WaiverSign Makes Liability Waivers Easier for Church Activities

Congregants of a church are bonded together by their faith in a higher power, but that bond is further built by activities that unite for a greater ministry in worship. Networking with neighbors not only allows for deeper explorations of faith but creating lifelong relationships with people you may not otherwise cross paths with. Mission trips, weekend activities, and excursions rooted in religion are just some of the ways to build these bridges.

However, some of these activities may have an element of risk involved. The safety of parishioners in regard to these potential risks is important, and it's also important for religious organizations to protect their interests from any legal action. A liability waiver is an easy way to provide coverage to avoid lengthy and expensive litigation, and WaiverSign seeks to simplify the access of these release forms by getting them placed into a perfect online template.

Serve Noblesville began 10 years ago as a way for youth pastors and friends to provide a local mission and ministry opportunity under one motto: "Connecting Compassionate Neighbors." Those efforts to unite in faith-based activity led to the founding of the nonprofit Serve Village, creating a model for other communities to bring joy, excitement, and pride to their neighbors.

Serve Noblesville has branched off into three programs to connect the community. Every summer, Serve Week connects neighbors, businesses, churches, and nonprofits for beautification projects throughout the city. These four days are also a fundraising effort for local families. There's also FUN Fest: Celebrating Food, Unity, and Neighbors. This community party welcomes everyone to highlight what makes Noblesville a suitable and lovely place to live. And finally, there's Come Together Weekend, coinciding with Memorial Day to kick off charity events through the summer.

Bonding communities through church events, garage sales, and physical activities have made Serve Noblesville a force for the city. However, the safety and well-being of volunteers and visitors are paramount, leading to a need for a liability release to make sure patrons understand some of the risks associated with these engagements. That's where WaiverSign stepped in to help those looking to unite their communities for the greater good.

With so many different activities to engage the community, it was important for Serve Noblesville to have liability waivers for church activities that were simple and hassle-free. With events that sometimes mobilize as many as 1,000 volunteers, Serve Noblesville didn't have time to have everyone fill out paper waivers but needed to make sure those consent forms were signed to protect the vested interest of the nonprofit as a whole.

That's why Serve Noblesville wanted to convert its waiver into a digital format that could be filled out whenever and wherever for any volunteer registration. Plus, a digital waiver solution would eliminate issues with keeping track of all of this paperwork. Serve Noblesville thus turned to WaiverSign to make sure that volunteers understand the risk of liability associated with certain activities through these enforceable contracts.

Serve Noblesville knew they needed a smarter solution to allow volunteers ample opportunity to understand some of the risks associated with activities. That's why WaiverSign stood out in the marketplace to meet their unique needs. WaiverSign allowed them to create waivers for church activities that made volunteers aware of any potential injury that could result from these events while also keeping signed waivers in order in case of any issues with access.

"It's easy to use for volunteers and we don't have to keep a paper trail that was always difficult and time-consuming to organize and then keep on file afterward."

With organizations embracing the digital transformation, WaiverSign has become a great tool for nonprofits, corporations, and everyone in between to make the crossover to an online platform. This is even more beneficial now that more and more jurisdictions across the United States are recognizing electronic signatures on digital waivers as valid under applicable law.

Switching from hard copies to online church activity liability waivers may seem like a lot to handle, but WaiverSign makes sure that a template is designed to make things as seamless as possible for nonprofits. If an organization is subject to any liability claims, WaiverSign walks users through the digital formatting every step of the way to protect their interests.

1. Send us your liability waiver.

One of the greatest benefits of WaiverSign is having a helping hand to make your digital waiver perfect. Simply send us a copy of your waiver, and we'll get started on the legal document you desire.

2. Your clients provide an electronic signature.

Once we convert your paper document into an online liability waiver, you're ready to have volunteers begin the digital onboarding process. Serve Noblesville has been able to send out a link to the documents that require signatures. These links can also direct signers to your website and online registration software, making it easier to acquire these necessary waivers.

Some organizations have also found success in creating a QR code to direct people to an online liability waiver. This also provides clarity for open-ended questions, especially concerns about inclement weather, illness, serious injury, and other events that most waivers end up losing in the fine print of the document.

3. Online waiver forms are safely stored.

One of the major problems that Serve Noblesville sought to overcome was getting signatures quickly without important documents getting lost in a mountain of paperwork. No longer having to worry about physical documents for contact information and necessary signatures eliminated that fear. With WaiverSign, everything from a volunteer consent form to a unique release of liability form can be transformed into a digital format that is user-friendly and safely stored within a safe and secure online platform for quick reference.

You've read how WaiverSign made things easier for Serve Noblesville and its charitable efforts throughout the city. However, you're probably wondering how this can help your own organization. WaiverSign is an incredibly versatile platform that provides clarity and easier virtual systems for everyone from volunteers to parents or legal guardians who need to sign for minors to enjoy fundraisers, field trips, and more.

1. Electronic signatures are easier.

Electronic signatures, or e-signatures, stand up in a court of law in the event of a personal injury lawsuit or other litigation, saving people from costly lawsuits. These online waiver forms are put into a template that is clearly understandable and, if presented in a court of law, will more than likely result in a judge tossing the case. Plus, there's just more versatility with online signatures than running around chasing clients and volunteers with a paper and pen.

2. Digital waivers are money savers.

For Serve Noblesville, having easy access to electronic waivers was important to spare the problems associated with paperwork. They no longer had to rely on physical storage for any type of contract or consent form, sparing space in the church office for each event they sought to create for the betterment of the city. Cutting out paper documents also saved funds for paper, ink, and other supplies just to make sure that officials were protected from litigation with applicants and volunteers.

3. It's an efficient way to update forms.

Ahead of any scheduled activity, these waiver forms can be completed and agreed to, putting more focus on the bonding activities. Rather than having to continuously print out new paperwork for each youth ministry event or fundraiser, organizations can instead make easy changes on the WaiverSign platform to suit a particular activity. These forms can be adjusted based on language and changes to legal regulations or even to shift a liability waiver to add additional stipulations that may not be needed for other activities.

"If you need an easy tool to collect waivers and permission at a fairly reasonable price, WaiverSign should certainly be considered."

The team at Serve Noblesville knew that WaiverSign could adapt release forms with their e-signature system, automating for secure storage and easy document retrieval. Both your organization and its clients will greatly appreciate the ease of use and the convenience of a digital reference point for liability waivers.