The 4th of July holiday is a nostalgic one for most of us. I remember churning homemade ice cream with my father and the excited anticipation of the fireworks. Most of us have similar memories and think the Independence Day holiday as the heart of summer activities. Many nonprofit organizations host events and fundraisers centered around this important day and need to discuss their nonprofit insurance and risk management with their event team.
We want your events to be the best they can and for your fundraisers to be profitable and just want to remind you to practice proper safety. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and forget some of the basics of even safety. Even nonprofits with good insurance sometimes miss some simple risk management controls.
Here are some things for you to consider in your last minute planning:
Food Safety: Remember to keep all perishables cold and to have all food servers wear gloves to prevent food born illnesses.
Flammables: It goes without saying to be careful with fireworks if you have them at your event. Also, beware of combustibles near open flames (think cooking spray near the grill). Having S’Mores? Have a least one person monitoring the open fire at all times and helping the youngsters, so they don’t get hurt.
Cleanliness: Food and drink spills are common at events, especially those involving children. Make sure you have a plan in place for quick cleanups so you can avoid slips and falls.
Entertainment: Make sure any entertainment that you book has their own general liability coverage and names your organization as an Additional Insured. Same is also true of vendors that will be there.
Extras: Have one or more stations set up to provide water, sunscreen and bug repellent to all of your guests. These little things can go a long way to make people comfortable.
These may all seem like small, logical measures but we’ve seen claims on our client’s nonprofit insurance related to each of these items!
We hope you have a fun and safe 4th of July holiday. If you have questions about this article or any nonprofit insurance related issue, please let us know.
