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It is imperative that organizations assess the risks inherent to volunteering as well as the management strategies to minimize and respond to those risks. This means asking what risks exist for volunteers (working outdoors, operating machinery, stress and fatigue) as well as what risks could volunteers pose to the organization (liability, representing the organization inappropriately, harm to vulnerable populations).

With a fuller understanding of potential risks, the organization can then determine if they have the capacity to address those risks. For example, are there enough staff to oversee volunteers? Is there access to screening facilities? Is the organization eligible for insurance coverage? How would/could staff handle an emergency situation? Answering these difficult questions will help make sure your volunteers, and your organization, are well-cared for and protected.

An additional note: Risk management should be ongoing, so consider scheduling regular reassessments.

When it comes to risk management resources, it’s difficult to find a better source than the Nonprofit Risk Management Center; they offer numerous tools and training opportunities, including the free online No Surprises Volunteer Risk Management Tutorial.

What do the stars mean? Click here to learn more!

Also see Conflict Resolution; Legal Issues and Ethics; Disaster Response Volunteering; Mandated Volunteerism; Special Events; Youth Volunteers

Here are few other risk management resources worth checking out:

• Are You Ready to Go? – Celeste Sauls-Marks, CVA @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel (How to make sure your volunteer program is prepared to deal with disasters)
• Legal, Accountability, Risk Management, and Legislative Issues – ServiceLeader
• Health and Safety – Volunteering England
• New! The Importance of Background Screening for Nonprofits: An Updated Briefing (PDF) – ChoicePoint Inc.
• Insurance, Liability, Risk Management - Volunteer Canada
• Insurance & Risk Management for Corporate Volunteers – Volunteering Australia
• Protecting Volunteer Programs – Mary Merrill @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Protection of Vulnerable Clients – Volunteering England
• Public Safety and Large Volunteer Projects – Celeste Sauls-Marks, CVA @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Risk and Liability – Energize, Inc.
• Risk Assessment Template – La Tertulia, Latin American Women's Rights Service (Español)
• Risk Management – VolunteerResource.org
• Risk Management – Volunteering England
• Running the Risk? A Risk Management Tool for Volunteer Involving Organisations – Volunteering Australia
• Straight Talk: Volunteers and Confidentiality – Debbie Anderson @ Volunteer Management Review, CharityChannel
• Types of Insurance Policy: Which Covers Volunteers? – Volunteering England
• Volunteer Drivers – Volunteering England
• Volunteering and Risk – Volunteer England
• Who’s Lending a Hand? A National Survey of Nonprofit Volunteer Screening Practices (PDF) – The National Center for Victims of Crime (US)

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Let us know and consider checking out the following sites:
Energize, Inc.
The Resource Center (CNCS)
Volunteer Canada
Volunteering Australia
Volunteering England
World Volunteer Web