The Kolvas Collective is a grassroots, queer-run, autistic-run unincorporated nonprofit association curating (and creating) accessible survival resources for people navigating poverty, homelessness, chronic illness, gender transition, and state repression. We believe that access to life-saving information shouldn't depend on your zip code, income, internet speed, or identity. If you find our work valuable, consider donating or purchasing a sticker!
Why We Exist
Survival information is deliberately suppressed. Whether you're trans and can't access HRT, disabled and navigating the American government benefits system, or an activist trying to stay safe, finding trustworthy resources is exhausting and confusing. We aim to help with that.
Our Principles
Accessibility
We prioritize accessibility on our website. We include text resizing, high contrast and colorblind friendly options, and dyslexic-friendly fonts. We link to guides in plain language, have a self-hosted search index, and run well on both mobile and PC. Any concerns or issues with accessibility are taken seriously. Please contact us via email at k0lvas@proton.me or via our Ko-fi page
Security Culture
We protect our community's privacy. We use encrypted comms, we don't track you, and we prioritize OpSec in our guides. We also feature a quick exit button which can be accessed via clicking or pressing Esc 3x.
Harm Reduction
Whether it's substance use, sex work, DIY transition or informal survival strategies, we believe in harm reduction. We're here to help, not to judge.
Free Forever
We will never EVER paywall survival information. We don't run ads and we don't sell your data. This resource belongs to the community. If you find a paywalled link on our site, report it to us immediately at k0lvas@proton.me - we do, however, accept donations to keep our members afloat.
Feeling passionate about our project? We could always use volunteers to search for resources, find broken links, post flyers, and whatever else you could contribute! Please reach out via email to discuss volunteering.
Funding and Transparency
Kolvas is run entirely by volunteers. None of our team members are employed by this project.
We cover operational costs, printing, and distribution through:
Our own pockets.
Small donations from the community.
Merchandise sales (RedBubble).
If you have the means, buying a sticker or donating through Ko-fi helps us keep the lights on. If you don't, please just use the site. That's what it's here for.
Our Friends and Partners
Below are some other organizations who we have partnered with in order to increase the total number of resources available to our respective demographics. In other words, these are our friends and partners so please go check them out ^^
A self-described "...directory of information pertaining to various social justice causes." They feature guides on Black allyship, Indigenous and First Nations allyship, hurricane relief resources, Palestinian aid and allyship resources, disability resources, and more. We cannot recommend checking them out enough. Thank you to Jason for getting back to us and making this relationship a thing!
An admin of r/Homeless reached out to one of us on Reddit after we had shared a link to our site in a comment section. They asked for our permission to feature our site on their new and improved wiki. We were thrilled to say yes, and thought it only just to feature them here as well.
Disclaimer and Legal Notice
Educational Purpose Only: Kolvas (including "We," "Us," "Our Website," and "The Website") provides this information solely for educational, informational, and harm reduction purposes. We do not endorse, encourage, or support any illegal activities. Users assume full responsibility for their actions and use this information entirely at their own risk. Kolvas cannot be held liable for any direct or indirect consequences arising from the use of the information provided here.
Copyright and DMCA Compliance: We do not host copyrighted or illegal materials on our servers. All content on this website is protected under our constitutional right to free speech and self-expression. We respect intellectual property rights and will comply with valid DMCA takedown requests. If you believe your copyrighted material has been posted without authorization, please contact us at k0lvas@proton.me for removal.
Non-Affiliation: Kolvas is a grassroots community resource. We are not associated with, funded by, or affiliated with any terrorist organization, hate group, or violent extremist entity. We firmly condemn all acts of terrorism, violence, and bigotry, whether domestic or international.
Acceptance of Terms: By accessing and using this website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these terms.
