Like a business or a homeowner, a nonprofit organization needs to protect its property from loss in a fire, by theft, or from many other hazards. Nonprofits can be lawsuit targets as well. Without insurance, a lawsuit could prove financially devastating. Whether a human services, arts, educational, civic, or other type of nonprofit, your organization should be protected by liability insurance to cover defense costs and damages.
Some insurers specialize in coverage for nonprofits and may be able to best meet the insurance needs of your organization.
There are many aspects to property insurance. If your organization owns real estate, you will want to insure the property. If it rents or leases its premises, you may want coverage for tenant's improvements and betterments. These are fixtures, alterations, installations, or additions that you have put into the space that cannot legally be removed from the landlord's premises. Depending on the particulars of your activity, you may want to add other coverages, such as theft and burglary, employee dishonesty, or electronic data loss.
Nonprofits have no immunity from lawsuits. Clients, volunteers, vendors, donors, or visitors may sue if they are accidentally injured on your premises or while on business for the organization. Someone may sue claiming libel or slander. Employees may sue claiming discrimination or sexual harassment. Liability insurance covers these risks.
Before buying insurance, it's a good idea to consider the particular loss exposures you have and buy a policy that addresses them. If, for example, your organization is made up mostly of volunteers and has no paid staff, your best choice could be a policy that covers only volunteers.
Vehicles owned by a nonprofit organization will need to be insured with a business auto policy.
Anyone driving a personal auto on business for a nonprofit organization will have coverage under their personal auto liability policy. If the personal policy has low limits, however, they could quickly be exhausted by an accident with serious injuries. An injured party might then sue the nonprofit group. You should discuss with us whether the organization is adequately protected.
States have varying rules about when an employer must provide workers' compensation insurance. If you have three or more employees, you should check with your state department of workers' compensation to see if you are required to provide workers' comp insurance.
Non-profit entities face a wide array of exposure as they look to balance the need to further their mission, with the need to adapt to the results-driven focus required by today’s economy. Non-profits face greater competition for donations and grants while at the same time their directors and officers are under ever increasing regulatory scrutiny. Securing the right insurance to fully protect a non-profit and its leaders can be challenging. A single claim can sap cash flow and disrupt the entity’s mission and put the personal assets of the entity’s leadership at risk as well.
Directors and Officers Liability for Non-Profit Entities (D&O) protects non-profit entities against a wide range of potential claims. Coverage enhancements respond to emerging risks and offer state of the art protection that extends to the entity’s existing non-profit and for-profit subsidiaries and the individuals who run them.
