To make matters worse, laws differ dramatically from state to state. For example, the interpretation and validity of waivers depends to a large degree on what state you're in. This article offers answers to some of the most common questions, along with examples of how various volunteer monitoring organizations have dealt with risk management. Liability insurance Liability insurance protects you if you are sued. Note that a liability policy covering an organization doesn't necessarily cover its volunteers in case they are sued personally.
Individual volunteers can also get liability coverage under their own homeowners policies.
It's especially important for board members to do this, since by law they can be held personally liable for damages caused by the organization. Note, however, that most homeowners policies don't protect you if someone sues you for a purely financial loss. If workers' compensation is unavailable or very expensive, you may want to buy a separate accident and injury policy for volunteers. Second, we require volunteers to sign waivers. And third, we cross our fingers.