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Welcome to Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
VANTAGE has been servicing the nonprofit industry for over 35 years. Over the years we have accumulated much knowledge, contacts and experience in helping to establish nonprofits and help them grow. As such, we will be publishing a semimonthly newsletter geared toward providing nonprofits with the latest news, products, and guidelines to assist in their success and growth. Please feel free to comment and/or request topics that are important to you for us to research.
Thank you for being a part of the VANTAGE family.
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This is just a sampling of what we feel would be important to you. We have much more to offer. If you have any questions or need more information please contact us at 877-886-8277 or click the link below.
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5 Ways to Avoid Legal Problems With Volunteers
 Volunteers are great and even essential to your charity. But, if things go wrong with a volunteer, it can spell bad news for your organization.
For instance, what if a volunteer has an accident while serving with you? What if the volunteer breaks the law or hurts someone else? Your organization could be liable.
Here are five ways to make it less likely that you'll run into problems with your volunteers.
Some of these may seem onerous, but take the time to do them right and protect both your organization and your volunteers.
1. Develop volunteer policies and procedures.
Consult with an attorney or volunteer specialist to make sure these are adequate. Policies should spell out volunteer duties and address issues such as discrimination, harassment, and other possibly illegal behavior.
By specifically banning bad behavior, your organization may be protected from liability. Be sure also to include protections for the volunteer from abuse by the organization and its staff.
2. Write job descriptions for all volunteer positions.
Be specific about expectations for the volunteer and what he or she can and cannot do. Spell out any possible risk to the volunteer and ask for a signed release from liability. A thorough and concise job description may help protect the organization from liability should the volunteer go beyond what he or she is allowed to do.
Here are some things to include in job descriptions:
* your nonprofit's purpose
* required training for this position
* the duties expected of the volunteer
* the time required to do the task
* the location where the volunteer will perform the task/s
3. Require each volunteer to fill out an application.
Most of the time, it pays to require an application. However, sometimes with group projects that involve a "cattle call" for volunteers, you can do with having the volunteers fill out an appropriate waiver that releases the organization from liability.
The complexity of the application will depend on the position. If the volunteer will be working with vulnerable people such as children or the elderly, the bar should be higher. For menial tasks with little risk to anyone, a shorter application would be suitable. Be careful to have different applications for different jobs. There's no sense in discouraging some volunteers with a lengthy form if it is not necessary.
Here are some things to include in an application, where appropriate:
* personal information such as an address, phone number, email address, person to contact in the case of illness or accident, driver's license, proof of personal insurance, etc.
* qualifications, when necessary to the job, such as special skills, or educational attainment.
* references who can attest to the applicant's good character or work ethic. References might be from a community member, another nonprofit where the applicant has volunteered, or an employer.
* written permission to do a background check, important if the volunteers will be working with children or other at-risk populations
* waiver of confidentiality so you can gather the information you need and share it appropriately.
4. Conduct proper screening.
Be careful here. Screening is especially important for volunteers who may be in contact with vulnerable people, or who have to drive while doing their volunteer work, or engage in other kinds of dangerous work.
Nonprofits often think they can police their volunteers themselves and neglect to perform proper background checks. But that can leave the organization open to liability. Think of screening as part of your safety procedures and risk management.
Screening should always be respectful and protect the privacy of volunteers as much as possible. Get written consent for screening before proceeding. Also screen from time to time as a precaution.
Screening can be as simple as a personal interview, or can include:
* criminal background checks
* driving records and licenses
* confirmation of insurance
* screening for health conditions or asking for proof of certain vaccinations
* verifying credentials such as a teaching certificate or special skills assessments
5. Provide good training and management.
Never just turn a volunteer loose without adequate training. Volunteers appreciate being trained, so they know what to do and when. Train in groups or one on one. Develop written materials that the volunteer can take with them, and train on their specific tasks. Assign the volunteer to a staff person for oversight.
Training can include:
* your organization's code of conduct
* how to act when representing the organization
* how to identify and report abuse
* how to maintain the confidentiality of the organization and the people it serves
* what you specifically expect of the volunteer
* how to report any problems
* who is in charge and how to reach them
Finally, be willing to dismiss a volunteer should they violate any of the rules, are difficult to get along with, are unreliable, or are abusive in any way. Develop a written procedure for staff if they must let a volunteer go.
Always inform the volunteer why you're letting them go, and then document the dismissal, just as you would with a paid staff member. Having a procedure, following it, and documenting the action will help you should the volunteer decide to lodge a complaint with your top management or otherwise try to get back at you.
Don't forget to have policies for your staff that cover how they are to treat volunteers. Describe what harassment is and how to avoid it. Set up a grievance procedure that volunteers can use to report any abuse.
Volunteers want to do good and are appreciative when an organization is prepared to work with them. They want good policies in place and to have good training and management. Keeping volunteers around requires not only gratitude on your part, but also an organized approach that is protective of both volunteers and your nonprofit.
SOURCE: Joanne Fritz Nonprofit Charitable Orgs Expert
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DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
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Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
2363 Mariner Square Dr., Ste. 240 / Alameda / CA / 94501
30251 Golden Lantern, Ste. E376 / Laguna Niguel / CA / 92677
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As a special member of the Vantage family, if you refer us to any of your friends, family, or business associates and they purchase any of our products we will send you a
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