How Charity Runs Collect Participant and Volunteer Waivers

How Charity Runs Can Collect Participant and Volunteer Waivers Online

Organizing a charity run involves more than setting a route and registering participants. The event team may also need signed participant waivers, volunteer acknowledgments, photo releases, or other event documents. When these forms are printed and collected at check-in, queues grow, paperwork gets misplaced, and staff may struggle to identify who has completed the required forms.

An online waiver workflow lets organizers collect signatures before the event and use a QR code for participants or volunteers who still need to complete a form on arrival. With Undersign, organizers can use standard signature requests for known recipients and public signing links for suitable forms that need to be accessible to people who have not been individually invited.

The goal is not to eliminate every check-in task. It is to make the document-signing part easier to manage.

Which documents might a charity run need?

The documents depend on the event, its activities, its location, and the organizer's policies. Common examples include:

• Participant waiver: Terms or acknowledgments relating to participation in the event.
• Volunteer agreement or acknowledgment: Responsibilities, conduct expectations, or event-specific instructions.
• Photo or media release: Permission relating to the use of a person's image, where appropriate.
• Additional activity forms: Separate forms for activities that have their own risks or requirements.

These documents should not automatically be combined into one blanket waiver. A participant, volunteer, guardian, and photographer may have different roles and need different forms. Have the appropriate person review the wording for the event and jurisdiction.

Two ways to collect event signatures

A QR code is simply a convenient way to open a link. It does not, by itself, verify a person's identity, confirm age, establish guardian authority, or prove that a waiver is legally enforceable.

Plan the waiver process before race day

1. Decide which forms each group needs

List the document requirements for participants, volunteers, staff, and any other groups. Do not assume that everyone needs the same document.

For example, registered adult runners might need a participant waiver, while volunteers may need an acknowledgment of their assigned responsibilities. If the event includes minors, determine the appropriate guardian-consent process in advance.

2. Prepare and review the forms

Create a clear, mobile-friendly form or document. Use plain language and avoid asking for information that is not needed for the event's purpose.

Check that:

• The event name and relevant details are correct.
• The signer can identify which role the form applies to.
• Required signature and date fields are included.
• Any guardian or additional-signature requirements are addressed.
• The form explains how the organizer will handle submitted information.

An electronic signature records the signing action; it does not replace informed communication or the organizer's responsibility to use suitable documents.

3. Send forms to registered participants before the event

If registrations already include email addresses, send the relevant signature requests before race day. Explain why the form is needed, when it should be completed, and how to access it.

Use a clear request name such as 2026 Charity Run – Participant Waiver. Monitor completion and send reminders where appropriate. Keep a list of people whose forms remain outstanding so the event team knows where follow-up may be needed.

4. Create a public signing link for suitable walk-in forms

For a form intended to be available to anyone who needs it, create a public signing link if the Undersign workflow and form are appropriate for public access. Generate a QR code that points to that link.

Before the event:

• Test the QR code on multiple phones.
• Confirm that it opens the correct form.
• Check that the signing process is usable on a small screen.
• Place the code where attendees have time and space to complete the form.
• Prepare a fallback for people without a smartphone or reliable connectivity.

Do not place sensitive documents or confidential information behind an unrestricted public link. Use a public link only for the intended form and audience.

5. Set up check-in stations

Display the QR code at registration, near the information desk, or at another appropriate point in the check-in flow. Add a short instruction such as: “Scan to review and sign the participant waiver.”

If possible, let participants complete the form before reaching the busiest part of the queue. Volunteers should know how to direct people to the form and what to do if someone cannot complete it digitally.

6. Handle exceptions deliberately

Not every attendee will follow the standard path. Plan for:

• A participant who registered but has not signed.
• A walk-in who needs to complete the form.
• A person whose phone battery is dead or who has no data connection.
• A minor who needs the appropriate parent or guardian process.
• A person who needs assistance or an accessible alternative.
• A form that was submitted but cannot be matched confidently to the attendee.

Staff should not mark a person as complete solely because they scanned a QR code. The organizer needs a reliable way to confirm that the required signing step has actually been completed.

7. Reconcile the records after the event

After check-in, review the records and resolve obvious gaps while the event is still recent. Store completed waivers according to the organization's retention and access policies. Limit access to staff who need the records, and avoid leaving printed attendee information or signing links exposed unnecessarily.

Example: A charity run with 600 registered participants and walk-ins

A nonprofit expects hundreds of runners and a smaller group of volunteers. A week before the event, the organizer sends participant waivers to registered runners by email and tracks which requests remain incomplete.

On race morning, a QR code at the registration desk lets walk-in participants open the designated public signing page. A volunteer directs people to the form, while another staff member handles exceptions and checks whether required paperwork is complete. The organizer later reviews the completed records and follows the nonprofit's document-retention process.

The workflow combines advance preparation with an option for people who arrive without completing their paperwork. It does not depend on every participant being known in advance.

How Undersign fits this workflow

Undersign can support two different signing paths:

• Email signing: Send a signature request to a registered participant or known volunteer.
• Public signing links: Make a suitable form accessible through a link that can be shared using a QR code.

Use the method that matches the signer and document. A public link is useful for open access to a designated form, while an email request is more appropriate when the organizer knows who should receive the request. Confirm the current product workflow for generating and displaying QR codes before describing QR-code generation as a built-in feature.

Charity run waiver checklist

Before the event

• [ ] Identify the forms needed for each participant group.
• [ ] Review the wording and any guardian-consent requirements.
• [ ] Send forms to registered attendees in advance.
• [ ] Prepare and test the public signing link and QR code, if used.
• [ ] Train volunteers on incomplete forms and exceptions.
• [ ] Set up an alternative for attendees who cannot sign digitally.

During and after the event

• [ ] Confirm required forms are completed rather than merely opened.
• [ ] Resolve mismatched or missing records.
• [ ] Store signed documents in an appropriate location.
• [ ] Restrict access and follow the organization's retention policy.

Frequently Asked Questions