Products

Vital Signs: Anticipating, Preventing and Surviving a Crisis in a Nonprofit

Member Price : $9.00

Non-Member Price : $10.00

83 Pages / ISBN 1893210065

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

Vital Signs is written for the nonprofit executives and leaders who want to invest in the care and treatment of their nonprofits. Vital Signs addresses the Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment Methods and Treatment Phases of a crisis. The chapters include sample worksheets to illustrate how you can use your time and brainpower wisely. Blank worksheets are included. By the time you finish the book, you’ll be able to effectively target preventable crises and pinpoint other categories of crisis that can be treated to minimize the final loss facing the nonprofit. You’ll be able to develop a crisis management plan for your organization, assign key personnel, and establish a protocol that will increase your odds of surviving.

 Funding to support the publication of Vital Signs was provided by the
Public Entity Risk Institute.

The Season of Hope: A Risk Management Guide for Youth-Serving Nonprofits

Member Price : $18.00

Non-Member Price : $20.00

156 Pages / ISBN 1893210030

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

The Season of Hope addresses an array of questions from youth-serving organizations about protecting children in a nonprofit’s charge from harm, whether they are program participants, employees or volunteers. This new, comprehensive, practical book encompasses much of the material in the Center’s well-received Child Abuse Prevention Primer (out of print) and much, much more. Learn which risks are inherent in your program due to the developmental stage (infancy through adolescence) of the participants. Build your own plan from examples of risk management strategies for violence, health, injuries and accidents, and Internet access.

Its broad focus approach speaks to youth development professionals, executive directors, board members, directors of volunteers and human resource managers. Adults in general can no longer ensure the safety of young people as they grow and develop, but they can mitigate the risks inherent in their youth-serving programs with help from The Season of Hope.

 Funding to support the publication of The Season of Hope was provided by the Public Entity Risk Institute.

Taking The High Road: A Guide to Effective and Legal Employment Practices for Nonprofits

Member Price : $40.50

Non-Member Price : $45.00

220 Pages /

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

“Employees are our most valuable asset,” is an organizational cliche. An equally true statement is that employees can be a nonprofit’s liability, both by their specific actions and by not sharing the vision of the organization’s leadership. Managing an organization well requires being mindful of both sides of this conundrum: assets and liabilities. The nonprofit sector can claim no exception to this advice. In fact, when the higher moral purpose that typically distinguishes the nonprofit sector is taken into account, it’s even more important for managers of nonprofit organizations to be attentive to taking the high road.

This resource offers the help you need to effectively manage employment risk. Taking the High Road: A Guide to Effective and Legal Employment Practices for Nonprofits contains valuable information on developing sound, defensible employment practices that are practical as well as fair and compassionate.

Ready…Or Not: A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Executives

Member Price : $22.50

Non-Member Price : $25.00

254 Pages / ISBN 978-1-893210-27-1

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

Ready…or Not is authored by the executive director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, Melanie Lockwood Herman, and explores the topic of risk management in the nonprofit world. Ready…or Not reflects Melanie’s view that “effective risk management is readily within the grasp of every nonprofit executive” and that “sound approaches to managing an organization in the face of continuing uncertainty is not only worth the effort, it’s essential to advancing the missions of the organizations we serve and love.”

This second edition includes updated content throughout, plus new chapters on:

• Risk Awareness and Risk Appetite; and
• Human Factors in Risk Management

Learn how to appreciate the vast landscape of risk facing today’s nonprofit organizations, how to calibrate your nonprofit’s appetite for risk, and how to craft sound, durable approaches to the perennial challenges that arise when a nonprofit encounters or takes risk in a world of never-ending uncertainty. This book offers the insight and tools nonprofit leaders need to increase their confidence about risk-taking and risk management.

“Risk management can, and should be, so much more to nonprofit leaders who crave the skills required to cope with unending uncertainty. … cultivating the broadest possible view of risk is key to managing the risks that threaten or represent the opportunity to bolster a nonprofit’s mission.” – Melanie Lockwood Herman

Playing To Win, A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Sports and Recreation Programs

Member Price : $18.00

Non-Member Price : $20.00

89 Pages /

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

Risk is inherent in any sports or recreation program. To remove the potential of risk or injury completely would change the fundamental nature of the sport. To change the way coaches, officials and administrators access risk often makes the difference between safety and injury. Using Playing to Win as a guide, you’ll find many methods to protect the athlete, the organization and the spectators from harm. Playing to Win addresses, in a practical, reader-friendly tone, the legal duties of coaches; informed consent, waiver and release forms; facility inspection protocol; employee, independent contractor and volunteer status; and the importance and methods of screening staff.

Playing to Win considers the attitude and behavior of parents, athletes, coaches and other athletic staff essential to the risk management plan. It’s essential to have these folks plus the board, senior management working together to make a risk management strategy work. The book is helpful to all those managing a sports or recreation program as part of a larger scope of activities or as their sole responsibility in a nonprofit.

 Funding to support the publication of Playing to Win was provided by the
Public Entity Risk Institute.

Pillars Of Accountability: A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Boards

Member Price : $10.80

Non-Member Price : $12.00

74 Pages / ISBN 1893210170

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

One of the most important contributions that a nonprofit board makes to the organization’s overall risk management effort is managing its own affairs properly. Slippage in this area has been the substance of major news stories and ongoing legal battles for several of our colleagues. Protect your mission by investing in the practical and affordable suggestions in the Center’s book on the board’s role in risk management.

Pillars of Accountability: A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Boards offers advice and action steps to build and strengthen the foundation of a nonprofit organization. The book explores five pillars of accountability in five chapters:

• Pillar 1: Ethical Fundraising
• Pillar 2: Strategic Risk Management
• Pillar 3: Fiscal Integrity
• Pillar 4: Leadership Sustainability
• Pillar 5: Sound Employment Practices

These five pillars provide a basis for preserving and protecting the integrity of the organization.

Pillars of Accountability provides nonprofit board members and CEOs with practical ways to manage the consequences of risk and thus model commitment to excellent management and accountability to key stakeholders. Working in concert, the board, CEO and other senior managers can use Pillars of Accountability to ensure that the board has a practical perspective on what it means to be “accountable” in a modern nonprofit organization.

No Surprises: Harmonizing Risk and Reward in Volunteer Management

Member Price : $22.50

Non-Member Price : $25.00

125 Pages / ISBN 1893210235

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

Review the Table of Contents.

Recruiting and managing the spectrum of volunteers who bring your nonprofit’s mission to life is no easy task. Safeguarding volunteers, service recipients and the organization requireTable of Contents.s a sophisticated blend of risk taking, risk awareness and risk management.

Whether your nonprofit has been highly successful at balancing the risks and rewards of volunteer management and wants to evaluate or refine what you’re already doing, or you are looking at the risks associated with volunteer service for the first time, we expect you will find the practical advice and support you need in No Surprises, 5th edition. No Surprises is an easy-to-read and easier to use book that translates risk management into everyday choices and behaviors–all directed at protecting the mission of your nonprofit.

The Fifth edition of No Surprises includes a chapter on “Frequently Asked Questions” about volunteer service as well as updated content on managing risk in program design, volunteer recruitment, volunteer supervision and public relations. If comments from fans of this book are any indication, we predict that No Surprises will soon be your “go-to resource” on practical risk management for your volunteer program.

More Than a Matter of Trust: Managing the Risks of Mentoring

Member Price : $13.50

Non-Member Price : $15.00

59 Pages / ISBN 963712098

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

All social service programs face risks, but the elements of trust and personal relationships dramatically raise the stakes for mentoring programs. This book will help you develop a solid risk management plan for your mentoring program that will assist you in protecting your mentees, your mentors, and your organization’s assets — including its good name.

More Than a Matter of Trust explains the legal liabilities that mentoring programs face and shows you how to develop a risk management plan by presenting “10 Keys to Mentoring Risk Management.”

Managing Special Event Risks: Ten Steps to Safety – 2nd Edition

Member Price : $18.00

Non-Member Price : $20.00

100 Pages /

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

This easy to read and easier to use guide offers insight on the risks that arise when nonprofit organizations sponsor or host special events. From events held on property owned by the nonprofit to trips to distant locations involving youthful participants, this guide covers a wide range of topics that will help leaders increase the safety of their special events. Subjects covered in the second edition include goal setting, the identification and evaluation of risks, risk sharing, emergency procedures, event documentation, and working with the media. Checklists and forms are included.

Managing Facility Risks, 10 Steps to Safety

Member Price : $13.50

Non-Member Price : $15.00

121 Pages / ISBN 1893210162

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

A nonprofit organization’s building and grounds make up its facility. Responsibilities and protection differs depending on whether or not a nonprofit owns, leases, loans, rents, borrows or operates out of a home facility. Risks vary depending on the physical and mental capabilities, and ages of the service recipients. Camps, playgrounds, shops, and day or residential care require additional vigilance beyond a building and grounds.

Managing Facility Risk offers 10 steps that broach all these issues and more. Implementing the 10 steps will help lessen the chance that employees, clients, volunteers, visitors, vendors and people legally identified as “invitees” will have an injury or accident within your space or on your grounds. The book looks at selection of mission-appropriate space, meeting codes, scheduling maintenance and repair, monitoring visitors, limiting liability and providing risk financing. Two sophisticated approaches: preventing of crime through the design of your space and grounds and establishing a risk management culture in your nonprofit are described for those who already have a good grasp of other risk management techniques. A resource section, sample forms, and checklists provide additional guidance to make your facility safer for all.

Funding to support the publication of Managing Facility Risks was provided by the Public Entity Risk Institute.

Financial Risk Management: A Guide for Nonprofit Executives

Member Price : $22.50

Non-Member Price : $25.00

128 Pages /

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

This book explores the topic of financial risk management in the nonprofit world. Subjects covered in this practical, “how-to” guide include financial accountability, fraud prevention and board-staff communication on financial management issues.

Readers will learn how to identify, measure and minimize risk to financial assets, while maximizing accountability to stakeholders, fiscal integrity and mission-fulfillment. Buyers of the book receive a companion online course at no additional cost. Quantity discounts are also available. This book is suitable for CEOs, COOs, and board members with limited financial management experience. It is also appropriate for experienced finance professionals and CFOs who are looking for a risk manager’s slant on financial risk and who are charged with teaching and coaching others about financial risks.

Enlightened Risk Taking: A Guide to Strategic Risk Management for Nonprofits

Member Price : $18.00

Non-Member Price : $20.00

112 Pages /

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

Nonprofit organizations by their very nature are risk-taking operations. They venture to provide services to people at risk, in risky places and on limited budgets. To tell a nonprofit organization not to take risks is as good as telling the organization to close its doors. This book explains how to take risks in enlightened ways that enable your nonprofit to fulfill its mission to the utmost in our less-than-fully-predictable world.

This book is also about risk management — a process for planning, organizing, directing and controlling the assets and activities of any organization to enable it to accomplish its mission. But to the traditional concept of “safeguarding against the losses,” we have added strategies for “seizing the opportunities for gain that risk generates” — a rather avant-garde concept. When you add safeguarding loss to seizing opportunity for gain, you have a nonprofit poised to grow into its future.

A Golden Opportunity: Managing The Risks of Service to Seniors

Member Price : $7.20

Non-Member Price : $8.00

92 Pages / ISBN 189321012X

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

A Golden Opportunity addresses how the changing age distribution of the American public affects community-serving nonprofits and what steps they need to implement to manage inherent risk. The caregiver roles once played by family members are now assumed by paid and volunteer staff at service organizations. These staff members are often the first and sometimes the only ones to spot signs of trouble. Their interaction and willingness to help the elderly in their care may prevent injury and stop problems from escalating, but they should not be expected to face these newfound responsibilities alone. They need guidance to protect their charges, themselves and the organizations which they serve. A Golden Opportunity is designed to help service organizations prepare their paid and volunteer staff for their new risk management roles.

Those who have chosen to work with seniors need your support to handle the new responsibilities that come with the territory. The senior service recipients need service providers who are trained and prepared to handle the problems that accompany the aging process. Through this book, organizations can help make risk management a golden opportunity for both the organizations and the seniors who look to them for service.

Staff Screening Notebook

Member Price : $18.00

Non-Member Price : $20.00

2014 102 Pages / ISBN 978-1-893210-31-8

by by John C. Patterson

Have you ever experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when you realized you didn’t hire the right person for the job? Then maybe it’s time to revamp your staff screening process with the Staff Screening Notebook. Written by former NRMC team member John C. Patterson, an expert with over 30 years of experience in quality staff screening and client safety, the Notebook approaches staff screening with a comprehensive 10-step screening process that offers users the greatest chance of selecting the best possible candidates for paid and volunteer roles at a nonprofit.

Aside from an in-depth review of the 10-step screening process, the Notebook also addresses: the history and evolution of staff screening in the nonprofit sector; legal considerations pertaining to screening; screening considerations for volunteer roles; staff screening myths; and, common screening mistakes. More than five thousand nonprofit organizations have purchased prior editions of the Staff Screening Notebook for guidance on effective screening. Join the club and make your commitment to best-in-class screening today!

Review the Table of Contents

Exposed: A Legal Field Guide for Nonprofit Executives

Member Price : $27.00

Non-Member Price : $30.00

2014 234 Pages / ISBN 978-1-893210-29-5

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

by by Melanie Lockwood Herman and Mark E. Chopko

If you have ever been intimidated by an onerous contract, have woken up in a cold sweat after a nightmare involving lawyers, or you’re simply determined to better understand the legal risks facing the nonprofit you serve, the cure you’ve been craving is finally available. Exposed: A Legal Field Guide for Nonprofit Executives offers a tour of the maze-like world of legal liability custom-fit for nonprofit leaders. The principal authors of Exposed are two lawyers with decades of experience advising secular and religious nonprofits. With support from a savvy research and writing team, Melanie Herman and Mark Chopko present an updated version of their book written specifically for non-lawyer nonprofit executives, managers and board members. Exposed walks the reader through important legal terms and concepts, and offers practical strategies for managing risk in the increasingly complex world of nonprofit governance and service delivery.

In addition to updated content and fresh advice from start to finish, the second edition of Exposed features new chapters covering information technology risks, nonprofit mergers and acquisitions, and risk considerations for nonprofits starting offices and operations overseas. This practical primer will help you overcome the feeling of being exposed to legal liability while providing a jolt of confidence and a do-able list of proactive risk strategies.

Review the Table of Contents

Covered: An Insurance Handbook for Nonprofits

Member Price : $27.00

Non-Member Price : $30.00

2016 181 Pages / ISBN 978-1-893210-32-5

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

by by Ron Boggs, Emily Stumhofer and Melanie Lockwood Herman

Dedicated nonprofit leaders work hard to advance and protect the missions they serve. Part of every leader’s responsibility is understanding the risks that threaten success and the role of insurance in a risk management program. If you’ve put off purchasing coverage, or worse—reading the policies you’ve already purchased—this Handbook is a must-read. In Covered you’ll take a behind the scenes journey into the insurance industry and learn what you need to know to make wise risk financing choices for your nonprofit.

Order Covered today, if:

• you have questions about what types of insurance your nonprofit should buy
• you want practical tips for spending insurance dollars wisely
• you’re curious about what the coverages you’ve already purchased actually cover
• you want to make sure that your insurable risks are ‘covered.’

Join the authors of Covered for a guided tour into unfamiliar territory. We’re certain you’ll find peace of mind and valuable new knowledge you can put to use in short order.

World-Class Risk Management for Nonprofits

Member Price : $27.00

Non-Member Price : $30.00

2017 281 Pages / ISBN 978-1-893210-33-2

Note: This book is only available as an eBook (PDF)

by Norman Marks and Melanie Lockwood Herman

Nonprofit leaders and risk professionals now have a guide for implementing world-class risk management in their organizations. World-Class Risk Management for Nonprofits offers a compelling analysis of accepted standards and frameworks for risk management, as well as anecdotes and practical advice from the authors’ many years of experience coaching nonprofit and corporate teams in risk management best practices. The authors offer reflection questions and suggested team activities throughout the book, enabling you to turn concepts into practice at your organization.

Review the Table of Contents

“Whether you are a nonprofit manager, executive, board member or a trusted advisor to nonprofit organizations, the content of this book should inspire you to rethink your understanding of risk and how you go about recognizing and responding to it.”

Grant Purdy
Foreword Author & Risk Management Thought Leader
Associate Director, Broadleaf Capital International
Melbourne, Australia
August 2017