A volunteer agreement is a document that clearly outlines what an organization wants from a volunteer and what a volunteer can expect in return for providing the volunteering services. Signing a volunteer agreement helps to establish a formal relationship between a company and its volunteer. 

For example, imagine a local animal shelter where volunteers play a crucial role in caring for animals and assisting with adoption events. A volunteer agreement in this context would specify the tasks volunteers are expected to perform, the time commitment required, and any specific training or guidelines they must adhere to.

Why are volunteer agreements important?

Agreements between volunteers and an organization are crucial on many levels. In the event of a disagreement, it can act as a dispute resolution document as it will contain all the details of the volunteer service. Having a thought-out and well-drafted volunteer agreement has many benefits. 

• It gives the volunteer program a structured and professional outlook.
• All rules and responsibilities of the involved parties are clearly laid out in advance.
• Volunteers can see what kind of tasks are associated with the program and decide accordingly.
• An appealing volunteer agreement form can even attract more volunteers to the program.
• It provides a proper place to record additional information, termination policies, and the benefits and consequences of the volunteer program.
• It helps the organization track volunteer work, maintain records of volunteers, and avoid disputes.

What should be included in a volunteer agreement?

A volunteer agreement has various aspects. For each type of volunteer work, the components in the agreement also differ. However, irrespective of the type of volunteer service, there are certain elements that any agreement document should feature. Listed down are some of the key sections of a volunteer agreement:

1. Introduction

Begin by giving an overview of the document. It should contain all the necessary information, such as: 

• Volunteer’s name and address
• Company's details (who is inviting for the service)
• The start date from which the agreement shall be considered valid

You can even include a cover page to your agreement and mention the name of the volunteer and your company’s name.

2. Terms and conditions

This segment is where you can include all the important terms and details of the service/project. Explain the service's goals, expectations from the volunteer, and the organization’s responsibilities.

2.1. Volunteer services

In this part, mention:

• The role in which the individual shall be appointed
• The specific services that the volunteer is expected to do through this volunteering
• The start and end date of the work as well as the number of working hours an individual should complete in a week 

2.2. Wages

Volunteering programs, in general, do not include any sort of remuneration in cash or kind. The organization should clearly state this to the volunteer in order to avoid future confusion. There are also certain programs that provide stipends to the volunteers. If your volunteer program has this provision, then mention the exact amount too.

2.3. Relationship of parties

Volunteer work shouldn’t be assumed as a gateway for any future job prospects with an organization. In this section, specify this point and mention what kind of working relationship the involved parties will have during the course of the project.

2.4. Supervisor

Like any office work, volunteer services also need regular tracking and clocking for their progress. Hence to manage all the volunteers, supervisors/managers are appointed. Herein, mention who’ll be supervising the project, their contact details, and more about the roles and responsibilities that this concerned person will be looking after.

2.5. Indemnity

This section outlines that the volunteer and the organization agree to indemnify and hold harmless each other from any claims, liabilities, or expenses arising from their actions or negligence during the volunteer service.

2.6. Confidentiality

In this part mention the volunteer’s responsibility to keep any information obtained during volunteering work confidential and not to divulge any details to any third parties.

2.7. Term

Most volunteer programs span from a few days to a couple of months. In this section, provide the exact duration of your volunteer services.

2.8. Volunteer’s expenses

Even though there is no salary given to the volunteers, companies cover certain expenses incurred as part of the project. Mention what expenses are covered and how volunteers can reimburse them in this part. 

2.9. Volunteer’s responsibility

In this part, outline all the guidelines and tasks that the volunteer agrees to do as part of the service. 

2.10. Organization’s responsibility

As volunteers have their set of roles and responsibilities, the organization inviting them for the service also has certain obligations towards the volunteer. Some of them are:

• Providing training if it is required for the work
• All kinds of support and supervision needed for the completion of volunteering
• Giving the necessary healthcare, safety, and insurance benefits depending on the type of volunteering      

2.11. Termination

A volunteer agreement may sometimes end before the services are finished. Termination can occur for a number of reasons, including the volunteer not meeting the desired expectations and organizations not supplying guaranteed support for the services, among others. In this section, you need to mention what can lead to termination, and the conditions while terminating the agreement. 

2.12. Arbitration

Arbitration is an out-of-court dispute resolution system wherein a third party is appointed in the event of any disagreements. In this section, you need to mention who will be the appointed arbitrator and how many people will act as arbitrators.   

2.13. Severability

This section clarifies that, in case any part or clause mentioned in the agreement becomes invalid or unenforceable in a legal setting, only that part will be considered invalid, and the rest of the conditions will stay “as is.”

2.14. Governing law

This part specifies the jurisdiction's laws that will govern the agreement. It establishes which state's legal system will be used to interpret and enforce the terms and resolve any disputes.

2.15. Entire agreement

This section states that the entire content of the document represents the complete and final agreement between the parties, superseding all prior discussions, understandings, or agreements, whether written or verbal.

3. Acceptance and signatures

The signature section denotes the acceptance of the agreement. Here involved parties sign the document and turn it into a formal agreement.

Use LegalZoom’s volunteer agreement template to create your document 

People enroll for volunteer work not for money but for a cause that they support or believe in. Profit or nonprofit organizations can rope in dedicated people to their work by creating a great and appealing volunteer agreement. However, drafting a thought-provoking volunteer service agreement can be tricky. Your volunteer agreement form should avoid sounding like an employment contract. It should be precise and should evoke an emotional connection to the cause of the work. 

With the help of a volunteer agreement sample, you can easily create agreements for your volunteer service.

All you have to do is use the volunteer agreement template provided right at the top of the page.

Below are the benefits that you’ll get by using LegalZoom’s template:

• It ensures clarity and uniformity in messaging.
• Add all the crucial information. Our template takes you to a guided questionnaire flow to fill the agreement with all the key details.
• The template is free and available for download as a .pdf file. To get your free volunteer agreement, you just need to give the required details and complete the document.
• You get the flexibility to personalize your volunteer agreement. Opt for a paid plan and get access to our rich editor. It opens up the possibility to customize the document with fonts, colors, and formats. You can add tables and images too. 
• Take your documents toward closure with signatures. Use LegalZoom’s eSignature service to sign and get signatures online on your volunteer agreement.