Tools

The following pdf is an Insurance Primer for Board members that can be provided directly to your Board. You could include the Board Primer in your Board orientation process, or add it to your Board manual.

Insurance Primer

If your organization is new, or is getting insurance for the first time, you will need to undertake a detailed risk assessment. The following checklist outlines the risk management process:

Risk Management Process Checklist

D&O

“Directors’ Liability: A Discussion Paper on Legal Liability, Risk Management and the Role of Directors in Non-Profit Organizations.” Volunteer Canada www.volunteer.ca

“Primer for Directors of Not-For-Profit Corporations.” Industry Canada http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/incilp-pdci.nsf/en/cl00689e.html

Risk management tips for your Board. Insurance Bureau of Canada www.ibc.ca

Volunteers

For more legal information about working with volunteers, see “Volunteers and the Law in Alberta,” a publication available from Volunteer Alberta
www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca.

“Volunteers and the Law in Alberta” Volunteer Alberta www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca
“Volunteers: Asset or Liability?” R. Joy Jackson (see reference section for full details)
Volunteer Canada www.volunteer.ca

Partnerships

Working in Partnerships – Recipes for Success” Alberta Community Development www.cd.gov.ab.ca

Risk Management

Visit the Insurance Bureau of Canada online at www.ibc.ca to see risk management modules tailored to the voluntary sector.

”Developing a Risk Management Strategy: Five Steps to Risk Management in Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations.” Available online at www.kdc-cdc.ca (The Knowledge Development Centre).

Information for Boards

Under Canadian legislation, court decisions, laws and statutes, Board
members have two basic duties:

Duty of Care: Act reasonably, in good faith, in the organization’s best interest; carry out their due diligence.
Duty of Loyalty: Place the interests of the organization before their own;
act honestly and in good faith.

For more information about Board duties, see Industry Canada’s Primer for Directors of Not-For-Profit Corporations.