I am on a Board for an all-volunteer group that operates as part of the seasonal programming of a nonprofit community organization. We pay rent to them for the time we use their building. They have recently asked us to carry liability insurance. We have been operating out of this building and under this nonprofit for 70+ years, and have never been told we needed it before. Aren't we covered under their General Liability Insurance? Or do we need our own?
It sounds as though you are on the Board of a separate organization and are not functioning as a committee or a program of the community organization. As such, even if you haven’t had an incident in more than 70 years, it probably makes sense to carry your own insurance to protect your organization and yourselves as individuals. You might get the coverage you need as an additional named insured on the community organization’s policy, but it appears that they don’t want to name you. You should talk with them about what they are willing to do and whether you would be fully protected if you were named. But you will have a lot more control if you talk with a broker of your own about the range of protection that makes sense considering everything you do. After 70 years, the law of averages may be catching up to you.
Comments
Don's advice is good. But being added as an additional insured and a named insured are different and are for different purposes. One can even make matters worse for you and/or for the community organization. Talk to an independent broker. Maybe even the one that insures the community organization. The advice should be free. Once you know the exposures, you may want to become part of the organization, not a separate group/entity.
Add new comment