Volunteer risk doesn’t always look dramatic. It looks like a loose step on a client’s porch, an unfamiliar dog behind a screen door, or a walkway still slick from last night’s rain. These are the moments that catch volunteer coordinators off guard, not because they’re rare, but because they don’t fit the image most people […]
A client’s home is unfamiliar territory. Unlike a nonprofit’s office or a facility it maintains, a private residence usually isn’t a space the organization can inspect or control in advance. That distinction is why home visit safety deserves its own framework, one that pairs practical planning with volunteer accident insurance to protect against what planning […]
A volunteer shows up with his or her own ladder to change a light fixture. Another brings a personal truck to haul donated furniture. A third arrives with a cordless drill to help assemble shelving. None of this is unusual, and none of it typically raises a flag, because the task gets done and everyone […]
Nonprofits that rely on volunteer drivers face a category of risk that personal auto insurance alone cannot fully address. Whether your volunteers transport older persons to medical appointments, deliver meals, run program errands, or shuttle clients between services, every trip carries liability exposure for both the driver and your organization. Volunteer liability insurance plays an […]
Every nonprofit eventually faces a difficult conversation about volunteers. Someone who started strong begins missing shifts. A trusted long-term volunteer can no longer safely perform his or her current role. A well-meaning person turns out to be a poor fit for the clients they serve. These situations are uncomfortable, but handling them professionally protects your […]
When a volunteer faces an allegation — whether for negligence, property damage, or harm to a client — your organization must respond immediately, regardless of whether the allegation has merit. Legal defense costs are real even when no wrongdoing occurred, and the financial and reputational strain of an unresolved claim can disrupt programs, erode donor […]
The right background check depends on what a volunteer will actually do. A volunteer who sorts donated goods in a back room carries a different risk profile than one who transports seniors to medical appointments or mentors children one-on-one. Treating every volunteer the same way — with either no screening at all or identical checks […]
