The Nonprofit FAQ

Insurance Questions for Nonprofits

Donald A. Griesmann, Esq., has prepared a broad introduction to questions about insurance for nonprofit organizations. "Insuring a Nonprofit Organization" is posted online as a .pdf file (replacing earlier versions). (The software for reading a .pdf file on many computers can be downloaded from the website of its publisher, Adobe. See http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html .) (Author's note: Reading this article is no substitute for consulting with an attorney about these issues. The author is a volunteer in his community and in the virtual world of nonprofits on the Internet.) http://idealist.org/media/pdf/FAQ/080324Insuring.pdf"> "Insuring a Nonprofit Organization" is available online at http://idealist.org/media/pdf/FAQ/080324Insuring.pdf The article starts with a discussion of the federal Volunteer Protection Act and the ways it reduces risks for some people who work with nonprofit organizations. Other topics covered include: Assessing risk Varieties of insurance policies Types of insurance coverage needed, and available Finding a broker or agent Claims nonprofits face How much coverage is enough? and Managing insurance and insurance policies The article concludes with a long annotated and classified list of other sources of information about insurance for nonprofits. Posted 10/20/03; additional information 2/11/04, 6/16/04, 2/2/05; completely revised by DAG, 7/28/05, 11/29/05; BoardSource link fixed 5/10/06; Washington Insurance guide added 3/7/08 (and included in the list at the end of the new version); completely revised version posted 3/30/08 -- PB