What Nonprofits Need To Know Before Letting Volunteers Drive: A Guide to Excess Auto Liability

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 important role in filling the gaps left by personal automobile policies. Still, protection on paper means little without a parallel commitment to preparing drivers before they ever leave the parking lot. Managing volunteer transportation well requires both appropriate insurance coverage and an active, documented driver safety program.

Does My Nonprofit Need Excess Auto Liability Insurance for Volunteer Drivers?

The short answer is yes. When volunteers use their own vehicles on behalf of your organization, their personal auto insurance typically responds first in the event of an accident. That arrangement works fine in straightforward situations, assuming their personal auto insurer has not excluded coverage for volunteer activities. The complication arises when a claim exceeds the volunteer’s personal policy liability limits. Your “nonowned and hired” auto policy protects the organization itself, not the volunteer. And including volunteers on your standard business auto policy is not a wise practice because coverage likely would not apply unless the volunteer is “transporting clients or other persons,” – leaving many volunteer driving assignments outside the scope of the policy’s coverage.

Volunteer excess automobile liability coverage addresses exactly that scenario. It sits above the volunteer’s personal policy and provides an additional layer of protection when claims exceed the limits of the volunteer’s policy. 

Why Isn’t a Volunteer’s Personal Auto Policy Enough?

Personal auto policies vary widely in their limits, exclusions, and conditions. A volunteer who carries only state-minimum liability coverage may be significantly underinsured in the event of a serious accident involving multiple parties or significant injuries. Providing volunteers the excess automobile liability coverage available through VIS can prevent (and has prevented) volunteers having to face ruinous out-of-pocket losses. 

Providing volunteers with their own insurance protection also signals that you take their safety seriously, which can greatly enhance retention and recruitment.

How Can Nonprofits Reduce Volunteer Driving Risks Before an Accident Happens?

Insurance responds after something goes wrong. The more important question is what your organization does beforehand to reduce the likelihood of an incident.

Many nonprofits invest considerable effort in recruiting volunteers but allocate very little time to preparing those volunteers to drive safely on behalf of the organization. That gap is worth closing. A structured driver safety program does not need to be elaborate, but it does need to be consistent.

Practical risk management for volunteer transportation programs includes:

• Regular motor vehicle record (MVR) reviews: Verify that each driver’s record is current before approving them to drive on behalf of your organization. Be notified when infractions occur that might disqualify a current driver.
• Driver orientation: Brief volunteers on your transportation policies, vehicle expectations, and emergency procedures.
• Written transportation procedures: Document your standards for passenger assistance, vehicle inspection, incident reporting, and weather-related decisions.
• Consistent vehicle safety expectations: Define what constitutes an acceptable vehicle, regardless of whether it is organization-owned or personal.
• Incident reporting protocols: Ensure every driver knows exactly what to do and whom to contact if an accident occurs.

Documenting these steps also matters from a risk-management standpoint. Organizations that can demonstrate a consistent, systematic approach to driver oversight have a documented record of reasonable care — which carries weight if a claim reaches legal proceedings. 

How Does VIS Help Members Build Safer Volunteer Driver Programs?

VIS membership includes two partnerships and other resources that are particularly relevant for organizations managing volunteer transportation.

National Traffic Safety Institute Partnership

VIS members receive preferred pricing on the National Traffic Safety Institute’s SAFER online driver safety course — rates lower than those available to any other nonprofit organization. The self-paced course covers defensive driving, vehicle safety, common hazards, safe speed, following distance, and more – making it a practical risk-management resource for any organization whose volunteers drive as part of their responsibilities. Because the course is entirely online, volunteers can complete it on their own schedule without requiring an in-person session. 

Assisted Rides Partnership

Assisted Rides is a web-based scheduling and management platform designed for nonprofits coordinating volunteer transportation. It handles trip scheduling, turn-by-turn directions, automatic mileage calculation, in-kind dollar tracking, and reporting — giving program coordinators a clear, organized picture of volunteer driving activity.

The VIS Vault

VIS members also have 24/7 access to the “VIS Vault,” a library of risk-management resources that includes dozens of “Preventer Papers” addressing injury prevention and vehicle safety. These documents work well for small-group volunteer training sessions or as individual reference materials for volunteer drivers.

For details about the specialized volunteer insurance VIS offers, click the “VIS Is…” tab at the top of the page and scroll down to the FAQ section.

Preparation and Protection Go Hand in Hand

Effective volunteer transportation risk management combines preparation, training, and appropriate insurance. No single element substitutes for the others. A volunteer driver with excellent training but no excess automobile liability coverage has a serious risk exposure.. A well-insured program with no driver training or documented procedures misses the point just as much.

VIS membership gives nonprofits tools across both dimensions: insurance programs designed specifically for volunteers; access to NTSI’s SAFER online driver safety course at rates no other nonprofit can match; the Assisted Rides platform for managing volunteer driver programs; and a library of transportation safety resources through the VIS Vault.

Explore the Member Benefits page to learn more about what VIS membership includes, or call 800-222-8920 to discuss volunteer liability insurance and volunteer excess automobile liability coverage options for your organization.

About the Author

William R. Henry, Jr. is Vice President and Director of Member Benefits at Volunteers Insurance Service Association, Inc. (VIS), where he leads membership development and delivers risk management solutions tailored to volunteer-based organizations nationwide. A recognized authority on volunteer risk management, he is a frequent speaker and author on best practices for safe and effective volunteer engagement. The International Association of Business Communicators accredits him. With a background in communications, journalism, and public affairs, Henry brings a strategic perspective to supporting nonprofit organizations across the United States.

About VIS

Volunteers Insurance Service Association, Inc. (VIS) is a membership organization serving more than 3,500 volunteer-based nonprofit organizations and public entities nationwide. VIS is the only association that offers these three insurance programs designed specifically for volunteers: volunteer accident, volunteer liability, and volunteer excess automobile liability.

If you are interested in protecting your volunteers through the unique VIS insurance program, please click on the “Get volunteer insurance now” link on the home page, or call 800.222.8920. For more information on VIS’s risk-management resources for members and our vendor partners, click on the “Member Benefits” tab.