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Guide + free template · for nonprofits
What is a volunteer waiver form?
Updated October 2026
A volunteer waiver is a short form volunteers sign before they help, releasing your nonprofit from certain liability. Here's what it covers, when you need one, and a free template to copy.
A volunteer waiver (or liability release) is a short agreement a volunteer signs before helping. It says they understand the risks of the activity and won't hold your organization responsible if they're hurt doing it.
What a volunteer waiver does
- Releases your org from liability for the ordinary risks of the activity.
- Records that the volunteer understands and accepts those risks.
- Often bundles in an emergency contact and a photo or media release.
- Creates a signed record you can keep on file.
Does your nonprofit need one?
For hands-on, in-person work, events, builds, food service, anything physical, a waiver is a sensible baseline. For remote or low-risk help, it may be overkill. Laws vary by state. Waivers also don't cover everything. In most states a waiver can cover your ordinary carelessness if it says so in plain words, but it can't cover gross negligence (reckless disregard for safety) or harm done on purpose. A few states, like Virginia, won't enforce injury waivers at all. Treat this as a starting point, and check with a local attorney for anything higher-risk.
What to include
- Organization and volunteer name, plus the date.
- A plain description of the activity.
- An assumption-of-risk statement.
- A release of liability.
- An emergency contact.
- Optional photo or media consent.
- A signature, and a guardian's signature for anyone under 18.
I, [volunteer name], agree to volunteer with [organization name] on [date / ongoing]. I understand the activities I'm volunteering for may involve risks, and I take part voluntarily.
To the extent allowed by law, I release [organization name], its staff, and its board from liability for any injury, loss, or damage I may suffer while volunteering, including any caused by their own negligence, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Emergency contact: [name / phone]
Photo & media: I [do / do not] give permission to use photos or video of me in [organization]'s materials.
Signature: ______________________ Date: __________
If the volunteer is a minor under the law of the state where the volunteer activity takes place, parent or guardian signature: ______________________ Date: __________
This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Have a local attorney review it before you use it.
Minors need a guardian's signature
If a volunteer is under 18, a parent or guardian must sign. Even so, in some states a parent's signature won't stop a child from suing later over an injury. Keep the guardian's consent on file alongside the waiver, some programs and insurers require it before a minor can take part.
Keep signed waivers where you can find them
Store each signed waiver with the volunteer's record, not in a drawer. If someone's hurt, you'll want it fast, and funders sometimes ask whether you collect them at all.
The Ember tool for thisEmber Volunteers
If you collect waivers, Ember Volunteers flags anyone on your roster whose waiver is still pending. You record a signed waiver on the volunteer's record, or make it a step on your onboarding checklist. Unlimited users on every tier.
Sources: Cornell LII, Exculpatory clause · Alack v. Vic Tanny (Mo. 1996) · Hiett v. Lake Barcroft (Va. 1992) · Scott v. Pacific West Mountain Resort (Wash. 1992). Read 29 September 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary, have an attorney review any waiver before you use it.