Free Certificate of Participation Templates

What Is a Certificate of Participation?

A Certificate of Participation is a written statement prepared to confirm an individual's involvement in a particular event and thank them for their contribution or efforts.

Alternate Name:

Participation Award Certificate.

A document of this kind, given with or without a participation trophy, promotes good behavior and builds character - whether you want to thank the athletes that took part in a sporting competition or record a person's commitment to raising awareness of an issue after a charitable event showing your gratitude for their time and effort, you should grant them a Participation Certificate. The studies have shown the acknowledgment of everyone involved in a certain activity boosts people's morale and motivates them to dedicate more time to the event or matter at hand even if they were not able to win any prizes.

For a full list of Participation Certificate templates please check out our library below.

Certificate of Participation: How to Make?

Here is how you can create a Certificate for Participation:

In case you make a certificate for a formal occasion, ensure it looks appropriately formal - use traditional fonts like Times New Roman, Georgia, Calibri, avoid bright colors and choose a subdued color scheme (black, white, red, gray, gold, silver), and do not include any personal references or jokes in the document - a simple list of facts will do. If your institution or company uses stamps or seals to verify the authenticity of the document, ensure the certificate contains it - in the future the recipient may have to prove they participated in the event in question.
If you are organizing an event for a kindergarten or elementary school, it is very important to make everyone feel included - prepare prizes and trophies for the winners of the competition and recognize everyone else's hard work with a Participation Award Certificate. You may use your imagination to decorate the document - if the recipient is a child, you can do no wrong opting for bright colors, large and playful fonts, and embellishments of any sort.
There is no need to add too many details to the Participation Certificate - usually, it contains the name of the organization that issued it and its logo, the title of the document, the words "That is to certify the participation of", the name of the recipient, the brief description of the competition or activity, the date and location of the event, and the signature of the individual responsible for distributing these certificates. You should print out the certificate in advance and add a signature later to give the certificate a much-needed personalized touch.
Even though this certificate is given to participants and not to winners, it is a good idea to acknowledge how well an individual did during a contest. When you print out certificates in bulk, leave free space to be able to add a few warm words for the person it is for - you may applaud their effort and highlight their accomplishments during the event.

Still looking for a particular template? Take a look at the related templates below: