AIM Association Insurance Management

• Event insurance (general liability) – protection against lawsuits if someone is injured or property is damaged at a group's event, such as skating parties, carnivals, fun runs, auctions and similar activities. The site says this coverage includes accident medical payment coverage in addition to liability protection.
• Embezzlement insurance (fidelity bond) – protection for the group's money if a trusted officer, volunteer, courier or other person embezzles funds.
• Property coverage (inland marine) – protection for raffle merchandise, auction items, fundraising supplies and other organizational assets while they are in the group's possession.
• Directors and officers liability / professional liability – protection for board members and officers against claims of "wrongful acts", such as mismanagement, misrepresentation, or inappropriate actions taken on behalf of the organization.

Other programs listed on the AIM site include:

• Parliamentarian's professional liability
• Educators' professional liability
• Single event coverage
• Programs for Delta Kappa Gamma, Dollars for Scholars, All Pro Dads, Parent Booster USA, NSFA, educational foundations and similar organizations.

These programs use the same basic building blocks (general liability / event insurance, embezzlement coverage, property coverage and directors and officers or professional liability), tailored to the needs of each type of group.

Some program pages, such as the All Pro Dads insurance page, give example coverage limits and options. For example, that page describes:

• General liability limits of $1,000,000 or $2,000,000, with no deductible
• A medical payments limit of $5,000 included in every general liability policy, with options to increase medical payments limits to $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000, with no deductible
• Business personal property (inland marine) limits commonly set at $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000, with a $250 deductible
• Embezzlement (bond) limits commonly set at $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000, with a $250 deductible

Those figures are examples specific to that program; the exact limits, deductibles, exclusions and premiums for any particular organization only come from a current quote or policy documents from AIM.

The public website does not publish a full schedule of limits, deductibles, exclusions and detailed wording for every policy or program, and it does not state whether a particular incident or claim would be covered. Any questions about coverage or what a specific group should buy need to be confirmed directly with AIM, either in writing through a quote or by calling 1-800-876-4044.

How your school's insurance fits in

• A school district's policy often does not fully cover parent-teacher groups.
• Some districts have removed PTAs, PTOs and booster clubs from the school's insurance entirely.
• AIM recommends that groups:
• Make a detailed list of all planned events and activities for the year (for example: carnivals, fun runs, bounce houses, dunk tanks, skating parties, auctions, raffles, etc.).
• Give this list to the school or district risk manager and ask which activities are and are not covered under the school's policy.
• Get the school's response in writing.

School coverage varies by district, so the website does not say what your school's policy includes. The site's guidance is to treat school coverage as limited and fill the gaps with your own insurance where needed.

Event and liability coverage basics

• When you buy general liability (event) insurance, make sure your policy covers all of the activities you actually run, including higher-risk items like:
• Bounce houses and inflatables
• Dunk tanks
• Skating parties
• Fun runs and walk-a-thons
• Silent auctions and similar events
• Some venues (parks, churches, off-campus locations) may require you to list them as an additional insured on your policy. AIM notes that adding additional insureds or certificate holders is a normal practice and should not involve extra fees with their program.

Protecting money from theft and embezzlement

• AIM emphasizes that groups should not rely on narrow bond policies that only cover one person (such as the treasurer).
• Instead, AIM recommends a blanket bond that covers anyone trusted with the organization's money, including officers, volunteers, committee chairs and couriers.
• AIM suggests choosing a bond limit at least equal to your annual budget, because funds are often stolen gradually over time rather than in one incident.

AIM also encourages basic financial controls, such as having someone without check-signing authority review monthly bank statements and using a small review committee for annual financial reviews.

Protecting parent-group property

• School policies usually only cover property the school can inventory and depreciate — not items owned by the PTA, PTO or booster club.
• AIM notes that groups often have more personal property than they think, including:
• Popcorn machines, grills and food-service equipment
• Cash registers and point-of-sale equipment
• School-store inventory
• Raffle prizes and auction items while they are in your possession
• Fundraising merchandise and holiday shop items before they are distributed
• Property coverage (inland marine) is designed to protect these types of items against losses such as theft, robbery or certain natural disasters while they are in the group's possession.

Once permanent items (for example, a marquee sign or playground equipment) are installed and turned over to the school, they generally become school property and are then usually covered under the school's own policy instead of the group's property coverage.

Getting the right mix of coverages

AIM's materials recommend that most parent groups consider whether they need coverage in several areas, not just one:

• General liability / event insurance – for lawsuits and liability related to injuries or property damage at events.
• Accident medical / extended medical payments – for out-of-pocket medical expenses, which can help avoid lawsuits.
• Embezzlement / fidelity bond – to protect the organization's money against theft by trusted individuals.
• Property coverage (inland marine) – for group-owned equipment, supplies and merchandise.
• Directors and officers (D&O) or professional liability – to protect officers and board members from claims of wrongful acts in running the organization.

The AIM website stresses that it is not necessary for volunteers to become insurance experts, but that understanding these basic categories helps groups plan events safely and decide what coverage to purchase.

Coverage details and what's not on the website

AIM's public resources provide general guidance and examples, but they do not publish every detail of coverage, such as all terms, conditions, exclusions or how a specific claim will be handled.

For any question about:

• Whether a particular event or activity is covered
• What limits and deductibles your group should carry
• Whether a specific loss or incident would be covered

AIM's guidance is to contact them directly for an explanation or a quote, either through the online portal or by calling 1-800-876-4044.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.