Insurance

Overview

Volunteering Australia recommends all volunteer involving organisations obtain insurance for their volunteers. Whilst this is not a legal requirement, it is an important aspect of providing a safe volunteering experience and demonstrates a commitment to best practice. The types of insurance your organisation requires will be dictated by the services and programs you deliver.

Alignment with the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

Having adequate volunteer insurance is an important part of meeting National Standard 2: Volunteer participation is championed and modelled. It shows your volunteers you take their involvement seriously and you are invested in their safety. More importantly, volunteer insurance is critical to meeting National Standard 6: Volunteer safety and wellbeing is protected. Having appropriate insurances is one way your organisation can meet its work, health and safety requirement of providing a safe workplace.

What insurance does my organisation need?

There is a range of insurance instruments that your organisation may require. At a minimum, Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance ensures your volunteers are covered whilst completing their general duties. However, it is important to discuss with your insurer the exact roles and responsibilities being undertaken by your volunteers to ensure the entire remit of activities can be covered by insurance. Generally, the riskier an activity is, the more likely you will need a specific insurance to cover it. For example, volunteers who use their private motor vehicle while volunteering may not be covered in the event of an accident where they are at fault.

Where can I go for advice about insurance?

Aon are experts in not-for-profit insurance and are Volunteering Australia’s approved insurance provider. Their website provides a suite of useful information about the range of insurance instruments that may be required for your organisation. Aon’s handy Insurance Puzzle Solver takes you through the different insurances you should consider based on your organisation’s circumstances. The friendly team at Aon can also provide bespoke advice about the best suite of insurance for your organisation.

More information

Getting insurance right can be tricky. There are many ways you can find out more, including by visiting the Not-for-profit Law website or by seeking independent legal advice.