Volunteer Agreement Form Mustard Seed

VOLUNTEER SERVICES AND RELEASE AGREEMENT

Document ID: MS-VOL-2024-001
Effective Date: [Effective Date]
Version: 1.0
Governing Jurisdiction: [State/Province of Incorporation]

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This document is a template provided for informational and drafting purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Laws regarding volunteerism, labor standards, and liability waivers vary significantly by jurisdiction. Counsel should review this agreement to ensure compliance with local statutes, including but not limited to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or equivalent regional labor regulations concerning the distinction between volunteers and employees.

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1. PARTIES AND RECITALS

This Volunteer Services Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into by and between:

[Organization Full Legal Name], a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of [Jurisdiction], having its principal place of business at [Principal Address] (the "Organization"), and

[Volunteer Full Legal Name], residing at [Volunteer Address] ("Volunteer").

RECITALS: WHEREAS, the Organization operates charitable programs under the banner of "Mustard Seed" (the "Program"); and WHEREAS, the Volunteer desires to provide, and the Organization desires to accept, volunteer services on a non-compensated, at-will basis under the terms set forth herein.

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2. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Volunteer agrees to perform the following duties and responsibilities: [Detailed Description of Volunteer Duties]. The Volunteer shall perform such services under the direction and supervision of [Supervisor Name/Title]. The Volunteer acknowledges that these services are provided voluntarily, without expectation of compensation, employment, or benefits of any kind.

3. TERM AND TERMINATION

This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and shall continue until terminated. Either party may terminate this relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without prior notice. Upon termination, the Volunteer shall immediately return all property, materials, or confidential information belonging to the Organization.

4. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP

The Volunteer agrees that all work product, including but not limited to reports, images, software, designs, or written content created by the Volunteer during the course of their service ("Work Product"), shall be deemed a "work made for hire" and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Organization. The Volunteer hereby irrevocably assigns to the Organization all right, title, and interest, including all worldwide intellectual property rights, in and to the Work Product.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-DISCLOSURE

The Volunteer acknowledges that in the course of their service, they may have access to non-public, proprietary, or sensitive information regarding the Organization, its donors, or its beneficiaries ("Confidential Information"). The Volunteer agrees to hold all Confidential Information in strict confidence and shall not disclose or use such information for any purpose outside the scope of their assigned volunteer duties, both during and after the term of this Agreement.

6. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Volunteer represents and warrants that they are under no legal obligation or restriction that would prevent them from entering into this Agreement. The Volunteer acknowledges that they are not an employee of the Organization and are not entitled to any form of compensation, health insurance, workers' compensation, or other employee benefits.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

The Volunteer hereby releases, waives, and discharges the Organization, its officers, directors, and employees from any and all liability, claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of any loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by the Volunteer while participating in the activities or while on the premises. The Volunteer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Organization from any claims or damages resulting from the Volunteer’s negligent or willful misconduct during the performance of services.

8. DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Jurisdiction]. Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be submitted to binding arbitration in [City, State] in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

9. MISCELLANEOUS

• Severability: If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue to be valid and enforceable.
• Entire Agreement: This document constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior understandings, whether written or oral.
• Counterparts: This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original.

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10. EXECUTION AND SIGNATURE BLOCKS

FOR [ORGANIZATION FULL LEGAL NAME]:

Signature: _____________________________________
Printed Name: [Authorized Signatory Name]
Title: [Title / Role]
Company: [Organization Legal Name]
Date: [Date]

FOR [VOLUNTEER FULL LEGAL NAME]:

Signature: _____________________________________
Printed Name: [Volunteer Full Legal Name]
Title: Volunteer
Date: [Date]

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STEP-BY-STEP EXECUTION AND FILING GUIDE

1. Preparation: Open this document in a word processor. Replace all bracketed information (e.g., [Company Name]) with actual data. Do not leave any brackets remaining.
2. Legal Review: Prior to distribution, ensure that the "Governing Jurisdiction" and the "Indemnification" clauses align with the specific non-profit statutes of your state.
3. Signatory Verification: Ensure the Organization signatory has the delegated corporate authority to bind the Organization to volunteer-related liabilities.
4. Execution: Use a legally recognized digital signature platform (e.g., DocuSign, Adobe Sign, or HelloSign) to execute the document. Ensure that the "Audit Trail" feature is enabled to capture the IP address and timestamp of the signatories.
5. Record Retention: Once fully executed, save the PDF in a secure, encrypted cloud repository or document management system. Retain the executed agreement for a minimum of seven (7) years or as required by local non-profit record-keeping guidelines.
6. Distribution: Provide a copy of the fully executed agreement to the Volunteer for their personal records.