[Board] Fwd: Your Quote for Liability Insurance from NIAC

Tue Aug 1 10:11:06 PDT 2023

This is fantastic news. Thanks Michelle, for all the work you did and for
enduring the bizarre responses.

We are really unique, and a lot of people don't want to take the trouble to
understand why.

The main reason I thought that we should have insurance isn't because we're
remotely involved in anything risky, but because we know there are groups
with much deeper pockets than we have, who have attacked and threatened our
organization and our directors. These are well documented.

Steve

On Tue, Aug 1, 2023 at 11:50 AM Michelle Thompson <
mountain.michelle at gmail.com> wrote:

> ORi will get a quote soon for the insurance that Pierre required in order
> to join our board. He was invited to join, he would be an asset, and he
> said D&O insurance was necessary.
>
> Getting a quote took months of time, a lot of phone calls, and a
> substantial amount of email to achieve. We've been turned down or passed
> over 8 times. We have no employees, real estate, or appreciable risk.
> Insurers were simply not interested and told me we had no risk. One
> questioned my leadership and suggested I was an idiot. Given the fact that
> Countrywide insurance revealed their reasons - that because we fought for
> ITAR/EAR regulatory reform that we actually were very high risk to them - I
> think the suggestion that we don't know what we're about and what we need
> was wrong.
>
> Moving $300,000 to CDs created enough income to pay for things like
> insurance, which was not part of our original budget for the transponder
> grant. Since ARDC missed every meeting about this grant, has stupidly
> attacked ORI, and has caused significant damage with four other grants, and
> since we no longer deal with them in any way, I think we can afford the
> anticipated bill by converting that $300,000 into an invested endowment and
> using the interest payments to fund things like D&O insurance.
>
> I don't think we're at any real insurance risk. I don't feel that anyone
> at ORI will be personally targeted in any way that insurance is intended to
> help (employee issues and real estate issues).
>
> Umbrella policies (I have one for my personal finances) don't usually
> cover volunteer activities. They're designed to protect you from harassing
> lawsuits like someone slipping on your sidewalk in front of your house, and
> not volunteer activities or software products you produce that are covered
> by the open source license ecosystem from Open Source Initiative or the ORI
> corporate shield.
>
> Regardless of any of this, having liability and D&O is something that
> Steve Conklin ORI CFO has brought up consistently - well before Pierre
> expressed interest in joining the board. I'm very sorry it took so long to
> get a quote on the way, and for ORI to be recognized for membership in an
> insurance consortium. If we were a for profit endeavor, this would be much
> easier.
>
> We are really unique in our setup, and this has consequences for the
> products and policies we use and consume. Pierre's concern isn't out of
> line.
>
> On behalf of ORI, I'd like to thank everyone that supports our work and
> wants to see us succeed. We could not do this work without your help and
> support. As soon as I have more information, I'll send it.
>
> -Michelle Thompson
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: pdavis at insurancefornonprofits.org <pdavis at insurancefornonprofits.org
> >
> Date: Tue, Aug 1, 2023 at 9:28 AM
> Subject: Your Quote for Liability Insurance from NIAC
> To: <mountain.michelle at gmail.com>
> Cc: <cole at cal-insurance.org>, <pdavis at insurancefornonprofits.org>
>
>
> We are pleased to let you know that your organization has been approved
> for membership in the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California (NIAC)*
> and *we are working on a quote for your organization*. We will provide
> your insurance broker, CalNonprofits Insurance Services, with a quotation
> for your organization's liability insurance shortly. Please wait for your
> broker to contact you. He or she will need time to evaluate and review our
> quote, before contacting you. Your broker will go over the coverages,
> premium and specialized free and discounted services included with the
> quotation. But, there are a couple of things about NIAC that I'd like you
> to hear from me, the founder.
>
> In 30+ years, NIAC has grown from an idea posed in my Master's thesis at
> UC Berkeley to a thriving company. In my thesis, I proposed that instead of
> relying on insurance companies that were inconsistent in their willingness
> to provide affordable insurance, the nonprofit sector actually could get
> control of this important financial service and make sure we were paying
> our fair share and no more. My dream was to engage nonprofits in risk
> management by providing a variety of free or highly discounted management
> services as part of the insurance purchase. And then, if together we had
> claims experiences that were better than anticipated, we would share that
> good fortune with the members that made it happen. And that dream has come
> true. NIAC now insures more than 12000 nonprofits in California and has
> declared dividends to its nonprofit members totaling more than $50.2
> million over the past 17 years. But more than that, we have kept premiums
> steady, even declining, over all these years and managed to provide our
> members with benefits even when they don't have claims.
>
> For example, for NIAC members all of the following are FREE for those
> purchasing the related insurance coverage:
>
>    - Driver Training (online and self-study) (Owned-Auto Coverage)
>    - Vehicle Telematics Program (owned auto coverage; 10+ vehicles)
>    - Unlimited Employment-related Consultations (D&O Coverage with
>    Employment Practices Liability)
>    - Preventing Sexual Harassment Training for Supervisors (D&O Coverage
>    with Employment Practices Liability)
>
> All NIAC members have access to the following services FREE OF CHARGE:
>
>    - Risk Management materials on our Member Portal
>    - Risk Management Webinars (live and on-demand)
>    - BOARDnetWORK - an online tool for your Board of Directors
>    - PurchasingPoint - lower overhead costs through discounts on good and
>    services
>
> NIAC Members also have access to the following highly discounted services:
>
>    - Screening Services (background checks, drug screening, MVR's and
>    more)
>    - Employee Handbook Builder (D&O Coverage)
>
> Click here to download a two-page summary of our services.
> http://www.insurancefornonprofits.org/Resources/Services.pdf
>
> Yes, NIAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and our nonprofit members are the
> beneficiaries of our work. We have grown from a $1 million loan from the
> Ford Foundation and others in 1989 to a company with $405 million in
> assets, rated A (Excellent) by AM Best. And all of those assets are working
> for you and other nonprofits like you. I would welcome a call from you to
> answer any questions you might have about NIAC as you consider this
> important decision. My direct phone number is 831 621-6018 or you can use
> the 800 number listed below. Find out what others are saying about us here
> <http://www.insurancefornonprofits.org/about/what-our-members-are-saying/>
> .
>
> This year, when your insurance broker reviews with you the quotations for
> insurance, I hope you'll see that with NIAC, you will get value from your
> insurance purchase throughout the year, and not just when you have claims!
> And, we want you to know that if your broker is recommending NIAC it is
> because they are more willing to serve this important sector than to get
> the highest possible commission for themselves. Please thank them.
>
> We hope you will join us. Visit our website at
> www.insurancefornonprofits.org.
>
> *Nonprofit Insurance Alliance of California (NIAC) is part of the
> Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA) brand family.
>
> 79708
>
>
> *Pamela E. Davis*
> Founder/President/CEO
> 831-621-6018 *|* Direct
> 800-359-6422 *|* Office
>
> [image: NIA logo]
>
> [image: LinkedIn] <http://www.linkedin.com/company/110366/>
>
> [image: Facebook] <http://www.facebook.com/insurancefornonprofits/>
>
> A head for insurance. A heart for nonprofits.
> insurancefornonprofits.org <http://www.insurancefornonprofits.org>
>
>
>
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