Your organization relies heavily on its members and its volunteers. Whether you’re hosting bingo night, a bake sale, a food drive or other community event, you need volunteers to plan, organize, work and clean up the event for it to be a success.

While aiming for safety and security at your Post, your volunteers can still be injured during their duties. To protect your Post from assuming liability for the costs associated with volunteer injuries, it is crucial to have all volunteers sign a waiver before their assistance.

The Importance of Getting Signed Volunteer Waivers for Posts

A volunteer waiver protects your Post from liability in the event of an incident involving any of your volunteers.

While you may feel uncomfortable asking long-term volunteers to sign a waiver, Posts can’t be expected to assume liability for all the volunteers who help out at your organization. By requiring all volunteers to sign a waiver, the volunteer is releasing the Post from liability and understands that there may be some level of risk involved in their activities.

If a volunteer is injured at your Post, their personal health insurance would cover the costs associated with their injuries. If your Post has Volunteer Accident insurance, that may offer coverage in excess of the volunteer’s individual health insurance.

What to Include in Volunteer Waivers for Posts

If your organization has a volunteer waiver drafted, be sure it includes these items:

• Volunteer name, address, phone number and email.
• The name and phone number of volunteer’s emergency contact with their relationship to the participant.
• A list of the general risks involved in volunteering with a statement requiring the volunteer to confirm that they will assume the risk involved in the activity.
• Clearly state that your organization is not liable in the unlikely event that the volunteer experiences harm, injury or death while performing a volunteer activity. Language should also release your organization from all claims made by the volunteer or on behalf of the volunteer.
• Confirm that the volunteer will release your organization from any claim if the volunteer received medical treatment while volunteering.
• Acknowledge that the volunteer will receive zero compensation for their participation in the volunteer activity.
• A signature and date penned by the participant to be valid and legally binding.

If you plan on taking photos and videos of the activity, consider adding a photographic release to ensure your volunteer grants image and video rights to your Post.

Additionally, if you allow minors to volunteer at the Post, draft a separate volunteer waiver of liability and release form for minors that requires the signature of the participant and the parent or guardian.

Protect Your Organization with Insurance from Lockton Affinity

By requiring your volunteers to sign waivers before their participation, it ensures that your Post can continue the important work and service you provide to your community.

Protect your organization with Volunteer Accident insurance from Lockton Affinity today.