Resources
Employee or Volunteer? Classifying Teams
The proper classification of team members at your nonprofit is essential to ensure compliance with labor laws and avoid financial penalties or legal claims.
Three Risk Trends to Keep in Mind as you Enlist Volunteers
By Christy Grano In my work with nonprofit teams, I am repeatedly impressed with the array of terrific volunteer programs that support nonprofit missions; that positive impression swells when I observe smart risk management practices in volunteer recruitment and supervision. I experienced first hand the positive message that a clear, compelling volunteer training transmits to … Continued
Rewarding Risks: The Prodigious Power of Volunteers
By Christy Grano It’s National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of volunteers and the indelible impact that volunteer service makes on communities across our country. In the promotional materials for National Volunteer Week, the Points of Light Foundation reminds us that: “Whether online, at the office, or the local food bank; whether with a vote, a … Continued
Volunteers: Your Community By Design
A special and unparalleled way to know is to go where you’ve never been. And the key to this quest for knowledge is ‘elsewhere.’ – Hugh Kenner, The Elsewhere Community Below the named Board of Directors, below the listed Administrative Staff, below the prestigious Advisory Committee, after the many Acknowledgements, after the Generous Sponsors and Donors, at … Continued
Boomerang Volunteers: Back Atcha
By Melanie Lockwood Herman Since it’s National Volunteer Week, the NRMC team has been reflecting on the many volunteers (from guest writers to conference faculty and our board of directors) who fuel our mission to inspire Risk Champions. Because it’s in our DNA, we’ve also been pondering volunteer risk and reward, the subject of our … Continued
Best of Risk Management Essentials
Explore this RISK eNewsletter filled with some of our most popular issues of Risk Management Essentials (RME), our magazine published three times each year. Visit the RME archive for more issues and articles! Manage Risk with an Eye for Ethics Ethics serves as a foundation for the risk management work initiated by many NRMC clients … Continued
Valiant Volunteerism: Managing Volunteer Risk & Reward
December 12, 2017 Enjoy this RISK eNewsletter filled with volunteer risk management resources! The Frankenstein Effect: Misclassifying Your Volunteers The NRMC team fields lots of questions about worker classification. If you misclassify a worker, you increase the likelihood of various downside risks, including financial penalties and poor morale. Read about The Frankenstein Effect to prevent … Continued
Lend a Helping Hand: Top 10 Risks Facing Volunteer Programs
Volunteer programs are vital to the nonprofit sector. Boost the contribution that your volunteers can make in moving your mission forward. Watch this webinar to learn the top ten risks facing volunteer programs, and practical tips to protect your nonprofit when recruiting, managing, and recognizing your volunteers.
Valiant Volunteerism
By Erin Gloeckner Community service is a way of life for some folks, and those folks help nonprofit missions move forward each day. My own experiences volunteering at a health clinic, a community event planning board, and an animal shelter were in some ways more rewarding than any employment role I could have. Yet volunteers … Continued
Termination Trepidation: Disciplining & Terminating Volunteers
By Erin Gloeckner Have you ever stayed in a failing relationship even when you knew it wasn’t working out? Or worse–even when you knew it was bad for you? Pulling the plug on bad relationships is a critical skill in both the personal and professional sense. When it’s time to terminate a team member, many … Continued
Senior Volunteers: A Priceless Resource
Note: This article is excerpted from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center’s book, No Surprises: Harmonizing Risk and Reward in Volunteer Management—5th Edition. Seniors are participating as volunteers for nonprofit organizations in record numbers. Participants include AmeriCorps—formerly Senior Corps, the federally-funded national “network of programs that tap the experience, skills, and talents of older citizens to … Continued
Volunteer Risk Management Myths and Truths
This fast-paced webinar covers seven topics related to volunteer risk management. Learn to distinguish between common “myths” and lesser-known “truths” when it comes to engaging volunteers in your mission. You’ll also learn about resources that can help you understand and manage the risks that arise when you engage volunteers.
Employee or Volunteer: What’s the Difference and Why it Matters
Is there a legal difference between employees and volunteers? Do you know what it is, and why it matters? This webinar explores the subtle and not-so-subtle distinctions and why they matter. You’ll learn about The Frankenstein Effect, and how to avoid creating monstrous, costly liability for your nonprofit.
Managing the Risks of Deploying Youthful Volunteers
Did you know that two-thirds of adults who volunteer began volunteering when they were young? It is popular today for schools and court systems to require graduates and juvenile offenders to engage in community service. As a result, your nonprofit may be asked to accept youth volunteers who may not otherwise be part of your … Continued
Staff Screening: What’s New and What You Need to Know
Screening paid and volunteer staff is an important component of risk management. Despite the availability of a wealth of information and tools on screening, many nonprofit screening programs are not as effective as they might be due to errors in planning and design. A growing number of nonprofits are subject to screening requirements imposed by … Continued
How to Honor and Respect Your Volunteers
April 13, 2016 By Melanie Lockwood Herman Nonprofits across the country are showcasing their creative talents to celebrate the contributions of volunteers during the month of April, “National Volunteer Month.” Here at the NRMC we receive quite a few calls from volunteers. Unfortunately, since we’re all about ‘risk,’ many of these callers contact us to … Continued
Adopt a Total Ban on Personal Electronic Device Use While Driving
January 26, 2016 By Melanie Lockwood Herman Since we began offering free RISK HELP to our Affiliate Members in 2012, we have answered a wide array of risk questions–some highly unusual. Last week we received this quirky question from two incredibly different member organizations: should we adopt a complete ban on the use of personal … Continued
The Frankenstein Effect
October 21, 2015 By Erin Gloeckner With Halloween swiftly approaching, I’ve been humming ‘Monster Mash’ and craving anything pumpkin-flavored. A few nights ago I went shopping for dog food, but found myself drawn to the cheap-but-adorable doggie Halloween costumes. I came home with a bag of food and a hilarious Frankenstein costume for my dog, … Continued
Insurance for Volunteer Programs
The following article is excerpted from Chapter 9 of No Surprises: Harmonizing Risk & Reward in Volunteer Management, 3rd Edition. Claims Against the Volunteer Fear of incurring personal liability for volunteer service isn’t uncommon among the estimated 90 million Americans who perform volunteer service each year. Volunteer board members may be targeted in suits alleging … Continued
Volunteer Risks: Guarding Against and Insuring Harm Suffered by and Caused by Volunteers
How does protecting a volunteer differ from protecting an employee? Are there laws that provide special protection for volunteers? Are volunteers immunized from liability under federal and state volunteer protection statutes? Is your nonprofit protected or exposed when a volunteer makes a mistake or causes harm to persons or property? What can every nonprofit do … Continued