Concurrent Sessions

#6 Risk Management 101, Part II

During Part II of this workshop we’ll delve more deeply into the role of insurance in your risk management program. This session is ideal for nonprofit leaders who want to improve or maximize the services they receive from an insurance professional, typically an agent or broker who places coverage for the nonprofit. Attend this session to find out how you can take your relationship with an insurance advisor (agent or broker) to the next level. The presenters will also discuss possible strategies you might pursue when you realize that putting your program out to bid is in order. What factors support the decision to put your program out to bid, and what methods are most effective in selecting the best qualified providers?

Speaker: Frank Nosek, Nonprofit & Social Services Practice Group, Lexington Insurance Company, Boston, MA
 

#7 Liar Liar: What to Do When an Employee’s Pants Are on Fire and Other Risk Management Challenges in Today’s Workplace

An employee’s first day is generally a pleasant time for employer and employee. Both parties are exceedingly polite and respectful and everyone in the office is wearing official business attire. But what happens when that perfect hire turns out to be a nightmare employee? Given that an estimated 30% of applicant resumes contain material misstatements (lies!), as an experienced manager you shouldn’t be surprised when you discover that a trusted employee is not to be trusted. Or you learn that a healthy, high energy employee has suffered an injury while taking their first smoke break on the first day of work! Or that a long-time employee has an outstanding warrant for their arrest. Attend this entertaining but informative workshop to explore risk management challenges in today’s workplace and learn strategies for detecting a brewing person-related crisis before it erupts and coping in a way that protects the nonprofit from liability.

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman, Executive Director, Nonprofit Risk Management Center
 

#8 Advanced Financial Management — Doing More with Less (Or at Least Holding Your Own)

Organizations relying on grants and contracts are facing the harshest economic challenge in recent history, and agencies wishing to survive will need to review, if not refresh the tools in their financial toolbox. In this climate is it risky or wise to take a loan? Embark on a major capital project? Launch a commercial venture? This session will provide insights on ways to respond to diminishing resources by taking a new look at risks as opportunities, and by analyzing such processes as operational efficiencies, "return on investment", cost allocation and diversified revenue sources. It's all about measuring risk and planning for the future!

Speaker: Kate Barr, Executive Director, Nonprofits Assistance Fund, Minneapolis, MN

#9 Forum for Insurance Agents and Brokers, Part II

During this session we’ll continue the discussion that began earlier in the day among agents and brokers specializing in serving nonprofits.

Session Coordinators: David Szerlip, David Szerlip & Associates, Berkeley Heights, NJ and Sean Sweeney, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Bala Cynwyd, PA
 

#10 Over There and Overseas: Managing Risk in International Programs—Stories from the Field

You’ve got the perfect program worked out in a stable foreign country, reliable and energized staff and volunteers, and an endless need for assistance. The only hitch is: your vehicles are stuck in customs. Or one of your staff is detained by local police. What if that country overseas suddenly becomes unstable? Or your workers on the ground need to be evacuated in an emergency? Program resources disappearing in the middle of the night? Whether your nonprofit runs or funds programs overseas or sends personnel for short-term assignments for meetings or service activities, the challenges seem to grow each day. Join our experts for a stimulating discussion managing risks associated with international work.

Speakers: Karla Wetherby, Chief Financial Officer and Deb Ekeren, Director of Human Resources, The Center for Victims of Torture, Minneapolis, MN

Concurrent Workshops

#11 Can You Hear Me Now? Avoiding A Crisis In Confidence Through Financial Transparency

Despite years of talk about accountability and transparency in the sector, according to a recent national poll, only a quarter of Americans think that nonprofits do a "very good" job of helping people. This crisis in confidence is not helped by frequent media stories about nonprofits that withhold information about their finances and operations, or those that don't recognize a conflict when they see it. Join us for a frank discussion about financial transparency in all its forms — from internal controls, annual reports and board meetings, to donor relations. This session will review the ways the new IRS Form 990 forces boards to be more involved in financial oversight, specifically in disclosing and managing conflicts of interest and reviewing financial reports. The session will also discuss how to repair relations and establish financial transparency after an adverse event so that the nonprofit can survive and the public's confidence can be restored.

Speaker: Richard Cowles, Executive Director, Charities Review Council, Minneapolis, MN
 

#12 Who’s Lending a Hand?

ChoicePoint track

This workshop will present findings from a national survey of nonprofit organizations about their volunteer screening practices. The presenter will discuss the components of a comprehensive background screening program and will also review the implications of not thoroughly screening volunteers and employees who have access to clients or client information. The presenter will lead an interactive activity designed to uncover current practices, questions and highlight best practices related to Applications, Interviews, Reference Checks and Background Screening practices.

Speakers: Leigh Plott, Assistant Vice President, ChoicePoint Cares, ChoicePoint, Inc., Alpharetta, GA and Ansley Jones Colby, Vice President, Culture and ChoicePoint Cares, ChoicePoint, Inc., Alpharetta, GA
 

#13 Bloggers, Hackers, Viruses and Trusted Employees: How Not to be Roadkill on the Information Superhighway

High speed Internet access is both a blessing and a curse: easy access to information on the outside can also mean easy access by the public to the nonprofit’s proprietary information and to employees’ use (and abuse) of the Internet. Blogs, employees’/volunteers’ Web sites and e-mail, as well as e-commerce activities of nonprofits themselves each result in constantly emerging risks. Attend this workshop to learn how to address these risks through policies and practices at your nonprofit. You’ll also:

• Learn how Weblogs can bring opportunity and risk to your nonprofit, including: defamation, discrimination and harassment claims.
• Learn how policies and procedures can help nonprofits control access to the nonprofit’s assets of reputation and resources.
• Become aware of the legal and practical risks of e-commerce from a nonprofit’s Web site.
• Get questions answered about the legal regulation of fund raising over the Internet.

Speaker: Darlene Strickland, Moore Strickland, Chicago, IL and Angie Blumel, Chicago Architecture Foundation
 

#14 Insurance Boot Camp and Coverage Clinic

Directors’ and officers’ liability, commercial general liability, professional liability, non-owned auto, business interruption, and crime coverage are just a few examples of insurance policies commonly purchased by nonprofits. Depending on your mission, location, and services, your nonprofit’s insurance program takes different forms — there is no one-size-fits-all answer! So pull up your socks and get ready for an in-your-face immersion into the wide world of insurance policies. We’ll talk about insuring agreements, policy conditions, exclusions, coverage triggers, endorsements, certificates of insurance, additional insureds and more.

Speakers: Michael Tinsley, Esq., Area Vice President, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc., Religious & Nonprofit Practice Group, Itasca, IL, and Peter A. Persuitti, Managing Director, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Religious & Nonprofit Practice Group, Itasca, IL
 

#15 Special Risks for Grantmakers

You're giving away money--shouldn't everyone be happy? Not always. This program will explore legal risks that are specific to grantmaking foundations, and how to minimize those risks. Topics will include funding legislative or political activity, decisions not to fund, compliance with original donor restrictions, and ongoing relationships with the founding family or company. This session will also look at the role of the grant agreement in risk management, and provide an update on executive compensation and loan issues and the new Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act.

Speaker: J. Hazen Graves, Faegre & Benson LLP, Minneapolis, MN

Concurrent Workshops

#16 Risk Prevention Through Effective Emergency Management

Proper emergency management planning can identify risks and minimize liability exposure to nonprofits. Using critical incident scenarios, learn how to create an effective emergency management team, identify your community partners, and employ the National Incident Command System to address all hazards that might occur. Discuss the important role of liability risk assessment through site evaluation and community partnering as an integral part of your emergency preparedness planning.

Speakers: Shamus O’Meara and Tom Heffelfinger
 

#17 State of the Art Screening for Paid and Volunteer Staff: What’s New and What You Need to Know

ChoicePoint track

The presenter at this workshop will discuss different types of background checks in detail, including how to perform them and considerations for when and how to use these checks and the information obtained through them. Participants will learn about the options for conducting background checks. This may include name-based criminal history, fingerprint-based criminal history, sex offender registries, and credit history. Participants will discuss best practices for the use of background screening information (i.e., what type of history should disqualify a person from volunteering or working in a certain position?).

Speakers: Leigh Plott, Assistant Vice President, ChoicePoint Cares, ChoicePoint, Inc., Alpharetta, GA and Les Nichols, Vice President Club Safety and Design, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Atlanta, GA
 

#18 Nonprofit LifeCycle Risks: Plain Talk About Succession Planning

A change in executive leadership is one of the most important, challenging and powerful opportunities a nonprofit organization will face. It also presents myriad risks for both successful and struggling organizations. This presentation shares the key lessons about how to effectively manage a leadership transition. The centerpiece is a three-phase process that is designed to help boards of directors find an executive who fits the current and future leadership needs of their organization, and successfully build a powerful, forward-focused board-executive team.

Speaker: Victor Chears, Consultant, TransitionGuides, Silver Spring, MD
 

#19 Compassion Fatigue: Managing the Risk of Burnout

When the Everly brothers sang about “problems, problems, problems all day long,” they very well may have been singing about employees and volunteers in many nonprofit organizations whose missions are to help clients cope with difficulties. The question then becomes, “Who helps the helpers cope with their problems and not become overwhelmed by the problems of others?” This workshop will effectively explore strategies for managing the risk of burnout in your nonprofit.

Speaker: Cordelia Anderson, Sensibilities, Inc. Minneapolis, MN
 

#20 How to Develop a Meaningful Ethics Program in Your Nonprofit

The headlines reporting the seemingly endless ethics scandals in the business, government, and nonprofit sectors naturally lead to the question: “What proactive steps can my nonprofit take to avoid similar problems?” During this entertaining and enlightening session, Tim Delaney of the Center for Leadership, Ethics & Public Service will examine the reasons nonprofits need to develop ethics programs, identify the emerging ethics trends in the nonprofit sector, explore the four required elements of a responsible ethics program by walking attendees through a “12-Step Journey to a Responsible Ethics Program,” and provide materials, citations, and other tools for future assistance.

Speaker: Tim Delaney, President & CEO, National Council of Nonprofit Associations, Washington, DC

Reception in the Exhibit Area

Concurrent Workshops

#26 Swimming Pools, Gyms and Camps: Risk Management Tools, Resources and Strategies for Facility-based Programs and Activities

What risks do swimming pools, gyms and camps have in common? This workshop will help to answer that question while at the same time suggesting effective risk control strategies. Whether it’s governmental facility licensing regulations or allowing outside groups to use your facilities, your organization cannot afford to ignore the legal liability exposures or the risks of personal injury to participants. Any organization that operates facility-based programs will benefit from participating in this workshop.

Speakers: Nick Schneider, Loss Control Consultant, Riverport Insurance Company, Minneapolis, MN and Michael Gurtler, ARM, Manager & Senior Consultant, Safe-Wise, Bar Harbor, ME
 

#27 Risk Management in Grantmaking

What keeps leaders at grantmaking organizations up at night? And how do they keep their cool? This lively workshop will tackle the inevitable risks that go along with the good fortune of giving: the struggle to respect and adhere to mission, be it “donor intent” or corporate-directed philanthropy; avoiding conspicuous consumption and inconspicuous self-dealing; the challenges of increased pressure from local and federal government regulators; and the operational risks of running the “business” of philanthropy. Join your colleagues and learn what risks they are willing to take, what risks worry them the most, and what they’re doing about it.

Speakers: Danny Chandler, Director of Security, The Meadows Foundation and Michael Newman, Vice President, St. Paul Travelers Foundation
 

#28 Managing Governance Risks: What the Board Needs to Know and Why

Nonprofits are facing greater scrutiny than ever in how they manage their organizations and their finances to achieve their missions. Your board members may be dedicated to mission, excellent ambassadors and donors of substantial time and money, but are they engaged in basic financial oversight? Aware of best practices in governance? This session will illuminate the risks facing nonprofit organizations in today’s environment and identify essential governance practices that boards need to know, as well as provide an understanding of why paying careful attention to good governance practices is good risk management.

Speaker: Jennifer Chandler Hauge, Senior Counsel and Director of Special Projects, Nonprofit Risk Management Center
 

#29 Litigation Trends and Nonprofits

While no nonprofit is entirely immune from lawsuits alleging negligent conduct, wrongful employment practices, or other causes of action, what is the likelihood of winding up in court? And what causes of action are the most likely? How do nonprofits fare in jury and bench trials? What trends in the world of litigation should be noted? Has the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (or comparable state laws) had any affect on the volume of cases brought against volunteers or the outcomes of cases filed against nonprofits? Do the vestiges of charitable immunity found in a handful of states alter the risk of litigation or liability? This thought-provoking session will explore these and other issues related to litigation against nonprofits.

Speaker: Stacy Kniffen, AIG Executive Liability, New York, NY and Scott Christensen, Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Washington, DC
 

#30 Fraud Prevention

Is a headline reading “Charity Worker Charged with Theft” your worst nightmare? Despite the lack of evidence that theft of charitable assets occurs at a more frequent rate than theft of assets in the business and government sectors, intensive media coverage of fraud in the nonprofit sector paints a disturbing, though unfair picture. Despite its rare occurrence, every nonprofit should take steps to prevent workplace theft and procedures to ensure prompt detection. The timely discovery of fraud is key to reducing the amount of the loss to the organization. This fast-paced workshop will explore the myths and realities of fraud in the nonprofit sector, and offer specific advice on fraud prevention and detection. The emphasis will be on measures that can be adapted to meet the needs of a diverse array of organizations. A portion of the program will be dedicated to exploring actual nonprofit fraud case studies. You’ll learn what went wrong from a control and detection standpoint, and what you can do to keep your organization off the list of featured organizations in next year’s fraud case studies!

Speakers: Michael E. Wirth-Davis, DPA, President and CEO, Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, St. Paul, MN and Melanie Lockwood Herman, Executive Director, Nonprofit Risk Management Center
 

#31 Managing the Risks of Mentoring

This workshop will explore the myriad risks that arise in community-based and one-to-one mentoring programs. While your program faces many of the risks shared by other nonprofits, there are many special issues that arise when you match adults and children in nurturing relationships. Attend this session to learn about state of the art practice in screening, matching, case management, and incident response.

Speakers: Julie Novak, Director of Child Safety & Quality Assurance, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and John C. Patterson, Senior Program Director, Nonprofit Risk Management Center