❖ Heads up! This article is intended for volunteers. If you're a site manager, click here. 

Have you received an email requesting your signature on a parent or guardian consent form? Are you the parent or guardian of a minor—under 13 years of age—that has asked to volunteer with a site? If yes, you may be wondering how the process of e-signing the consent form looks or why you have to sign it in the first place. In order to promote volunteerism across all ages, we request a signed parent or guardian consent for any volunteer under the age of 13. By signing, you agree that the volunteer may create an account on a site and participate in their volunteer opportunities. This also ensure that Galaxy Digital sites adhere to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Here we cover: 

ⓘ So you know: Some sites have language overrides in place. This means you may see Opportunities in place of Needs, Programs in place of Agencies, or Prerequisites in place of Qualifications. 

What is COPPA?

COPPA defines a child as anyone under the age of 13 and is a rule that protects a child's personal and private information. It also prevents websites from collecting, using, or disclosing a child's personal data. 


What does the process look like? 

If a volunteer is asked to provide their date of birth during account registration and enter a birthdate that indicates they're under 13, then the Parental Consent process begins: 

Step 1: Create an account and enter birthdate: 

Step 2: The system requests a parent or guardian's email address based on the birthdate entered: 

Step 3: The volunteer can use the site without limitation while the Parental Consent is still pending. 

  • Their account is deleted after 30 if the Parental Consent isn't signed and returned before then.

Important timelines and notifications

Please sign the parent or guardian consent within 30 days of the request. 

  • If the consent form isn't signed and returned within 15 days, a reminder email is sent with a link to the form. 
  • If the consent form isn't signed and returned within 29 days, another notice is sent to let you know that the account will be deleted within 24 hours. 
  • If the consent form isn't signed and returned within 30 days, then the account and all of the user's information is deleted from the site. 


How to update a parent or guardian email

Want to check if the parent or guardian's email address is correct? You can update the email address if necessary! 
1. Go to your Edit Profile area. 

2. Click the Click Here in the banner that says "Account is still pending for Parental Consent. To update and resent parent email click here". 

3. Check the email and make any corrections as necessary, then click Send Email when you're ready.