Are Your Volunteers Protected? What Every Nonprofit Should Know

Presented by Sarah Goyette

Volunteers are the heart of many nonprofit organizations, but one important coverage gap is often overlooked.

In most cases, volunteers are not considered employees and are therefore not covered under a Workers’ Compensation policy. If a volunteer is injured while helping your organization, they may have limited options for covering medical expenses unless other protections are in place.

To help reduce your organization’s exposure, nonprofits should consider:

• Using volunteer waivers or liability releases. While a waiver cannot prevent every claim, it can help demonstrate that volunteers understand the risks associated with their activities.
• Reviewing Volunteer Accident & Health coverage. This optional policy may provide benefits for volunteers injured while performing authorized duties for your organization.

It’s important to understand that Volunteer Accident & Health coverage is generally supplemental. This means a volunteer’s own health insurance is typically the primary source of coverage, and the accident policy may help pay eligible expenses that remain after the health insurance has responded, subject to the policy’s terms and limits.

Every nonprofit is unique, and volunteer exposures can vary significantly depending on the organization’s activities. Taking a few moments to review your volunteer management procedures and insurance program can help protect both your volunteers and your organization.

If your organization relies on volunteers, we’d be happy to review your current coverage and discuss whether additional protection may be appropriate.