Signing Documents on Museum Exchange

Museum Exchange supports document signing as part of the donation process.

Documents may be prepared using Template Documents or uploaded manually by the institution. In both cases, the institution is responsible for preparing the document, assigning the appropriate signer or signers, and moving the document into the signing workflow.

This article explains how signing works, how signers are assigned, and what to expect when documents are signed in Museum Exchange.

How document signing works

Document signing begins when an institution prepares a document that requires one or more signatures.

Depending on the workflow, the institution may either:

• generate the document which uses pre-uploaded Template Documents. When generated, the documents are filled in with relevant information for the donation
• or upload a document manually with information filled in by the institution offline

Once the document is ready, the institution assigns the required signer or signers and sends the document forward for signature.

Who can assign signers?

Signer assignment is initiated by the institution who assigns their institution signer or signers.

The institution is responsible for deciding:

• who needs to sign the document from their institution
• whether more than one signer is required for this donation
• whether the signer is already a Museum Exchange user. If they are not a user, they can guest sign by providing their email address and full name.

This allows the institution to control the signing workflow for each donation document.

Once the document is generated and signer assignment is initiated by the institution, the donor then can sign the document. Which users need to sign the document is determined by the information entered in the donation information step. This includes:

• whether more than one signer is required for this donation like a spouse or business representative
• whether the signer is already a Museum Exchange user. If they are not a user, they can guest sign by providing their email address and full name

Types of signers

Documents may require signatures from one or more parties.

Donor signers

A donor signer may include:

• the donor
• a second donor signer, such as a spouse another person signing on behalf of the donor
• multiple donor-side signers, depending on the ownership of the object(s)

Institution signers

An institution signer may include:

• the primary institutional signer
• an additional institutional signer
• another representative signing on behalf of the institution

The required signers depend on the document and the institution’s workflow.

Assigning signers

Once the institution has prepared the document, the next step is to assign the correct signer or signers.

During signer assignment, the institution may:

• assign one institution signer
• assign multiple institution signers
• update signer assignments before the document is fully signed

Donor signatures are assigned based on the information provided by the institution in the donor information step.

Signing when Template Documents are used

If the institution uses Template Documents, Museum Exchange can generate a donation-specific version of the document using the institution’s saved template.

In this workflow:

• The institution generates the document from the template.
• Museum Exchange populates known fields where possible.
• The institution completes any remaining required fields.
• The institution assigns the signer or signers.
• The document is sent into the signing workflow.

If the assigned signer is a Museum Exchange user and embedded signing is available, the signer may be able to review and sign the document directly within Museum Exchange.

This creates a more integrated signing experience without requiring the user to leave the platform.

Signing when Template Documents are not used

If the institution does not use Template Documents, the institution can upload the document manually instead.

In this workflow:

• The institution completes the document with all required information from the donation
• The institution uploads the document directly to the donation.
• The institution assigns the signer or signers.
• The document is sent into the signing workflow.

This manual upload workflow allows institutions to continue using their own prepared documents when a template-based workflow is not appropriate. A document can be uploaded manually at any time, even if Template Documents are used.

Even when the document is uploaded manually, the institution still controls signer assignment and document progression.

How signing happens after signers are assigned

Once signers are assigned, the signing process depends on the signer and document setup. Each user will be notified that they need to sign via email.

If the signer is a Museum Exchange user

If the signer is a Museum Exchange user and the document supports in-platform signing, the signer will be directed back to the relevant donation in Museum Exchange to review and sign the document there.

If the signer is not a Museum Exchange user

If the signer is not a Museum Exchange user, the document may instead be sent through the guest signing workflow. This allows signing to continue securely on Museum Exchange even when the signer does not have a Museum Exchange account.

What happens after signing

Once all required signatures have been completed, the document becomes part of the donation record.

At that point, the donation can continue to the next required step in the workflow.

Depending on the document, this may mean:

• the next signer is assigned
• the next donation document is prepared
• the donation moves forward in processing

Common questions

Who assigns signers?

Signer assignment is initiated by the institution.

Can a document have more than one donor signer?

Yes. Some documents may require more than one donor-side signer. This depends on information added by the donor during the Donor Information step.

Can a document have more than one institution signer?

Yes. Some documents may require more than one institution-side signer.

Do Template Documents have to be used in order to sign documents in Museum Exchange?

No. Institutions can also upload documents manually and assign signers through the manual workflow.

What happens if the signer is not a Museum Exchange user?

The document may be sent through the guest signing workflow instead of being signed inside Museum Exchange.

Can a document be changed after it is assigned?

In some cases, yes. A document may be editable until it has been fully signed.

Best practices

To help signing move smoothly:

• make sure the correct signer or signers are assigned before sending the document
• review all document fields carefully before signing begins
• use Template Documents when possible to reduce repetitive setup
• use manual upload when a template workflow is not appropriate
• update signer assignments promptly
• if something changes monitor document status throughout the donation process