Create a volunteer agreement that sets expectations from day one

A volunteer agreement helps explain the relationship on clear written terms without treating it as an employment contract. It can set out the volunteer's role, expected conduct, supervision, confidentiality obligations, safety expectations and the practical rules that apply while they are helping your organisation. That is useful for onboarding, consistency and internal management, especially where volunteers work across events, programs or community services. It also gives you a place to link important policies, such as safeguarding or privacy, where those policies affect how volunteers are expected to act.

Common clauses include the volunteer role, expected duties, attendance or availability expectations, supervision arrangements, codes of conduct, confidentiality, use of organisational property, privacy-related obligations, intellectual property where relevant, and how the arrangement can end. Some organisations also include training requirements, reimbursement settings, complaint pathways and references to safeguarding or safety policies. If volunteers interact with children, vulnerable people, donors or sensitive records, the wording may need to address those settings more directly. The exact content depends on the nature of the volunteer work and the environment involved.

Useful details include the types of volunteer roles involved, whether volunteers work at events or in ongoing programs, who supervises them, what systems or information they can access, and whether they interact with children, vulnerable people or the public. It also helps to know what existing policies you already have, such as safeguarding, privacy, social media or workplace health and safety policies. A retail op shop volunteer, a board support volunteer and a program delivery volunteer can each raise different drafting issues, so the agreement should reflect the actual role being performed.

A generic template may be too broad in some areas and too thin in others. It might not reflect your actual reporting lines, your policies, or the risks that come with your volunteer activities. For example, if volunteers handle donor information, attend public events, use your social media channels or work with vulnerable groups, a basic form may leave important expectations unclear. A tailored agreement is usually more useful where your organisation has several volunteer streams, sector-specific policies or practical issues that need to be spelled out rather than assumed.

It generally helps if you have a short summary of the volunteer roles, any current forms or policies, and notes on any issues you want the agreement to address. If your organisation already has settled processes for supervision, confidentiality and conduct, drafting is usually more straightforward. Extra time is often needed where there are multiple volunteer categories or where the agreement needs to align with several internal policies. Once the key details are clear, the document can be prepared for your review and adjusted to reflect how your volunteer arrangements actually operate.

As an online law firm, we eliminate the headaches of paying us by the hour and finding time to meet with a lawyer in person. We charge a fixed fee, with upfront quotes and transparent pricing, and communicate via phone, email and video chat - whichever suits you! You'll be guided through our process by our expert lawyers, who are Australian-qualified and specialise in technology, intellectual property, contract drafting, corporate and commercial law.

At Sprintlaw, our pricing is transparent and designed for startups and small businesses. Many one-off legal services, including document drafting and reviews, are provided for a fixed fee with an upfront quote before you proceed.

Prices typically range from $250 to $2,500 AUD depending on the complexity and scope of the work. For ongoing support, Sprintlaw Memberships include options such as legal templates, consultations, a legal helpline and credits for services.

If your project is larger or more complex, we will provide a tailored quote after understanding what you need.

Our law firm operates completely online, which means we can help you wherever you are in Australia. We work at The Commons Central - a cool co-working space in Chippendale, Sydney - but our lawyers often work flexibly across various locations.

Our lawyers also work from co-working spaces and home offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, so clients can get help online without needing to meet in person.