Posts Tagged ‘Insurance for Nonprofits’

Are Your Volunteers Insured?

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

traffic-accidentYour Non-profit organization (NPO) is likely covered by liability and property insurance. But what about your volunteers? They could harm or injure themselves or others while operating on the behalf of your organization, so your NPO might need additional coverage. How do you decide? 

Investing in additional insurance coverage depends on the types of services your organization provides, as well as the degree of risk involved. In today’s litigious society, there are higher rates of lawsuits across industry lines, including against not-for-profit organizations. Evaluate the risks and decide if the cost of insurance is worth the investment.

Laws differ on whether volunteers are liable for their actions when perform within the scope of the activity they have been assigned.  This means that an injured party could sue the NPO and the individual volunteer. The volunteer’s homeowner’s or automobile policies might be sufficient to cover them, or a blanket endorsement on the organization’s policy could name volunteers as “additional insureds.” 

If a volunteer is injured while working on behalf of your non profit, worker’s compensation coverage would provide relief in many—but not all—areas. Check your state’s laws to determine whether or not worker’s comp covers your volunteers. 

A dialogue with your insurance provider will shed light on any holes in your coverage. Be ready to describe your volunteers’ duties, whether or not they drive their own or the organization’s vehicles, their ages, and the number of hours they volunteer.

How can you really know the people who want to be your volunteers? Take control with volunteer screening and help keep your organization and clients safe.