TL;DR
Ask the agency to separate the relationship it wants to describe from the asset it wants to use. Verify the exact claim and the permission for the proposed destination, modification and term. Keep unresolved assets out of production and choose original factual copy while the responsible practice owner resolves the missing evidence.
Start with the proposed public claim
A functional-medicine proposal may include an affiliation statement, a logo, an educational download or a slide adaptation. Review each on its own evidence. A relationship claim and a right to republish someone else's material are different acceptance questions.
IFM says it offers no special badge or designation for membership. Its logo FAQ restricts use to IFM and its licensing partners in connection with IFM services or products. Do not commission a membership badge or assume that membership licenses a logo. Membership FAQ, logo FAQ.
Record what is actually being asserted about the named person. Membership, course completion and certification should not be substituted for each other. This article verifies no individual's credential. Any certification wording or certification asset needs current individual verification and the applicable certification terms before acceptance.
Put identity and permission in an approval register
Use this original register for the proposal. It is a purchasing control, not a permission grant or a legal determination.
| Register field | Evidence to request | Decision if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Claimed relationship | Exact public wording, named person and current authoritative evidence | Remove or narrow the unsupported statement |
| Asset and owner | Identified logo, image, slide or resource and its rights holder | Use original practice material instead |
| Applicable agreement | Actual service, organizational or certification terms and any specific permission | Keep the asset pending |
| Exact use and destination | Authorized website, advertisement, presentation or social placement | Do not infer permission for another channel |
| Modification | Whether cropping, translation, editing or format conversion is covered | Retain the proposed change as unresolved |
| Term and conditions | Actual duration, attribution requirements and other restrictions | Assign a responsible owner to resolve them |
| Evidence and fallback | Permission record reference, reviewer, original alternative and removal owner | Accept only the supported version |
Keep the underlying evidence in the practice's approved records. The production brief can reference it without circulating restricted educational resources to everyone on the project.
Check the material category before accepting an adaptation
IFM says slide and presentation-deck licensing is considered case by case. Its Toolkit FAQ restricts public distribution and commercial use; its modification FAQ requires prior written permission, including for translation or a changed format. Presentation FAQ, Toolkit sharing FAQ, modification FAQ.
IFM's website-image FAQ also directs reuse to prior written consent. A publicly visible image is therefore not an asset to assume belongs in an agency package. Website-image FAQ.
Read the applicable agreement as well as the short FAQ. IFM's service terms distinguish service-specific terms, organizational arrangements and certification materials. Their limited permissions do not amount to unrestricted marketing rights. If the apparent permission does not clearly cover the proposed use, keep that asset pending rather than choosing the broadest interpretation. IFM Terms of Service.
The terms separately describe limited, unchanged use of a supplied Media Toolkit on a personal social media page to advertise attendance at the related offering. Identify that asset category precisely. This permission does not establish a right to publish educational Toolkit resources or run a practice-wide campaign.
Accept an original alternative and maintain it
Ask the agency to price original writing or imagery separately from permission-dependent adaptations. Useful alternatives include an approved description of the practice's actual services or a plain link to an external resource where appropriate. Original copy still needs accurate facts; it should not paraphrase restricted teaching materials to recreate them.
Use the content responsibility check for truthful attribution and the approval workflow for routing decisions. This register supplies the earlier acceptance evidence: which relationship is verified and which asset use is permitted.
Record a review trigger when a relationship, agreement, destination or intended use changes. GetPatients has a commercial interest in healthcare visibility services. Apply this evidence requirement to its proposals too. Do not use affiliation as evidence of treatment effectiveness.
Frequently asked questions
Can a certificate of course completion justify any IFM logo?
Do not make that inference. Review the exact certificate, proposed statement and applicable terms. Permission for a particular display does not establish permission for a separate logo campaign.
Can we continue the website project while permission is unresolved?
Use approved original copy and assets for the affected placement. Keep the proposed borrowed material pending with an identified evidence owner.
Does agency familiarity with IFM settle the permission question?
Ask for evidence covering the actual use. Familiarity, access to a file and an attractive mockup do not establish that permission.