The Nonprofit FAQ: Liability
Select an FAQ (13):
| 'What to Do Until the Lawyer Comes' That's the subtitle of the online handbook by James D. DeWitt which is available online. It gives a broad introduction to legal issues addressed to leadership volunteers of nonprofits. |
| Are Board members personally liable? Do we need D & O Insurance? There are national organizations that offer answers to questions like this one. |
| Are volunteer job descriptions necessary? Before volunteering, be sure you understand what's expected of you in the job |
| How can we ensure our nonprofit operates ethically? While no one can guarantee that every organization will always be highly ethical, there are certain measures to take that guide toward ethical behaviors. |
| Insurance Questions for Nonprofits Important things to think about when assessing the risks involved in programs and the best ways to deal with them. |
| Is it important to interview volunteers? Even though people question the value of the process, organizations will want to interview prospective volunteers. |
| Is there a difference between 'directors' and 'trustees'? The terms have specific meanings, but in fact are often used more or less interchangeably. |
| Must we do criminal background checks on our volunteers? It is required by law for some types of assignments. A program for doing background checks for long-term volunteers may also be a good idea. |
| Resources for risk and crisis management The web offers a variety of resources for crisis and risk management. |
| Should we keep volunteer and staff roles clearly different? The Fair Labor Standards Act makes doing so very important. |
| Where can I find pro bono legal advice? The American Bar Association maintains a state-by-state list of organizations that facilitate finding pro bono assistance. This item also includes advice on other strategies for finding low-cost assistanct that may be useful. |
| Where can we get insurance for our volunteers? CIMA offers the Volunteer Insurance Service |
| Why screen volunteers at all? The approach to recruiting volunteers should be as careful as the process used for adding any new staff. |