WHITE PAPER: Risk Management for Your Volunteer Program: 2015-2016

No organization is immune to all risk. In fact, all organizations are exposed to risks on a daily basis. It’s how leaders choose to manage those risks that can make or break an organization. Most nonprofit organizations have a lot at stake – physical assets, intangible assets, brand, reputation, grants, people and relationships. With all of that on the line, building a solid volunteer risk management program is in the best interest of all organizations that utilize volunteers in any capacity.

The key to your risk management success is planning and more planning. You must strive to account for all possible risks – even those that are highly unlikely. Recognition and identification forms the foundation of your risk management program. From there, you can effectively evaluate the severity of risks and prioritize them accordingly.

This whitepaper will:

• Introduce you to the four components of a risk management program – plans, processes, policies and practices;
• Explain how you can identify potential threats to your organization and take actions to mitigate or eliminate them using a risk assessment matrix;
• Outline the three essential elements that any volunteer organization’s risk management program should incorporate: background screening, training and insurance;
• Help you understand how you should be thinking about your organization’s potential liability, and what you might be responsible for should something go wrong in your organization.