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December 24, 2008
Mark Your Calendar!
The Nonprofit Risk Management Center is pleased to announce its line-up of affordable training opportunities for 2009. Our calendar of training programs includes the following offerings:
- one-day conferences in Columbia, SC and Seattle, WA; and a two-day program in Kennebunkport, ME;
- monthly webinars offered on the first Wednesday of the month at 2 pm Eastern. To see the listing of topics and to register for one or two programs or the entire series, click here.
- the 2009 Risk Management and Finance Summit for Nonprofits—September 20-22 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. The Summit will feature inspiring keynote presentations plus an impressive line-up of workshops on topics ranging from developing a risk management culture to financial risk management, brand/reputation management and managing legal risks. Add the SUMMIT page to your “favorites” list and check back soon!
Why not get a jump start on your 2009 “to do” list by marking your calendar with these programs and dates? Program details and online registration is now available for the webinar series and regional conferences. SUMMIT information and registration will be available in March 2009.
It’s Time to Remember: Key Partners in Mission Fulfillment
By Melanie Lockwood Herman
For many of us, the holiday season is a time to re-connect with friends and family with whom we’ve been out of touch. When I was a child, we always received at least one “Christmas Letter,” containing one family’s story of the prior year. Typical Christmas Letters were full of glad tidings… such as a teen’s early acceptance to an Ivy League university or the parent’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize! The Christmas Letters of my childhood were, in some respects, like today’s funding proposal. In my family we often joked about sending a Christmas Letter filled with imaginary tales of woe—such as a relative’s recent imprisonment or a child’s failing grades. Somehow we resisted the urge to spoof the Christmas Letter tradition and continued to send a more traditional card offering holiday wishes.
In addition to providing a time to boast about the year that has nearly passed or sigh with relief that a difficult period will soon be history, the end of the year—and the short break from our regular work schedule—should be more than just a time to come up for air. It’s an ideal time to reflect on the important partnerships that sustain our nonprofit organizations. One example is the relationship with your insurance agent or broker. The Center’s point of view is that a nonprofit’s insurance professional—typically an agent or broker— should be a valued partner in mission fulfillment. The work performed by your insurance partner should be key to helping your nonprofit pursue programs and services that deliver your mission to the community. An effective insurance advisor provides sage counsel about the risks you face, candid feedback on your insurance needs, and helpful referrals to practical loss prevention tools and resources.
Consider the following criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of your insurance partner:
- Responsiveness
- Timeliness
- Credibility
- Commitment
- Claims Handling
- Accuracy
- Results
One approach to evaluating your broker is to assign 0-10 points in each of the categories above. After assigning scores in each of these categories, schedule a meeting (in early 2009!) to discuss your assessment. Invite your agent or broker to outline the services and support they are able to provide in the year ahead. Describe your concerns about areas where performance has fallen below “good” (perhaps 8 points, using the 0-10) scale.
Like any relationship, your partnership with an insurance professional is a two-way street. It requires equal measures of candor and a shared understanding of the goals and respective responsibilities of the parties. As part of our 2009 series of monthly Webinars the Nonprofit Risk Management Center will offer a one-hour program on the topic of “Working with an Agent or Broker.” If you want to strengthen your relationship with your key insurance advisor, you won’t want to miss this program. If you want to bolster your risk management program throughout the year, register for the entire series. The series cost of $299 offers access to twelve hours of educational programming. Participants can listen live and pose their toughest questions to the presenter, or listen to the recording at their convenience. There is no restriction on the number of personnel from your nonprofit that may participate in the live program or listen to the recording.
It’s a great time of year to give thanks for the blessings of support and participation of the year that will soon be history. It’s also a great time to take a closer look at the relationships that make your mission possible. As you prepare for a well-deserved holiday break, we invite you to make enrollment in the Center’s affordable 2009 Webinar series the final item on your 2008 “To Do” list. To review the line up and registration process, click here.
If fine-tuning your insurance expertise is on your “to do” list for 2009, consider purchasing a copy of our insurance text: Coverage, Claims and Consequences: An Insurance Guide for Nonprofits. To order, click here. Or peruse at our current catalog for other risk management resources.
If you order before the holiday, your new risk management materials will be waiting for you when you return to the office in 2009.
We’re counting our blessings at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. We are grateful to the nearly 10,000 subscribers to our enews and Risk Management Essentials newsletter, and to every leader who attended one of our training programs or purchased a web product or book in 2008. We’re also deeply thankful to the nonprofit leaders who engaged the Center to help address specific risk management challenges. We look forward to serving you in the months and years ahead. As always, don’t hesitate to give us a ring at (202) 785-3891 or contact me via email if we can be of service.
June 3 / 2 p.m.
Working with an Agent or Broker: Strategies for Managing and Improving Your Relationship with an Insurance Professional
Many insurance professionals offer nonprofit sector -specific services. “Specialist” agents and brokers – those that have dedicated their companies or divisions within their companies to serving the nonprofit sector – can be invaluable partners in your risk management program. Are you maximizing the benefit you receive from these key professional advisors? What level of involvement should you expect from your insurance professional? Attend this webinar to learn how to get the most out your relationship with an agent or broker and how to determine if it’s time to make a change in providers.
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