Template · For nonprofits

A volunteer waiver template you can read in one sitting

Most volunteer waivers are copied from another organization's PDF and never read again. This one is written in plain language so a volunteer understands what they are agreeing to, with a note on what each section does. Copy it, have your attorney or insurer adjust it for your state and your activities, and send it for signature.

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This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Whether a waiver protects your organization depends on its wording, your activities and your state's law; some states limit what a release can cover, and a parent's signature for a minor is treated differently from state to state. Have an attorney or your insurer review it before you use it.

The template

Replace every bracketed item. Delete a section you do not need rather than leaving it blank.

Volunteer Agreement and Release

Parties: This agreement is between [Organization name], a [State] nonprofit corporation (the Organization), and the volunteer named below (I, me, the Volunteer).
1. What I will be doing: I am volunteering with the Organization for [program or event] on [dates], doing activities such as [serving meals, driving, tutoring, event setup]. I understand that I am a volunteer and not an employee, that I am not paid, and that I may stop volunteering at any time.
2. Risks I understand: Some volunteer activities carry a risk of injury, including [the risks of this activity: lifting, working outdoors, travel, contact with the public]. I understand those risks, I am choosing to take part, and I am able to do the activities I have agreed to.
3. Release: To the extent the law of [State] allows, I release the Organization, its staff, board members, other volunteers and agents from claims for injury or loss arising from my volunteering, except where caused by their gross negligence or intentional misconduct. [Attorney: adjust this section to your state's rules on releases, including releases signed for minors.]
4. Medical care: If I am injured and cannot speak for myself, the Organization may arrange emergency medical care for me. I am responsible for the cost of that care unless the Organization's insurance provides otherwise. Emergency contact: [name], [relationship], [phone].
5. Photographs: The Organization may use photographs or recordings of me taken during volunteer activities in its newsletters, website and social media, without payment. Initial one: I agree ______ I do not agree ______
6. Confidentiality and conduct: I will keep private any personal information about the people the Organization serves, and I will follow its code of conduct and the directions of its staff.
7. Volunteers under 18: If the Volunteer is under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs below, agrees to these terms on the Volunteer's behalf, and confirms that the Volunteer has permission to take part.
Signatures: Volunteer: [name], [signature], [date] Parent or guardian, if the Volunteer is under 18: [name], [relationship], [signature], [date] For the Organization: [name], [title], [signature], [date]

What each section does

Parties and activities. Naming the program and the dates ties the waiver to what the volunteer actually did. A waiver that covers anything, with no end date, reads as unfair and is harder to defend.

Risks. Describing the real risks of the activity is what makes the signature an informed one. Replace the examples with the risks your activity carries.

Release. This is the section an attorney will spend the most time on. States differ on what a release may cover, especially for minors and for negligence. Leave the bracketed note in place until your attorney has replaced it.

Medical care and emergency contact. This section is why many organizations keep a signed waiver on file before the first shift. Keep the contact details current.

Photographs. Keep the photo release separate from the injury release, with its own choice, so a volunteer who declines photos is not refusing the whole form.

Volunteers under 18. A parent's signature is needed, and in some states a parent cannot waive a child's claim. Your attorney will know your state's rule.

Sending it for signature

Make it yours. Replace every bracket, delete the sections you do not need, and have it reviewed.
Save it as a template. Upload the finished PDF to eScryber once, place the signature, initial and date fields, and save it. Community includes 3 saved templates.
Send it to each volunteer. Add a name and email; they sign on a phone or computer without creating an account, and eScryber reminds them if they have not signed. For an event, a public form on the Impact plan puts the same waiver on one link or QR code.
Keep the signed copy. Download the completed PDF and its audit certificate, which records when the form was opened and signed with a hash of the signed content, and file it with your volunteer records.

What it costs a nonprofit

Community is $0 for verified nonprofits, with 5 envelopes a month and 3 saved templates, which covers a small program's onboarding. Mission is $150 a year for verified nonprofits with 10 senders and 150 envelopes a month; Impact, at $390 a year, adds public forms and bulk send. Every public-form signature uses one envelope from the monthly allowance.

What the law requires for a particular document depends on the document and where you are. Our Terms list the documents eScryber is not designed for. Read the Terms.

Founding offer: the first 100 verified nonprofits get their first year of annual Mission for $99, then $150 a year. How to claim it

Ready when you are

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