that lands in your repository is yours, subject to the licenses of the underlying repository and any third-party dependencies it introduces. CleverCrow claims no ownership over any code committed to your repository. Backers receive the benefit of the fix landing in the maintainer's repository under that repository's license; backers receive no other ownership or licensing rights in the output.
CleverCrow relies on GitHub (identity, code hosting, the App installation model), Stripe (payments and maintainer payouts), and AWS (infrastructure). Your use of those services through CleverCrow is also subject to their respective terms. Outages or policy changes at those providers may affect CleverCrow's availability.
How we handle your data is described in our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these terms by reference.
CleverCrow is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that any funded fix is correct, complete, secure, free of bugs, or suitable for production use; review before merge is the maintainer's responsibility.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, CleverCrow's total liability arising out of or relating to the service is limited to the greater of (a) the amounts you paid to CleverCrow in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred US dollars. CleverCrow is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, revenues, data, or goodwill.
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CleverCrow and its officers, employees, and agents from any claim or demand arising out of your use of the service, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any third-party right (including any intellectual-property right or the terms of any repository whose issues you fund or fix through the service).
You may stop using CleverCrow at any time, uninstall the GitHub App at any time, and request account deletion by emailing support@clevercrow.io. We may suspend or terminate your access for breach of these terms, suspected fraud, or to comply with law. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (payment, IP, disclaimers, liability, indemnification, governing law) survive.
We may update these terms over time. Material changes will be announced via the dashboard or by email to the address on your account. Continuing to use CleverCrow after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Disputes arising from these terms or your use of CleverCrow will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in New Castle County, Delaware, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.
Questions about these terms? support@clevercrow.io. General contact options are on the Contact page.