Do volunteers need to sign anything?

In most cases, no single document is legally required for volunteers — but having them sign a few simple forms is smart risk management, and some forms become effectively mandatory depending on the work. The basics worth using are: a short volunteer agreement (role, expectations, that the person is an unpaid volunteer with no expectation of pay), a liability waiver / assumption-of-risk form, and a confidentiality acknowledgment if volunteers will see client, donor, or member data.

For anyone working with children, the elderly, or other vulnerable people, background checks are essentially non-negotiable — many states require them for certain roles, and insurers and grantmakers often demand them. If you run background checks, note that the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act applies: you generally need the volunteer's written consent before screening and must follow proper adverse-action steps. Check your state's specific requirements before placing volunteers in those positions.

One important legal trap: don't let "volunteers" do the work of employees. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, a true volunteer gives time freely without expectation of compensation, typically for a nonprofit's charitable purpose. If someone is doing a job you'd otherwise pay for, displacing paid staff, or being pressured to "volunteer," they may legally be an employee owed minimum wage and overtime. Misclassification creates real wage-and-hour liability — verify gray-area roles with an employment attorney.

This is general information, not legal advice. Volunteer law, background-check rules, and waiver enforceability vary by state, so have a local attorney review your forms before you rely on them.