Volunteer Participation Terms

These Volunteer Participation Terms (Volunteer Terms) form a legally binding agreement between you and Verdant Volunteers when you browse, apply for, accept, attend, complete, or otherwise participate in a volunteer opportunity through or in connection with the Platform.

These Volunteer Terms apply to in-person, remote, one-time, recurring, local, domestic, and international volunteering. They also apply to orientation, training, travel, accommodation, communications, attendance verification, reviews, and related activities connected with a Placement.

Nothing in these Volunteer Terms removes a right or protection that cannot lawfully be waived.

These Volunteer Terms supplement the Terms and Conditions, Host and Placement Terms, Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, Refund and Cancellation Policy, Privacy Policy, Data Protection Policy, Impact Points and Badges Terms, community rules, and any Placement-specific terms disclosed before you commit.

These Volunteer Terms control on matters concerning a Volunteer's application, participation, conduct, safety obligations, attendance, and relationship with a Host. Placement-specific terms control only where they are more specific, were clearly disclosed before commitment, are lawful, and do not reduce mandatory rights. Mandatory applicable law controls over every contractual term.

Host means the person or entity that creates, manages, offers, supervises, or accepts Volunteers for a Placement.

Placement means a volunteer opportunity, project, event, shift, role, assignment, program, or related activity listed, promoted, applied for, or arranged through Verdant.

Placement Terms means lawful terms disclosed for a particular Placement, including eligibility, schedule, duties, location, costs, cancellation rules, accommodation, supervision, safety requirements, and Host policies.

Volunteer means a person who browses, applies for, accepts, attends, completes, or intends to participate in a Placement.

You must be at least 18 years old or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is higher, to create a Verdant account or enter into these Volunteer Terms. You must be legally permitted and reasonably able to perform the Placement.

A person under 18 may participate only where Verdant and the Host expressly permit participation through a separately approved youth program that complies with applicable law. Required parental or guardian permission, age verification, safeguarding measures, supervision, school approval, work or activity restrictions, and other protections must be completed before participation. A minor may not create an adult account or misstate age.

Some Placements may lawfully require a higher minimum age, license, qualification, background screening, language ability, physical capability, training, residency status, or other role-related eligibility. Requirements must be lawful, relevant, proportionate, and accurately disclosed.

Submitting an application expresses interest and does not create a right to participate, a confirmed booking, an employment relationship, or a promise of acceptance. The Host makes the final selection decision unless Verdant expressly states that it directly operates the program.

You must provide accurate information about your identity, age, availability, experience, qualifications, licenses, language ability, accessibility needs, and other matters reasonably relevant to the Placement. You must promptly correct material inaccuracies.

A Placement becomes confirmed only when the Host or Verdant, for a directly operated program, communicates acceptance or confirmation through an authorized channel and any stated preconditions are satisfied. Acceptance may be conditional on verification, training, references, screening, documents, capacity, scheduling, or continued eligibility.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, the participation arrangement is between the Volunteer and the Host. Verdant is not a party to that arrangement and does not guarantee acceptance, suitability, performance, or completion.

Placements are intended to involve genuine voluntary service for civic, charitable, humanitarian, community, educational, environmental, religious, or similar lawful purposes. Volunteering must be freely chosen and must not be obtained through coercion, deception, unlawful pressure, or an undisclosed promise of employment or payment.

Unless a lawful written arrangement expressly states otherwise, you participate without an entitlement to wages, salary, overtime, employee benefits, severance, or compensation. Participation does not make you an employee, worker, contractor, agent, partner, or representative of Verdant.

A Host cannot avoid employment, wage, tax, social insurance, occupational safety, immigration, or other obligations merely by describing a role as volunteering. If applicable law treats the relationship differently, that law controls. Stipends, allowances, accommodation, meals, insurance, certificates, reimbursements, training, or other benefits do not by themselves determine legal status.

Volunteering does not guarantee later employment, paid work, immigration status, professional certification, academic credit, a reference, or another benefit unless a lawful written commitment expressly provides it.

You must not claim a qualification, license, clearance, certification, skill, or experience you do not hold. You must notify the Host if a required credential expires, is restricted, or is no longer valid.

You must not perform clinical, medical, therapeutic, legal, financial, teaching, childcare, driving, construction, electrical, machinery, security, emergency-response, or other regulated or high-risk activity unless you are lawfully qualified, authorized, trained, supervised, and insured as required.

You may decline a task that is materially different from the Placement description, unlawful, unsafe, beyond your qualifications, or inconsistent with safeguarding requirements.

You must act honestly, respectfully, lawfully, and in a manner consistent with the dignity of the Host, other Volunteers, staff, beneficiaries, communities, and the public. You must follow reasonable Placement instructions, codes of conduct, safety rules, safeguarding requirements, schedules, confidentiality duties, and lawful supervision.

You must not harass, discriminate, threaten, abuse, exploit, coerce, intimidate, retaliate against, or endanger another person. You must not attend while materially impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs, misuse of medication, fatigue, illness, or another condition that makes participation unsafe.

You must not carry a weapon, engage in violence, solicit an improper payment, accept a bribe, misuse property, falsify records, divert resources, make unauthorized public statements, or use the Placement for political, religious, commercial, sexual, or personal purposes inconsistent with the disclosed activity.

Volunteering can involve physical, emotional, environmental, travel, health, security, property, and interpersonal risks. You are responsible for reviewing the Placement information, asking reasonable questions, considering your capabilities, following official guidance, and making an informed participation decision.

You must complete required safety training, use required protective equipment, follow emergency procedures, report hazards promptly, and avoid conduct that creates an unreasonable risk.

If you reasonably believe a situation is immediately unsafe, unlawful, abusive, or outside the agreed Placement, you should stop the affected activity and move to safety where possible. Contact local emergency services first in an emergency, then notify the Host and Verdant through available reporting channels.

Nothing in these Volunteer Terms requires you to waive a Host's or Verdant's non-excludable legal duty or to continue participating in unsafe conditions.

You must comply with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and all lawful Host safeguarding rules.

You must not abuse, exploit, groom, traffic, harass, neglect, humiliate, threaten, or seek inappropriate contact with a child or vulnerable person. You must not arrange unauthorized private meetings, unsupervised access, personal communications, transportation, accommodation, gifts, financial dealings, photographs, recordings, or disclosure of personal information.

A background check or verification result does not replace supervision, safe conduct, reporting, training, or professional judgment. Safeguarding concerns must be reported promptly through the channels identified in the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and to public authorities where required by law.

You are responsible for deciding whether you can participate safely and for seeking medical advice where appropriate. You should disclose only information reasonably necessary to request an adjustment, manage a material safety risk, or satisfy a lawful Placement requirement.

Where required by applicable law, Verdant and Hosts will consider reasonable accessibility requests and lawful adjustments. An adjustment is not guaranteed where it would fundamentally alter the Placement, create an undue burden, remove an essential eligibility requirement, or create a direct and substantial safety risk that cannot be reasonably reduced.

Health, disability, pregnancy, religious, or other sensitive information must be handled in accordance with applicable law and Verdant's privacy policies. A Host must not request unnecessary medical information or use disclosed information unlawfully.

You are responsible for passports, visas, permits, vaccinations, medical clearances, official registrations, insurance, travel arrangements, and legal authorization required for your participation. Volunteering may be treated as work for immigration purposes even where it is unpaid.

Host or Platform information is general and does not replace advice from governments, embassies, consulates, medical professionals, insurers, or qualified advisers.

If you drive or operate a vehicle, you must hold the required license, permission, training, and insurance and must comply with vehicle, passenger, safeguarding, and road-safety laws. You must not transport a child or vulnerable person without authorization and required safeguards.

Unless expressly confirmed in writing for a specific program, Verdant does not provide travel, medical, accident, evacuation, personal liability, property, workers' compensation, or other insurance to Volunteers.

You are responsible for obtaining insurance appropriate to the Placement, country, activity, duration, and risks. You must review exclusions, limits, deductibles, geographic coverage, activity restrictions, and claim procedures.

Report any injury, illness, accident, near miss, security event, safeguarding concern, or property damage promptly to the Host and Verdant where relevant. Seek emergency assistance before reporting to Verdant when delay could threaten health or safety. Verdant is not an emergency, medical, rescue, or insurance provider.

You are responsible for your personal costs unless the Placement Terms or a separate written agreement clearly provides otherwise. You have no entitlement to reimbursement, stipend, accommodation, meals, transport, equipment, allowance, certificate, reference, academic credit, or other benefit merely because you participate.

Where reimbursement or support is offered, you must comply with lawful limits, evidence requirements, claim deadlines, tax rules, and payment procedures. False or inflated claims are prohibited.

You are responsible for determining any tax, benefits, immigration, employment-status, or reporting consequence of a stipend, allowance, reimbursement, gift, or benefit. Verdant does not provide tax, employment, or immigration advice.

You should notify the Host as soon as reasonably possible if you cannot attend, will be late, need to cancel, or cannot complete an agreed commitment. Repeated unexplained absence, false attendance, or serious non-performance may affect participation records, reviews, eligibility, or account standing.

A Host may change, suspend, or cancel a Placement for capacity, safety, safeguarding, legal, operational, funding, weather, emergency, performance, conduct, or other reasonable grounds. Material changes should be communicated promptly. You are not required to accept a material change.

A Host or Verdant may remove or suspend a Volunteer where reasonably necessary for safety, safeguarding, misconduct, ineligibility, inaccurate information, failure to follow lawful instructions, disruption, legal compliance, or policy enforcement. Immediate action may be taken without prior notice where delay could create risk.

Payment refunds or credits are governed by the Refund and Cancellation Policy and any lawful Placement Terms.

You must protect confidential, personal, medical, educational, financial, safeguarding, operational, and security information learned through a Placement. You may use such information only for authorized Placement purposes and must follow lawful Host instructions on access, storage, sharing, return, and deletion.

You must not copy records, retain beneficiary lists, contact beneficiaries privately, upload Placement information into an unauthorized service or AI tool, use personal data for marketing, or disclose a person's circumstances for publicity, fundraising, or personal storytelling without lawful authority and required consent.

Confidentiality duties continue after the Placement ends. They do not prevent a good-faith safeguarding report, protected disclosure, report to authorities, or exercise of a legal right.

You must obtain all permissions required before photographing, recording, interviewing, identifying, or publishing information about another person, private location, Host activity, child, or vulnerable person. Host permission alone may not be sufficient.

You must not create or share exploitative, demeaning, misleading, sexualized, intrusive, or dignity-reducing content. Images and stories involving children or vulnerable persons require heightened safeguards and must comply with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

Verdant's rights to Content submitted to the Platform are governed by the Terms and Conditions. A Host may require a separate lawful media or confidentiality agreement for Placement activities.

Pre-existing intellectual property remains the property of its owner. Ownership and permitted use of materials created during a Placement may be governed by lawful Placement Terms or a separate written agreement disclosed before the relevant work begins.

You must not use third-party intellectual property without permission. You must not copy, publish, sell, license, or commercially exploit Host or beneficiary materials except as authorized.

Nothing in these Volunteer Terms transfers professional moral rights, statutory rights, or other rights that cannot lawfully be transferred or waived.

A Placement may require identity verification, references, qualifications, police clearance, criminal-record screening, sanctions screening, health clearance, safeguarding checks, or other lawful suitability measures.

You must receive any disclosure and provide any separate authorization required by applicable law. Acceptance of these Volunteer Terms is not a substitute for a standalone background-check disclosure, consent, fingerprint authorization, medical consent, or other separate authorization required by law.

Screening must be relevant, proportionate, confidential, and lawfully administered. You may have rights to receive information, correct an inaccurate record, provide context, or challenge an adverse decision. A successful check is not a guarantee of safety, suitability, or future conduct.

Keep material application, confirmation, schedule, cost, cancellation, safety, and Placement-change communications on the Platform where available. Do not use off-Platform communications to evade safety controls, fees, evidence requirements, moderation, or legal obligations.

You must not pressure another person to communicate privately, disclose unnecessary personal information, make an undisclosed payment, or enter an unsafe or secret arrangement.

Verdant may have limited ability to assist with communications, payments, promises, or arrangements made outside authorized channels.

An application, acceptance, or scheduled shift does not establish attendance or completion. Attendance and completion may require Host confirmation, check-in records, activity evidence, reporting, or another disclosed verification method.

You must not falsify attendance, exchange verification for a benefit, impersonate another Volunteer, arrange manufactured activity, or pressure a Host to confirm incomplete service.

Impact Points and badges are governed by the Impact Points and Badges Terms. A Placement may be completed without qualifying for points if verification or program requirements are not satisfied.

Report unsafe conditions, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, safeguarding concerns, fraud, material misrepresentation, unlawful work, or serious policy violations through Verdant's support or reporting channels.

You must cooperate honestly with proportionate safety, safeguarding, payment, or compliance reviews and preserve relevant communications or evidence. Do not conduct a confrontation or private investigation that could place a person at risk or compromise an official investigation.

Retaliation against a person who raises a good-faith concern, seeks assistance, refuses unsafe or unlawful activity, or cooperates with a lawful review is prohibited.

Verdant provides technology for discovering, applying for, communicating about, recording, and supporting Placements. Unless expressly stated, Verdant does not operate, employ, supervise, control, inspect, or insure the Host or Placement.

Verification, reviews, badges, reports, screening tools, or moderation do not guarantee identity, character, legality, safety, suitability, quality, acceptance, attendance, or outcome.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you are responsible for your participation decision and for conducting reasonable due diligence. Verdant does not guarantee that a Placement will occur, continue, meet expectations, provide a benefit, or be free from risk.

The disclaimers, releases, indemnity provisions, and liability limits in the Terms and Conditions apply to these Volunteer Terms to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Nothing excludes or limits liability for fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence, death or personal injury where liability cannot lawfully be limited, breach of a non-excludable statutory duty, or any other liability or remedy that applicable law does not permit the parties to exclude.

Volunteer-immunity or volunteer-protection laws vary by jurisdiction and commonly depend on the organization, activity, authority, licensing, scope of responsibility, insurance, and nature of the conduct. Verdant does not represent that any Volunteer is immune from liability. You remain responsible for intentional, reckless, criminal, unauthorized, or otherwise excluded conduct.

Verdant may restrict applications, participation tools, communications, records, points, visibility, or account access where reasonably necessary for safety, safeguarding, eligibility, legal compliance, fraud prevention, or enforcement.

Ending a Placement or account does not remove accrued payment obligations, confidentiality duties, safeguarding duties, intellectual-property restrictions, evidence-preservation obligations, dispute provisions, or other clauses that by their nature should continue.

These Volunteer Terms apply globally, subject to mandatory local law. Volunteers and Hosts must comply with the laws of every place relevant to the Placement, including laws concerning labor, immigration, health and safety, safeguarding, privacy, licensing, tax, insurance, and discrimination.

The informal-resolution, arbitration, class-action waiver, governing-law, venue, and jurisdiction provisions in the Terms and Conditions apply. Subject to mandatory law, the governing law is the law of the State of California, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

For questions, complaints, or reports, contact:

Member support: support@verdantvolunteers.org

Legal: legal@verdantvolunteers.org

Phone: +1 385 233 9891

For an emergency or immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.