Information for Media Inquiries

Mentor Research Institute (2026)

How many people are registered, active, verified, and actually meeting?

None at this time.

Bend Dating is still in development and prelaunch testing. It has not yet opened for general public membership. Therefore, the organization does not currently have:

registered public members;
active dating members;
verified members;
completed member-to-member meetings;
or relationship outcomes attributable to the platform.

A limited number of prospective users are testing the application, its workflows, usability, content, and safety features. These testers should not be counted as active members or as evidence that the dating model has produced successful meetings or relationships.

The organization will begin reporting participation and outcome data only after the platform launches and sufficient reliable data are available.

The present claim is therefore not that Bend Dating has already demonstrated effectiveness. The claim is that it has developed a different model that can be tested through actual community participation and systematic evaluation.

What does “psychology-informed” mean operationally?

Psychology-informed does not mean that Bend Dating claims to diagnose members, predict love, or select the correct partner for them. It means that the platform is designed and governed using ethical principles, established psychological science, relevant evidence, qualified nonprofit oversight, and safeguards for individual and public health.

These principles affect how the platform verifies identity, protects privacy, presents relationship and compatibility information, establishes standards of conduct, responds to safety concerns, limits manipulative engagement practices, and helps members move from online contact into responsible real-world interaction.

Psychological information is intended to support reflection, informed judgment, communication, and safety. It is not used to guarantee compatibility, certify character, or replace the member’s own judgment.

Bend Dating should therefore be evaluated not merely by whether it uses psychological questionnaires, but by whether its design, governance, safeguards, and outcomes are ethical, scientifically defensible, evidence-informed, transparent, and beneficial to members and the community.

Are the screening instruments validated for the purposes for which they are being used?

Yes, but the meaning of validation must be stated carefully.

First-generation and second-generation dating apps generally rely heavily on profile appearance, self-description, preferences, and user-selected matching criteria. These features may have face validity because they appear relevant to attraction and partner selection. Face validity, however, is the weakest form of validity and does not establish that an app accurately identifies compatibility, safety, relationship readiness, or the likelihood of a lasting relationship.

Bend Dating uses psychological and relationship questionnaires selected or developed to measure defined constructs relevant to dating and relationships. Depending on the specific instrument, the supporting evidence may include:

Content validity: the questions adequately represent the domain being assessed, such as communication, conflict, emotional readiness, safety, boundaries, personality, values, or relationship competence.
Construct validity: scores behave consistently with the psychological construct the questionnaire is intended to measure.
Concurrent validity: results correspond with other established measures, behaviors, or indicators assessed during the same period.
Predictive validity: scores predict later outcomes relevant to the intended use, but this claim should be made only when supported by longitudinal evidence.
Reliability: scores demonstrate adequate consistency, including internal consistency or stability over time, when appropriate.

The instruments are not used to diagnose members, guarantee safety, certify compatibility, or predict that two people will fall in love. They are used to support self-reflection, informed choice, communication, risk awareness, and discussion between members.

Bend Dating’s validity claim therefore has two levels. The first is whether each questionnaire has evidence supporting the construct it measures. The second is whether using those questionnaires within Bend Dating improves member judgment, safety, relationship quality, or other intended outcomes. That second level requires continuing program evaluation and outcome data from Bend Dating itself.

What information is visible to members, and what remains private?

Bend Dating follows a privacy-by-design model. Members decide what personal profile information and friendly screening interpretations they wish to share. Sensitive source information is not displayed to other members.

Information That May Be Visible to Other Members

Depending on the member’s choices and the platform’s configuration, visible information may include:

the member’s approved profile information;
photographs selected by the member;
relationship interests and preferences the member chooses to disclose;
verification badges or completion indicators;
confirmation that identity verification has been completed;
confirmation that a background-screening process has been completed;
and a member-authorized, plain-language interpretation of selected screening results.

A verification badge or completion indicator confirms only that a required process was completed. It does not disclose the underlying documents, questionnaire responses, investigative records, or background-check report.

Members may choose whether to display a friendly interpretation of their screening results. The interpretation is intended to support self-understanding and conversation. It is not a diagnosis, safety guarantee, compatibility certification, or prediction that a relationship will succeed.

Information That Remains Private

The following information is confidential and is not visible to other members:

complete background-check reports and underlying records;
identification documents submitted for verification;
individual screening-questionnaire responses;
screening scores or reports that the member has not chosen to display;
complaints or reports submitted by other members;
the identity of a reporting member, except when disclosure is legally required;
records of complaint reviews and investigations;
investigative notes, evidence, findings, and internal communications;
moderation and risk-management records;
and other sensitive personal information collected for verification, safety, or administrative purposes.

A person who is the subject of a complaint is not automatically entitled to see the complainant’s identity, the complete complaint file, or confidential investigative materials. Bend Dating may provide enough information to permit a fair response while protecting reporters, witnesses, privacy, safety, and the integrity of the investigation.

Legal Disclosure

Confidential information is not voluntarily released to other members, employers, businesses, family members, or members of the public.

Information may be disclosed only when the member authorizes the disclosure or when disclosure is legally required, including in response to a valid and enforceable subpoena, court order, search warrant, or other lawful governmental demand.

When legally permitted, Bend Dating may provide notice to the affected member and may seek to limit, challenge, or protect against an unnecessarily broad request. Any legally required disclosure should be limited to the information specifically required by law.

Privacy Principle

Bend Dating separates proof of completion from the underlying private information. Other members may be told that a verification or screening step was completed, but they are not given access to the confidential documents, responses, reports, complaints, or investigative records behind that status.

The governing principle is simple: disclose only what is necessary to support informed dating decisions, while protecting sensitive personal, psychological, safety, and investigative information.

How are background checks performed, interpreted, and protected?

Bend Dating uses criminal background screening as a limited safety and membership-eligibility process. It is not intended to determine a person’s overall character, diagnose risk, guarantee safety, or predict whether a relationship will succeed.

How Background Checks Are Performed

Applicants provide informed written consent before a background check is conducted. Completion is voluntary in the legal sense, but it is required for full Bend Dating membership. The screening is used exclusively for member and public safety rather than employment, housing, credit, insurance, or financial decision-making.

The screening focuses on records reasonably related to interpersonal safety, including:

violent crimes;
sexual offenses;
domestic violence or interpersonal harm;
stalking or harassment;
fraud and identity-related offenses;
and other documented conduct indicating a substantial risk of harm to other members.

Bend Dating does not use credit history, financial history, or unrelated offenses as general measures of personal worth or dating suitability.

Background-check vendors must support Bend Dating’s membership-safety purpose, use secure data transmission, and provide appropriate compliance and audit documentation. The process is overseen by authorized safety personnel with relevant experience in background screening, risk assessment, privacy, and public safety.

How Results Are Interpreted

Background-check information is not interpreted through a simple assumption that any criminal record makes a person unsafe. The relevant question is whether verified information indicates a material and reasonably foreseeable risk to members or the public.

Interpretation should consider:

the nature and seriousness of the conduct;
whether it involved violence, sexual misconduct, coercion, stalking, harassment, fraud, or identity deception;
the age and disposition of the record;
whether the information can be reliably matched to the applicant;
whether there is a pattern of similar conduct;
the relationship between the conduct and the risks inherent in dating;
and any information necessary to correct or clarify an incomplete or inaccurate record.

Violent and sexual offenses may constitute grounds for denial, suspension, or removal because they bear directly on the safety of people entering an intimate and vulnerable environment.

A completed background check does not mean that a member has no criminal history, presents no risk, or has been certified as safe. Background checks are inherently limited. Records may be incomplete, delayed, inaccurate, sealed, expunged, unreported, or unavailable across jurisdictions. Screening therefore reduces uncertainty but cannot replace personal judgment, reasonable precautions, or compliance with Bend Dating’s safety guidance.

What Other Members See

Other members do not receive the background-check report, criminal-history details, source documents, or the reasoning used in a membership decision.

The platform may display only a limited completion indicator showing that the member has completed Bend Dating’s required background-screening process. That indicator should not be described as a “safe person” certification or a guarantee that no disqualifying information exists.

How Background-Check Information Is Protected

Background-check reports and related identity information are confidential. They are:

not published;
not displayed on member profiles;
not disclosed to other members;
not sold or used for advertising;
separated from ordinary profile information;
encrypted during transmission and storage;
accessible only to specifically authorized safety personnel;
protected through role-based access controls and multifactor authentication;
and subject to access logging and audit review.

The policies state that screening data are encrypted at rest and in transit, stored separately from general user information, and retained only as long as reasonably necessary for eligibility review, safety review, dispute resolution, or legal compliance. Sensitive information is to be deleted after termination when it is no longer required for a legitimate safety or legal purpose.

Background-check information is not voluntarily released to other members or the public. It may be disclosed only with the member’s authorization or when disclosure is legally required, such as through a valid subpoena, court order, warrant, or other binding legal obligation. Any disclosure should be limited to the minimum information legally required.

Oversight and Accountability

The Director of Public and Member Safety, working under Mentor Research Institute’s nonprofit oversight, is responsible for managing the background-screening process, reviewing higher-risk cases, maintaining access controls and audit records, coordinating with screening vendors and appropriate experts, and supporting periodic review of the safety system.

The governing principle is that background screening is a confidential risk-reduction tool—not a public accusation, a character judgment, or a promise of safety.

Who makes suspension or exclusion decisions?

Reports and safety concerns are initially reviewed by the Bend Dating Member Safety Team. Matters involving violence, threats, harassment, identity falsification, significant screening discrepancies, or other high-risk conduct are escalated to the Director of Public & Member Safety. The available responses include education or coaching, temporary feature suspension, full account restriction, permanent removal, and referral to law enforcement when legally or operationally necessary.

The Director of Public & Member Safety reviews high-risk membership cases and works with Mentor Research Institute, the nonprofit governing organization, on investigations, policy application, and safety oversight. Final suspension or exclusion decisions should therefore be understood as institutional safety decisions made under MRI authority—not unilateral decisions by a software developer, vendor, background-check company, individual member, or algorithm.

No member is suspended or excluded merely because another member submits a complaint. A report initiates review; it does not establish that misconduct occurred. Decisions should be based on the available evidence, the seriousness and credibility of the allegation, the risk of continuing access, relevant history or patterns, the member’s response when appropriate, and the need to protect members and the public.

Bend Dating may impose an immediate temporary restriction while a serious safety concern is investigated. Temporary action is precautionary and does not necessarily constitute a final finding. Permanent exclusion should ordinarily require documented review and a determination that continued membership presents an unacceptable safety risk, involves a serious violation of the Code of Conduct, or is inconsistent with membership eligibility requirements.

The underlying complaint, reporter identity, witness information, investigative materials, and internal deliberations remain confidential except when disclosure is authorized or legally required.

What are the appeal and correction procedures?

The underlying complaint, reporter identity, witness information, investigative materials, and internal deliberations remain confidential except when disclosure is authorized or legally required.

How is sensitive personal information secured?

Bend Dating collects sensitive information only for defined membership, safety, verification, and relationship-education purposes. That information is protected through data minimization, encryption, separation of sensitive records, restricted access, audit logging, controlled retention, and nonprofit oversight.

Sensitive Information Covered

Protected information includes:

government-issued identification and identity-verification records;
biometric or image-matching information, when used;
criminal background-screening reports;
members’ individual questionnaire responses;
nonpublic screening scores and interpretations;
complaints and reports submitted by members;
reporter and witness identities;
investigation records and supporting evidence;
moderation and safety-review records;
and internal decisions concerning restrictions, suspension, or exclusion.

These records are not treated as ordinary profile information.

Encryption and Secure Transmission

The published policy requires screening reports and identity information to be encrypted both:

in transit, while information is being transmitted; and
at rest, while information is stored.

The policy specifies AES-256 encryption for stored information and TLS 1.3 for information in transit. It also requires identity and screening records to be stored in protected environments separate from general member-profile data.

Separation of Sensitive Information

Sensitive records should not be stored in the same broadly accessible environment as photographs, profile descriptions, interests, and other ordinary member information.

The operational principle is data segregation:

profile information is available only as needed to operate the member-facing application;
screening responses remain private;
background reports remain in the restricted safety environment;
and complaint and investigation files remain separate from the member profile.

This limits the number of people and application functions capable of reaching the most sensitive records.

Role-Based Access

Access is limited according to job responsibility. The policy states that screening information may be accessed only by the Director of Public and Member Safety and specifically designated members of the Member Safety Team. Staff access requires multifactor authentication.

Software developers, marketers, participating businesses, ordinary administrators, other members, and members of the public should not have access merely because they participate in or support the platform.

Access should follow three rules:

Deny by default: no access unless it has been expressly authorized.
Least privilege: authorized personnel receive only the minimum access necessary for their duties.
Need to know: access is permitted only for a legitimate operational, safety, or legal purpose.

Access Logging and Accountability

Every access to protected screening information is required to be logged and subject to audit.

The audit record should identify:

who accessed the information;
what record was accessed;
when access occurred;
what action was taken;
and, where appropriate, the authorized purpose.

Logging creates accountability and allows Bend Dating to investigate inappropriate access, unauthorized disclosure, or misuse.

Member-Controlled Disclosure

Questionnaire responses remain private. Members may elect to display a friendly, plain-language interpretation of selected results, but the underlying answers are not disclosed.

Similarly, Bend Dating may display that a verification or screening requirement has been completed without revealing:

the identification document;
the background report;
criminal-history details;
private screening responses;
complaints;
or investigative findings.

The public-facing policy states that identity-verification and screening information is confidential, is not exposed to other users, and is not sold to advertisers.

Retention and Secure Deletion

Sensitive information is retained only as long as it is reasonably necessary for:

membership eligibility;
safety review;
investigation of complaints;
dispute resolution;
prevention of repeated misconduct;
or legal compliance.

The policy provides that sensitive information should be purged after membership termination unless continued retention is required for safety reporting, dispute resolution, or a legal obligation. Members may request deletion subject to those legitimate retention requirements.

Deletion should mean secure removal from active systems and disposition under a defined backup-retention schedule—not merely hiding the record from view.

Limits on Use and Disclosure

Sensitive information is not used for advertising, sale to data brokers, unrelated profiling, or paid visibility. It is used only for the purpose for which it was collected.

Confidential information is not voluntarily disclosed to other members, employers, participating businesses, family members, or the public. Disclosure may occur only:

with the member’s valid authorization;
to an authorized service provider operating under confidentiality and security requirements;
or when legally required by a valid subpoena, court order, warrant, statutory obligation, or comparable lawful demand.

When disclosure is legally required, Bend Dating should disclose only the minimum information necessary and, when legally permitted, notify the affected member.

Vendor Security

Third-party identity-verification and background-screening vendors must use secure data handling and encrypted transmission and must provide appropriate compliance and audit documentation.

Vendor access should be governed by written agreements defining:

the permitted use of information;
confidentiality obligations;
security requirements;
breach-notification duties;
retention and deletion;
subcontractor controls;
and the prohibition against selling or repurposing member data.

Security Incident Response

Any suspected unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, alteration, or misuse of sensitive information should trigger a documented incident-response process. That process should include:

immediate containment;
preservation of evidence and audit logs;
assessment of the information and members affected;
correction of the vulnerability;
notification when legally or ethically required;
and documented review by the Director of Public and Member Safety and Mentor Research Institute.

Governance Principle

Sensitive information is protected by combining technical safeguards with human accountability. Encryption alone is insufficient. Security also requires limited collection, separation of records, role-based access, auditability, responsible retention, qualified safety oversight, and enforceable consequences for misuse.

Bend Dating’s governing principle is:

Collect only what is needed, use it only for its stated purpose, disclose only what is authorized or legally required, and give access only to qualified people with a legitimate need to know.

How is the nonprofit relationship structured?

Bend Dating operates under the oversight of Mentor Research Institute, an Oregon nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The nonprofit is governed through a traditional officer and board structure that includes:

a President;
a Secretary;
a Treasurer; and
a volunteer Board of Directors.

The Board is responsible for protecting the organization’s charitable mission, overseeing major policies, supervising financial stewardship, addressing conflicts of interest, and ensuring that Bend Dating is operated for public benefit rather than private profit.

Bend Dating is therefore not governed by outside investors, venture-capital expectations, advertising incentives, or a mandate to maximize engagement. Its governing purpose is to support individual and public health, safety, ethical dating practices, relationship education, and stronger community relationships.

Role of the Board of Directors

The volunteer Board of Directors provides institutional oversight of Bend Dating. Its responsibilities may include:

approving major safety, privacy, ethics, and governance policies;
overseeing the use of charitable funds and donated assets;
reviewing significant operational and reputational risks;
monitoring conflicts of interest;
supervising officers and designated program leaders;
reviewing serious safety or policy matters when escalation is required;
and evaluating whether Bend Dating remains consistent with the nonprofit’s charitable purpose.

The Board does not ordinarily manage individual dating interactions or routine member decisions. Day-to-day operations may be delegated to qualified officers, staff, contractors, volunteers, and designated safety personnel, subject to written policies and Board oversight.

Officers

The nonprofit officers provide defined governance and administrative functions:

The President provides executive leadership and helps ensure that the program remains aligned with the nonprofit mission.
The Secretary maintains corporate records, Board minutes, policies, and formal governance documentation.
The Treasurer oversees financial reporting, internal financial controls, budgeting, and accountability for nonprofit funds.

The precise authority of each officer is established through the nonprofit’s bylaws, Board resolutions, and adopted policies.

Affiliation With a Psychotherapy Provider Organization

Mentor Research Institute is affiliated with a separate 501(c)(6) psychotherapy provider organization. That affiliation provides access to professional knowledge concerning psychology, relationship health, ethics, patient and public safety, measurement, and behavioral-health practice.

The 501(c)(6) organization represents or supports psychotherapy providers and may contribute professional expertise, consultation, education, or subject-matter guidance. However, it is legally and organizationally distinct from the 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The affiliation should not mean that the provider organization controls confidential member information, operates Bend Dating for the financial benefit of clinicians, or directs members toward particular providers for commercial gain.

Any collaboration between the organizations should be governed by written agreements that define:

the purpose of the affiliation;
the respective responsibilities of each organization;
protection of confidential information;
financial arrangements, if any;
conflict-of-interest safeguards;
ownership and use of intellectual property;
and the limits of each organization’s authority.

Separation From Clinical Care

Bend Dating is not a psychotherapy practice and does not provide diagnosis or treatment merely because psychologists or psychotherapy providers contribute expertise to its development or oversight.

Members are not patients of Mentor Research Institute, Bend Dating, the affiliated provider organization, or participating clinicians solely by using the platform. Any referral to a psychologist, therapist, or other professional creates a separate professional relationship governed by the provider’s own informed-consent, privacy, licensing, and ethical obligations.

Financial and Mission Accountability

Funds, donations, fees, and other resources associated with Bend Dating must be used consistently with the nonprofit’s charitable purposes. No director, officer, developer, clinician, donor, or affiliated organization may receive an improper private benefit from the program.

Reasonable compensation may be paid for legitimate services, but such arrangements should be documented, reviewed for conflicts of interest, and approved through appropriate nonprofit governance procedures.

The nonprofit structure is intended to create several protections:

mission before profit;
public accountability;
volunteer Board oversight;
financial transparency;
conflict-of-interest controls;
ethical review;
and continuity beyond any one founder, donor, developer, or officer.

Governing Principle

Bend Dating is a program governed by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, supervised by officers and a volunteer Board of Directors, and informed by an affiliation with a separate 501(c)(6) psychotherapy provider organization.

The structure is intended to combine public-interest governance with qualified professional knowledge while maintaining legal separation, privacy protections, financial accountability, and independence from commercial dating-app incentives.

Who funded and developed the platform?

Bend Dating was privately funded by one or more anonymous donors. The donors are not publicly identified.

Private Practice Cloud, LLC organized and supported the development of the platform and subsequently donated Bend Dating to Mentor Research Institute.

Mentor Research Institute, an Oregon 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, owns Bend Dating and is responsible for its governance, policies, mission, and public-interest operation.

The anonymous donors do not own Bend Dating merely because they helped fund its development. They do not have individual ownership rights in the platform, member information, or nonprofit assets.

The structure is:

Funding: privately provided by anonymous donors;
Development and donation: Private Practice Cloud, LLC;
Ownership: Mentor Research Institute;
Governance: MRI’s officers and volunteer Board of Directors;
Purpose: operation for nonprofit and public-interest purposes rather than private ownership or investor profit.

Donor anonymity is intended to keep public attention on Bend Dating’s mission, members, community benefit, governance, and results rather than on the identities of individual benefactors.

How inexpensive is it compared with commercial apps?

Bend Dating was privately funded by one or more anonymous donors. The donors are not publicly identified.

Private Practice Cloud, LLC organized and supported the development of the platform and subsequently donated Bend Dating to Mentor Research Institute.

Mentor Research Institute, an Oregon 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, owns Bend Dating and is responsible for its governance, policies, mission, and public-interest operation.

The anonymous donors do not own Bend Dating merely because they helped fund its development. They do not have individual ownership rights in the platform, member information, or nonprofit assets.

The structure is:

Funding: privately provided by anonymous donors;
Development and donation: Private Practice Cloud, LLC;
Ownership: Mentor Research Institute;
Governance: MRI’s officers and volunteer Board of Directors;
Purpose: operation for nonprofit and public-interest purposes rather than private ownership or investor profit.

Donor anonymity is intended to keep public attention on Bend Dating’s mission, members, community benefit, governance, and results rather than on the identities of individual benefactors.

Will enough men and women participate to create a functioning local dating pool?

We do not yet know.

Bend Dating’s ability to function depends on whether enough eligible, active, and reasonably balanced members participate within the local service area. A dating platform can be well designed, ethical, and safe, but still fail if too few people join, if participation is highly uneven by gender or age, or if members do not remain active long enough to meet one another.

This is therefore an outcome to be measured, not a claim that can be made in advance.

Bend Dating should monitor:

the number of registered, verified, and active members;
participation by age range, gender, orientation, and geographic area;
the balance between groups seeking one another;
how many members initiate and receive contacts;
how often online contact leads to an in-person meeting;
member retention and withdrawal;
and whether members report that the available dating pool is adequate.

The platform is intentionally local, which creates both an advantage and a risk. A local model may produce greater accountability, relevance, and opportunities for real-world connection. However, it also limits the size of the potential member pool.

The honest position is that Bend Dating is a community experiment. Its success will depend on whether the community chooses to participate and whether participation becomes large and balanced enough to support meaningful dating opportunities.

Bend Dating should not promise that every member will find a suitable partner. It can promise to measure participation honestly, report limitations, and adjust outreach and operations based on evidence.

How Will Bend Dating Measure Success?

How will the organization measure success: meetings, relationships, satisfaction, safety incidents, marriages, or app departures?

Bend Dating will measure success using statistical and research-design principles, but meaningful conclusions will require sufficient participation and outcome data.

The organization does not define success by screen time, number of swipes, message volume, paid upgrades, or how long members remain dependent on the platform. Success is defined by whether Bend Dating helps members move safely and efficiently toward healthy real-world relationships.

Potential outcome measures include:

verified and active membership;
balance within the local dating pool;
meaningful contacts between members;
movement from online communication to in-person meetings;
member-reported satisfaction;
perceived safety and trust;
relationship formation;
relationship quality and duration;
reductions in ghosting, harassment, deception, and other harmful experiences;
complaints and safety incidents;
appropriate resolution of complaints;
voluntary departure because a member formed a relationship;
and, over time, cohabitation, engagement, marriage, family formation, or other enduring relationship outcomes.

These outcomes should not all be treated as equivalent. A first meeting is an important process measure, but it is not the same as a healthy relationship. Marriage may be meaningful for some members, but it is not the only valid outcome. Leaving the app may indicate success, dissatisfaction, relocation, inactivity, or another reason. Each measure must therefore be interpreted in context.

Bend Dating intends to use several levels of evaluation:

Participation measures
These show whether enough members join, complete verification, remain active, and form a functioning local dating pool.
Process measures
These examine whether members contact one another, move from messaging to conversation, meet in person, use screening information constructively, and participate in local activities.
Safety measures
These include reports of harassment, deception, coercion, stalking, threats, identity concerns, and other adverse events, as well as the timeliness and quality of the response.
Member-experience measures
These assess satisfaction, trust, perceived fairness, emotional safety, usefulness of the information provided, and whether members feel pressured to remain on the platform.
Relationship outcome measures
These may include dating relationships, relationship duration, exclusivity, cohabitation, engagement, marriage, family formation, and member-reported relationship quality.
Exit measures
Members who leave the platform may be asked why they are leaving. Departure because a healthy relationship was formed is different from departure caused by dissatisfaction, safety concerns, lack of available members, or technical problems.

The evaluation strategy should use appropriate research methods, which may include:

baseline and follow-up surveys;
defined observation periods;
standardized measures where appropriate;
cohort analysis;
subgroup analysis;
comparison of intended and actual outcomes;
confidence intervals and effect sizes;
examination of missing data and attrition;
trend analysis over time;
and independent review of methods and findings.

Bend Dating intends to avoid overstating early results. Small samples may be unstable, subgroup results may be misleading, and members who respond to surveys may differ from those who do not. Relationship outcomes also take time to observe.

The honest position is:

Bend Dating has a structured plan for measuring participation, safety, member experience, relationship formation, and long-term outcomes. However, the organization needs sufficient real-world data before it can determine whether the model is effective.

The purpose of measurement is not to manufacture proof that Bend Dating works. It is to determine whether the platform is reliable, valid, useful, safe, and beneficial—and to revise or discontinue practices that are not supported by evidence.